Dear Armand,
Three days after I received your message, by chance I met Father Joseph Fessio,
S.J. He is the head of Ignatius Press, the publisher of "Catholic World
Report" magazine, and a mover and shaker in the new liturgical reform movement
called "Adoremus" I asked him whether the Vatican has forbidden kneelers in
new and remodeled churches. He answered, "Absolutely not! Some people
are simply lying!" Father Fessio is known for his clear and vigorous prose.
There can be no question that there are concerted efforts in the American
church to dismantle and dumb down the ceremonies and prayers of the Latin Rite,
far beyond the intentions of the Second Vatican Council and of Pope Paul VI. If
these efforts succeed, the result will be a diminished reverence in our worship
and a further erosion in our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ
in the Blessed Sacrament.
When we average Catholics encounter such culpable ignorance (or, if you go
along with Father Fessio, such deliberate lying) on the part of those who
pretend to know something about liturgy, we should by all means DEMAND to be
shown the pretended Roman document the innovators are "quoting". Call their
bluff.
You may also find the following news item helpful in your discussions: during
the June, 1995 meetings of all our American bishops, Cardinal Bernardin of
Chicago offered a motion (by proxy, since the Cardinal was absent because of
illness) to allow (not MANDATE, but ALLOW) standing instead of kneeling during
the Eucharistic Prayer and Consecration of the Mass. This motion awakened such
OPPOSITION among the bishops that it was withdrawn before coming to a vote.
(The source of this news note is CREDO for August, 1995, Volume III, no. 2).
Therefore, it is clear that kneeling is the norm (see G.I.R.M. #21), and to
remove kneelers from churches is an arbitrary attempt to force us to stand. But
Catholics have the RIGHT to worship according to the requirements of their rite
and the traditions of the people. In Italy (e.g., St. Peter's in Rome) the
tradition is to have no kneelers. So what? In the U.S. our tradition is to
have kneelers and to use them.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
--- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit ---
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