Franciscan Traditions on Celebrating the Holy Mass

[mrs_katekista]

I attended a Mass a while ago and was surprised with what I saw. But first, let me tell that this Mass is not held in a parish. It is held daily in a chapel of a soup kitchen ran by Franciscan friars before the staff and volunteers start to work.

Throughout the entire Mass, including the consecration, everyone (including the priest) just sat. During communion, everyone passed around the Holy Eucharist and took communion for themselves. There are other several issues I had but these 2 have been really bothering for so long.

I immediately talked to one of the friars about it after the Mass. He told me that what I witnessed was a Franciscan tradition. And that if I don’t like it, I can just skip attending the Mass when I come over. However, I have just started to realize that there will be times when I will have to attend this Mass.

So, I would like to ask from someone knowlegeable about Franciscan traditions of celebrating the Holy Mass and what I need to do. Do I stand/kneel on certain parts even though they’re all sitting? Do I approach the priest and receive communion from him?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Filioque]

Well as far as the tradition goes, it is only something that this and other communities have instituted themselves, (I’m fairly sure without any official sanction outside of their own community or Province.) Prior to Vatican II the differences in the Franciscan Missal and Mass rubrics were that they would put up the cowel with the amice over it as they processed to and from the altar, there was a mention of St. Francis, (Our blessed father Francis) in the Confiteor, and there were proper Prefaces for SS Francis, Dominic and Clare used during their respective feasts. As SS Francis and Dominic were contemporaries they refered to each other as Seraphic brothers. There were feasts that were perculiar to each of the Franciscan Orders, the OFM, OFM Cap, and TOR. but otherwise the rubrics were pretty much the same as the TLM, as the Franciscans (unlike the Dominicans) derived their missal from the Roman Curia. While they tended to be simple in their vestments and monastic chapels, parishes they staffed could be quite ornate, they did not do anything that resembled what you describe here.

I had an uncle who was OFM, he was from the generation that would wear street clothes, sit around a coffee table at my grandmother’s house when he would visit, with a coffee cup and a saucer, pour wine, (without water added) and a slice of Webber bread, flip through a copy of Good News For Modern Man, read a passage or two, talk about social justice, and the poor, then formulate something akin to a consecration, sometimes he would use the words of institution themself. For him and his community this was bringing the Mass to the People. I on the other hand was raised that we brought ourselves to God where He made Himself present through his priesthood, at the hands of His priest so we could reaffirm the order of things being His Omnipotence, and our gratitude to Him. So these coffee table rites with ribbon Christmas Candy in the dish forming one lump left next to the elements for the “mass” a bit shocking.

 

[twf]

This manner of celebrating the holy mass is gravely abusive. I would run the other direction and not look back. The liturgy is the prayer of Christ himself offered to the Father through the Church. In the mass, we unite our prayers to His. The holy sacrifice of the mass is not the personal property of anyone - including the priest! The abuses you describe have been explicitly condemned by Rome. The mass is the very sacrifice of Christ and must be celebrated with the greatest degree of reverence. Please see this document from Rome - On Certain Practices to Be Avoided in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist : vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html

 

[ReginaCoeli]

I read that the manner of celebrating Mass that you described is part of a movement called the “Neo-Catechumenal Way”. I don’t know anything about it other than they pass communion around, sit around a table, and celebrate Mass on Saturday evenings exclusively. So maybe what you witnessed was a Neo Catechumenal Way Mass.

 

[nagyszakall]

No, it wasn’t. That isn’t true. We dont sit for communion and don’t pass around anything.

 

[mrs_katekista]

Thank you all for responding to my post! Should I report this to the bishop or the provincial admin/office or should I just let it go? What do you think?