Altering words and unnecessary gestures

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Whenever me and my family go to mass in this church situated in a village, we would sometimes encounter the parish priest saying Mass. This priest alters so many words in the Mass (e.g.: Let us open our minds, lips and hearts as we listen to the gospel according to…)
And also communion, he always says the word “Jesus” in giving the body of Christ. With regard to unnecessary gestures, he always makes us sit during the Gloria. Is it lawful to alter words and use unnecessary gestures during the Mass?
 
GoGoDiego said:
Whenever me and my family go to mass in this church situated in a village, we would sometimes encounter the parish priest saying Mass. This priest alters so many words in the Mass (e.g.: Let us open our minds, lips and hearts as we listen to the gospel according to…)
And also communion, he always says the word “Jesus” in giving the body of Christ. With regard to unnecessary gestures, he always makes us sit during the Gloria. Is it lawful to alter words and use unnecessary gestures during the Mass?
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He is supposed to use the rubrics issued by Rome for mass. He’s not supposed to alter words or actions
 
I think your question of “Is it lawful to alter words and use unnecessary gestures during the Mass?” is not particularly accurate for a Catholic because those gestures and alter words are very important in the Latin expression of worship, all having a certain meaning and form of reverence within the Mass.
 
Kmon23 said:
I think your question of “Is it lawful to alter words and use unnecessary gestures during the Mass?” is not particularly accurate for a Catholic because those gestures and alter words are very important in the Latin expression of worship, all having a certain meaning and form of reverence within the Mass.
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The OP said “alter” meaning “change,” not “Altar.”
 
GoGoDiego said:
Whenever me and my family go to mass in this church situated in a village, we would sometimes encounter the parish priest saying Mass. This priest alters so many words in the Mass (e.g.: Let us open our minds, lips and hearts as we listen to the gospel according to…)
And also communion, he always says the word “Jesus” in giving the body of Christ. With regard to unnecessary gestures, he always makes us sit during the Gloria. Is it lawful to alter words and use unnecessary gestures during the Mass?
Click to expand...
Since you’re in the Phillipines I have to wonder if this is an English or Tagalog Mass. Perhaps no one’s ever said anything and the priest has never thought of it as a problem. It is though. If he isn’t saying exactly what is in the Missal then there’s a problem. The first step is to complain to the priest himself. If nothing changes after that, the next step is to complain to his superior.
 
ServusHumilis said:
If he isn’t saying exactly what is in the Missal then there’s a problem. The first step is to complain to the priest himself. If nothing changes after that, the next step is to complain to his superior.
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This
 
I’m sorry, I have more questions than answers. What the others have already said is true, though: he should be following the Order of the Mass and not adding or subtracting as he likes.

I’m just wondering: Is he saying the Mass mostly from memory? He may not realize how far he has drifted. Is English his primary language? It could be a problem in translation, or maybe he was catechised poorly. Has he been a priest very long? If not, you’ll be doing a great service by speaking up and correcting this before its deeply ingrained.

Whether he’s been doing this a long time or not, though, it’s still your duty to bring it to his (or his superior’s) attention ASAP, because the Eucharist may not even be valid if he is changing the consecration-- and this would be a travesty for everyone involved!
 
During the Preface II of Advent at Mass, our presiding priest says:

"And so, with Angels and Archangels,

with Thrones and Denominations,

and with all the hosts and Powers of Heaven,

we sing the hymn of Your glory,

as without end we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts…

That’s right. Instead of Thrones and Dominions he says Thrones and denominations. I’ve heard a couple of priests make that mistake in my time. Maybe one day I’ll have the nerve to correct him of this error. Unfortunately, he’s one of those priests who doesn’t take criticism well, as least when coming from the laity.
 
Belshazzar said:
During the Preface II of Advent at Mass, our presiding priest says:

“And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Denominations…”

That’s right. Instead of Thrones and Dominions he says Thrones and denominations. I’ve heard a couple of priests make that mistake in my time. Maybe one day I’ll have the nerve to correct him of this error. Unfortunately, he’s one of those priests who doesn’t take criticism well, as least when coming from the laity.
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Our Pastor has yet to pronounce that word “Dominions”, he has consistantly said “Dominations”. In fact, this Christmas was the first time in 30 months that I’ve heard the word read correctly, and that because we had a visiting priest covering our parish while our Pastor was spending Christmas at another parish.
 
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