netmil(name removed by moderator):
Have you read all the posts connected with his? Even in his own Diocese the practice is condemned by the Bishop. People here are stating that this is an innovation. It is an innovation which should be stopped as nothing may be added to the liturgy. Go back through the thread and read what Bishop Jurgis wrote about it. (NCJohn’s Bishop) I think you will understand.
Let’s see if we can’t separate some feelings about this issue from the facts about this issue. First off, to address the specific point above, I have seen you repeatedly make this statement about Bishop Jugis “condemning” this practice. He statement was simply that it is not contained in the order of the Mass, period. Unlike the numerous practices which for which he had specific actions to be taken or not taken, there were none whatsoever with this statement. His statement was a statement of fact with no action request or condemnation attached, nor to the best of my knowledge from my travels in this diocese, has anyone taken it to be such.
Now on to the actual issue at hand. It is abundantly clear to everyone from the dozens of posts you’ve made that you despise this practice, and that is your right. It is also your right to be the cheerleader for others who also dislike it. I strongly admire you for your willingness to stand up for what you believe and a lot of the knowledge you have displayed in doing so.
There are two things however that are not your right.
The first of these is to make your personal beliefs into church teaching. You’ve thrown up all kinds of straw men and red herrings to imply that this either leads to a position that other ridiculous scenarios, from juggling to bar-b-quing in the choir loft, would therefore be just as acceptable. We all know that there are ample mechanisms in place in the Church to prevent that and to deal with it if it occured. You have thrown out your story about the parish full of people whose arthritis caused them to have to leave because they felt compelled to join in. Again, there are numerous mechanisms available to prevent anyone from feeling so compelled. Finally, you’ve tried two approaches to make it illicit. The first was to quote the GIRM and claim that nothing can be added to the liturgy; the other that Bishops rightly have the ability to deal with these things when there is no norm to go by, and implied that such an action by some bishops somehow is binding on others. Unfortunately the two are mutually exclusive in this case. If there is something in the GIRM, then the Bishop has no such latitude. If the Bishop has latitude, then it is because it’s not in the GIRM.
When it’s all said and done, as has been shown several times, the GIRM has gone through two revisions without this being addressed. More importantly, the recent Redemptionis Sacramentum, written
specifically to deal with liturgical abuses, specifically did not address it. As such, all the facts and the evidence indicate that there is at the current time nothing illicit about it, however much you might not like it. So you have now put yourself in a position of claiming that people are making up their own rules when you yourself are trying to make up your own rules. If you don’t want it, continue to work to have it banned; but until it is you need to stop acting as if it has been unless you can produce some document from Rome that specifically bans the practice.
The other thing you don’t have a right to do is to impugn other’s devotion or orthodoxy because they happen to disagree with your opinion–even if you were to be 100% right! If you really feel you can set yourself up as a “better” Catholic than I am based on this, or any other issue, you might want to go ask your priest where that puts you. The Pharisee thanking God for not making him like those other sinners beckons to all of us and is quite frankly one of the biggest obstacles to Catholic unity. We are all here to pick each other up when we fall and to help carry each other’s crosses, not to kick our brothers and sisters into the gutter.
As I said, I truly admire your passion for your cause, but it is time to stop the arguing and misleading statements and attacks. It is time for both sides to be charitable. Those who hold hands must respect those who do not want to, without considering them cold or uncaring. Those who do not want to need to recognize that others find it a very meaningful symbol to
Our Father and stop denouncing us or considering us less than your definition of orthodox for that. If we let the deceiver use such simple means to divide us, it will be that much easier to distract us from the real battles we have out there.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
) and I when I stopped doing it I really discovered it was much more reverent. Now that I’m back in the US, though, it’s tough for me not to hold hands since nobody else seems to know about not holding it…but I’m trying not to.
