Bow or Genuflect at Consecration?

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As a recent revert to the Church, I’ve been noticing that some things are very different from the way they were back in the late 60’s, early 70’s when I left. One of them is the fact that some priests only bow when consecrating the Host, or even passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament, while others genuflect. My question is, why don’t all genuflect, outside of a physical inability to do so? After all, as Catholics, we believe that it is the Real Presence, and doesn’t our Saviour deserve the greatest reverence?

Mary
 
I was only 44 (and very healthy) when I began going to mass during my conversion into the RCC and I was never able to genuflect without at least holding onto a pew (although I really wanted to - I’m a firm believer in what C.S. Lewis spoke of in “Screwtape Letters” about a human’s outward positions having to do with his soul!). I couldn’t figure out how so many people had managed to genuflect while receiving on the tongue. :confused:
Did the altar boys help most people?🤷 At any rate, although I’ve usually seen the priest genuflect during consecration (often while needing to hold onto the altar in order to get up and down), there often isn’t anything to hold onto (no altar rails anymore) while passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
I’m surprised at how many in my parish do nothing special at the Consecration. Our wonderful priest from Poland taught us to bow at the Consecration, and that’s what I do (and many others do too). I learned more about reverence from him in two years than I did in my previous 45!
 
KatieD said:
I’m surprised at how many in my parish do nothing special at the Consecration.
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Is it possible that the people who don’t show reverence actually don’t understand what is happening? Are there those who don’t believe in the Real Presence?

If that’s so, I find that extremely disconcerting.

Mary
 
porthos11 said:
Why are we arguing Bow vs. Genuflect when we are supposed to kneel at Consecration?
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My question isn’t about the laity, but about the priests. Certainly all the laity should be kneeling. But I have seen some priests genuflect, and some merely bow their heads at consecration. I was wondering about that.

Mary
 
Our parish doesn’t have kneelers - we do have some folks who kneel on the floor, some of us bow, some do nothing. I think if we had kneelers, this wouldn’t be an issue - and I think the fact that we don’t have kneelers leads to less reverence in general.
 
I haven’t been to very many concelebrated Masses, but it seems to me that in the ones that I attended, the priests who were concelebrating made a deep bow when the leading priest genuflected after the consecrations.

Of course it could simply be a case of physical problems–I know I can’t genuflect any more, even holding on to the pew, a very slight little “bob” is all that I can manage…😊
 
Brooklyn said:
My question isn’t about the laity, but about the priests. Certainly all the laity should be kneeling. But I have seen some priests genuflect, and some merely bow their heads at consecration. I was wondering about that.

Mary
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Ah, okay.

If the priest is old, I give him the benefit of the doubt.

If he is young, well, beats me then.
 
Age is not always a factor. We had a very reverent priest who was in his early 40’s with arthritis in his knees. He went from genuflecting, to bowing, to some kind of left-kneed genuflection/squat combo.
 
NMJenny said:
I haven’t been to very many concelebrated Masses, but it seems to me that in the ones that I attended, the priests who were concelebrating made a deep bow when the leading priest genuflected after the consecrations.
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That is what is prescribed. The main celebrant bows and speaks the consecration and then genuflects afterward. The concelebrants only bow. It is inconsistent to say the least.
 
cue said:
That is what is prescribed. The main celebrant bows and speaks the consecration and then genuflects afterward. The concelebrants only bow. It is inconsistent to say the least.
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Thanks for confirming that–my memory these days can be a little erratic…🤷
 
cue said:
That is what is prescribed. The main celebrant bows and speaks the consecration and then genuflects afterward. The concelebrants only bow. It is inconsistent to say the least.
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Many concelebrated Masses have a large number of priests at the altar, and it would be quite disruptive if all of them tried to genuflect. Also often very elderly priests concelebrate, rather than say the Mass by themself because they may have difficulty .

Remember the rules are made for the common good, rather than specific instances.

Lux
 
Thanks for all your answers, but I’m not talking about concelebrants. I’m talking about a Priest who is saying the Mass alone, and instead of genuflecting at the consecration, chooses to bow instead. I understand some priests have physical problems and can’t bow, but what about those who can?

Mary
 
The instructions state a genuflection, but as was said, we have no way of knowing who is able and who isn’t. I would not question a priest for his determination of his own ability.

Lux
 
Lux_et_Tenebrae said:
Many concelebrated Masses have a large number of priests at the altar, and it would be quite disruptive if all of them tried to genuflect.
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That may be true, but I think it is more disruptive to our faith and especially the faith of our children when there are inconsistencies such as these.

“Mommy, you told me that we always genuflect because Christ is really present.”
“I know, honey, but don’t you see how disruptive it would be?”
“But Mommy, it’s really God.”
Then the reply will ring to the child’s ears as, 'Well, some things are more important than God."
 
You stand before a President, You kneel before God.

Philippians, 2:10-11 “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

If at just the name of Jesus every knee should bend, then surely we should kneel in His Presence.

(Eph 3 14-17)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
 
cue said:
That may be true, but I think it is more disruptive to our faith and especially the faith of our children when there are inconsistencies such as these.

“Mommy, you told me that we always genuflect because Christ is really present.”
“I know, honey, but don’t you see how disruptive it would be?”
“But Mommy, it’s really God.”
Then the reply will ring to the child’s ears as, 'Well, some things are more important than God."
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That is totally out of context and quite unchristian toward me.

I repeat for those who cannot grasp special circumstances.
Many concelebrated Masses have a large number of priests at the altar, and it would be quite disruptive if all of them tried to genuflect. Also often very elderly priests concelebrate, rather than say the Mass by themself because they may have difficulty .
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Remember the rules are made for the common good, rather than specific instances.
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Lux
 
To the OP, are you speaking of the priests actions at the consecration or throughout the Mass?

The rubrics stipulate a genuflection unless the priest is unable to do so due to physical limitations. We should not presume that a priest who bows does not believe in the Real Presence. Perhaps he has a condition that makes genuflection painful in which case he is not obligated to do so. If he just doesn’t feel like genuflecting, that is a problem, but we don’t really know do we?

In the case of concelebrating priests they are instructed NOT to genuflect. They bow profoundly. If the concelebrating priest were to genuflect, that would be a liturgical abuse.
 
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