This is an old video. It shows that it was uploaded to YouTube in 2006. I have seen a article published in 2004 that referred to this event and I have seen another item mentioning this happening in November of 2002. Rather than continuing to rehash this sad event, I would be more interested to know if this is still happening since the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments has responded to the question about this and made the clarification regarding posture while receiving Communion.
I hope you were making a statement in general and not directing that comment toward me.
uh huh
just kidding, just kiddingNo, it is not. I actually kneeled to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Priest did not distribute the Eucharist to me because he could not bend down. I must thank you for making me laugh though, the expression on that child’s face is funny.
I agree to all of those, however, when I “kneel” I just take a knee. I don’t go down on both, just one, it helps me get up faster, helps with stability, etc. Also, I have never (though I am positive it has happened) seen a fellow grab hold of the priest. Though as an Altar Boy serving a Confirmation mass, there was an elderly Bishop who, while stepping up a step to where I was almost tripped but he caught hold of me. Thankfully, I didn’t fall down. Long story short, no one fell that day.Communion while kneeling has not been banned. However, there are some very practical reasons why a pastor may ask his parishioners to stand only. I have to admit that just as some people may have seen one or the other pastor get into silly power struggles with the person who wants to kneel, there are also lay people who get into equally silly power struggles over the same issue. I know a parish where some people refused to attend mass there, because the pastor asked that they no knee when he celebrates the mass. His reason is on the list of valid reasons. Anyway, here’s my list.
The priest has a handicapping condition that does not allow him to reach down to the person who is kneeling.
Accidents have happened where the person behind was not expecting it and has trampled the person who is suddenly kneels.
People have grabbed on to the priest, to help them get up again, which can cause the priest and the communicant to end up on the floor.
In some places, the space is tight. People can’t maneuver around a person who is kneeling.
If it’s a religious house, it may not be the custom of that religious community. In those houses (friaries, college chapels, retreat houses or other religious houses) the custom of the religious who own the house prevails over the universal law. Such houses are not bound by the universal law, unless Church law applies to them or they are required by their own laws.
This being said, I know a priest who has a handicapping condition. He stands with crutches. When he distributes Holy Communion, he reaches his station and props himself up. The deacon then brings him the ciboria. Even with all of these visual cues, some people (I’m talking about four people) were very upset when he was appointed pastor, because he asked parishioners not to knee. He can’t lean forward or he’ll lose his balance. He holds the ciborium with his hands and props his elbows on his crutches to keep him up. You’d think that anyone with some common sense, who is watching this will figure out that kneeling is a bad idea. Nahhhh!
There are stubborn people on both sides of the communion line. I was in the mission in the Amazon. That particular diocese did not have CITH. I was distributing communion when an American or Canadian came and put his hands out. I simply gave him communion. They man was passing through. I was most likely that he did not know the local rules. In the Amazon you get many scientists and tourists who are just coming through.
We also have custom in our chapels. We genuflect before receiving Holy Communion. Often, a layperson may ask to stay for mass. They don’t genuflect. We don’t make an issue of it. The communion station is not the place for a battle of wills.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
I’m using the term “battle of wills” for both sides. As I said, those who objected to the disabled priest who could not give out communion to those who knelt were being silly. I would be been equally silly to refuse to give communion to the foreigner who put out his hands in a diocese that had a COTT only rule. My superior would have had my head. My logic is simple. Talk about it later, not on the communion line. The only time that I ever denied someone communion was a woman who came up holding a cell phone to her ear. I politely told her to come back to mass when she was not busy.I agree to all of those, however, when I “kneel” I just take a knee. I don’t go down on both, just one, it helps me get up faster, helps with stability, etc. Also, I have never (though I am positive it has happened) seen a fellow grab hold of the priest. Though as an Altar Boy serving a Confirmation mass, there was an elderly Bishop who, while stepping up a step to where I was almost tripped but he caught hold of me. Thankfully, I didn’t fall down. Long story short, no one fell that day.
Also, I cannot agree enough to the “Battle of the wills” statement. Though from my own experience, and stories I have heard, the Priest is usually the aggressor, not the receiver.
Thank you for your comment though, and God Bless.
Your statement means that kneeling is an abuse, just not grave enough to deny Communion. The reality is that it isn’t an abuse, it’s perfectly legitimate and nobody who kneels is to be considered disobedient. Rome has made that perfectly clear by actually saying “Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”.
One bishop in Canada many years ago had a kneeling family arrested for disturbing a religious ceremony. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court because one of those arrested was a lawyer.
All this didn’t seem like a problem when people knelt to receive communion COTT at the rail on soft padding with a trained server holding a paten under each chin. And without the Amen. The height difference doesn’t seem to matter too much when everyone kneels at the railing.
Wow … there is something gravely wrong with this picture. That’s absolutely horrible that a family would be arrested. Do you happen to have an article or something we could read?