Authority of the USCCB?

[maciejk60]

Every time I question an action or statement in my Parish (Pastor, Priest or DRE) or even at the Diocese, about why they are doing what they are doing Liturgically, I am told that it is sanctioned or mandated by the USCCB!

However, when I go on the web site for the USCCB, they describe themselves as a “Council”, with the purpose to “consult” rather than to dictate.

Does the USCCB have any authority? If so where in the so called chain of authority to they fit? Is not the chain of command in reverse order: Deacon, Priest, Pastor, Bishop, Pope?

Matt

 

[John_Lilburne]

Regarding the Mass, the 2002 Roman Missal gives considerable detail on the role of a Conference of Bishops, such as the USCCB.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“390. It is up to the Conferences of Bishops to decide on the adaptations indicated in this General Instruction and in the Order of Mass and, once their decisions have been accorded the recognitio of the Apostolic See, to introduce them into the Missal itself. These adaptations include
• The gestures and posture of the faithful (cf. no. 43 above);
• The gestures of veneration toward the altar and the Book of the Gospels (cf. no. 273 above);
• The texts of the chants at the entrance, at the presentation of the gifts, and at Communion (cf. nos. 48, 74, 87 above);
• The readings from Sacred Scripture to be used in special circumstances (cf. no. 362 above);
• The form of the gesture of peace (cf. no. 82 above);
• The manner of receiving Holy Communion (cf. nos. 160, 283 above);
• The materials for the altar and sacred furnishings, especially the sacred vessels, and also the materials, form, and color of the liturgical vestments (cf. nos. 301, 326, 329, 339, 342-346 above).
Directories or pastoral instructions that the Conferences of Bishops judge useful may, with the prior recognitio of the Apostolic See, be included in the Roman Missal at an appropriate place.”

The 2002 GIRM added a new chapter, IX, entitled: “Adaptations Within the Competence of Bishops and Bishops’ Conferences”. The n. 390, above, is from that. But reading the whole chapter would give a more complete understanding of the role of a Conference of Bishops.

 

[muledog]

According to canon law and the tradition of the Church, only bishops have authority in the United States. The USCCB - as a group - has no authority. Only when the bishops consult and vote on an agenda item with a 2/3 majority vote, and the result is confirmed with a recognitio by the Holy See, does the item in question actual take effect.

And even then, individual bishops can vary from this revised norm and uphold the “universal” practice.

For example, standing to receive Holy Communion is the norm in the United States. It was approved by 2/3 majority of voting bishops, and the resulting GIRM was confirmed by the Holy See.

But at the same time, some bishops (I believe Bp. Bruskewitz is one of them) decided to allow the faithful to continue receiving on the knees as a general practice. I don’t know whether they petitioned the Holy See for an indult, or if they did it on their own authority.

There was a document in the 1990’s that dealt with the authority of bishops and bishops conferences, but I cannot remember its name off-hand. Maybe it was Pastor Bonus.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Canon Law likewise has a chapter devoted to Episcopal Conferences.

tee

 

[Contarini]

According to canon law and the tradition of the Church, only bishops have authority in the United States. The USCCB - as a group - has no authority. .

But surely if the USCCB has decided something, and the poster’s local bishop hasn’t dissented from it or ruled otherwise, then the poster and the local congregation would be obligated to follow it, wouldn’t they?

Edwin

 

[PhilipCal]

But surely if the USCCB has decided something, and the poster’s local bishop hasn’t dissented from it or ruled otherwise, then the poster and the local congregation would be obligated to follow it, wouldn’t they?

Edwin

If the practice has been approved by the USCCB, and recieved the appropriate “Recognitio” from the Holy See (Pope), then it is adopted. A term known as “Religious Submission” comes into play here.

 

[MichiganTrumbul]

Greetings!

OK, here is the “chain of command” as mandated by the Holy Vatican Council II:

1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

1. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.

1. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.
   Sacrosanctum Concilium, Article 22

The USCCB is one of those “competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established” referred to in paragraph 2.

So, in short, the only things that the USCCB can authorize are things that the Apostolic See - Rome - authorizes them to authorize (those “certain defined limits”).

MT

 

[Joe_Kelley]

As I understand it, some matters may be approved by a super majority of the USCCB [2/3?] and then sent to the Vatican for a “Recognitio” in which case the mandating authority is the Vatican. Other matters may be determined by unanimous consent of the USCCB, in which case the mandating authority is the local ordinary who voted for it. In either case the USCCB only proposes; existing authorities dispose.

 

[Sure]

This is mostly correct. Any changes to the liturgy proposed by the USCCB must be recognized by the vatican in order to be permissible. Recently various bishops and the USCCB wanted to extend the indult granted that allowed EMHC’s to purify the sacred vessal’s during/after Mass. This permission to extend it was denied, so now only priests and deacons can purify the vessals.

 

[Aramis]

This permission to extend it was denied, so now only priests and deacons can purify the vessals.

Clerics (deacons priests and bishops) and Instituted Acolytes, actually. Now, the only instituted acolytes I’ve known were seminarians/deaconal candidate and one diocesan brother.

On Topic:
The USCCB is funtionally a subset of the grand synod; it provides guidance and voice to the bishops of the US without the need to have synod meetings of the grand synod outside the councils.

It provides real guidance to the Pope and the various special councils on the bishops’ perceived needs to Rome.

 

[Brendan]

But at the same time, some bishops (I believe Bp. Bruskewitz is one of them) decided to allow the faithful to continue receiving on the knees as a general practice. I don’t know whether they petitioned the Holy See for an indult, or if they did it on their own authority.

No authority was required. The Universal norm for the reception of Communion is kneeling. The US Bishops applied for an exception to that norm. It was approved, but not in such a way that abrogated the Universal norm of kneeling within the United States.

So, within the US, no permission is needed to either stand or kneel in any diocese. No ‘indult’ is required to participate in an universal norm.

 

[kage_ar]

Every time I question an action or statement in my Parish (Pastor, Priest or DRE) or even at the Diocese, about why they are doing what they are doing Liturgically, I am told that it is sanctioned or mandated by the USCCB!

However, when I go on the web site for the USCCB, they describe themselves as a “Council”, with the purpose to “consult” rather than to dictate.

Does the USCCB have any authority? If so where in the so called chain of authority to they fit? Is not the chain of command in reverse order: Deacon, Priest, Pastor, Bishop, Pope?

Matt

Have you asked to see the documentation re the sanction or mandate?