FURIOUS!! Priest wouldn't let me take communion while kneeling

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dan

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Last night, at mass, I went up to take communion, and kneeled before the priest as I usually do. The priest looked down at me, motioned his hand upward, and told me to “stand up.”

Although I was angry (and not to mention extremely embarassed) I followed the priest’s instruction and stood up to take communion. I have to admit, however, I glared a hole through the priest and I slowly stood up.

I confronted the priest after mass and asked him why he wouldn’t let me kneel for communion. His answer was that, in this diocese (San Jose, CA) “everyone stands.” He then told me that communion is not a “personal act of piety.” The priest also told me that, if I didn’t believe him, that I’m free to contact the diocese and ask them.

I bet the priest would find the following link particularly interesting:
catholic.com/library/liturgy/kneeling_1.asp

By the way, it’s worth noting that, although there are kneelers, parishoners never kneel for the consecration at this church, and this particular mass graced us with three “liturgical dance” sets, and the Creed was omitted.

Obviously, I’m angry, and I’m not what exaclty I should do about this.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
  • Dan
 
Can anyone say abuse??

If I were you I would always carry one of the letters from Cardinal Ratzinger or the Congregation for Divine Worship forbidding priests to prevent someone from receiving on their knees.
 
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totustuusmaria:
Can anyone say abuse??

If I were you I would always carry one of the letters from Cardinal Ratzinger or the Congregation for Divine Worship forbidding priests to prevent someone from receiving on their knees.
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It probably wouldn’t do any good. I would be willing to bet that the Bishop up there will back him up. As I’ve said before, what Rome says actually has little to do with what happens these days. Collegiality I believe has become a huge millstone around the Churches collective neck. The Bishops being autonomous are going to do what they want, ignore what they want and run their Dioceses the way they want.
 
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totustuusmaria:
Can anyone say abuse??

If I were you I would always carry one of the letters from Cardinal Ratzinger or the Congregation for Divine Worship forbidding priests to prevent someone from receiving on their knees.
Click to expand...
From what I understand the instruction from the CDF says that no one is to be refused Holy Communion because they are kneeling. It also says something about the pastor or priest speaking directly after Mass to the person and explaining why. If they refuse to follow the direction of the Bishop they are now no longer just kneeling to receive Holy Communion. They are intentionally disobeying the instruction of their Bishop regarding liturgical posture which is consistant with the official documents. If a Bishops instruction is clearly opposed to the official instruction then that is a different issue.
 
Perhaps, in addition to writing to the Bishop of the diocese, you should look for a new parish?!
 
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dan:
in this diocese (San Jose, CA) “everyone stands.” He then told me that communion is not a “personal act of piety.” The priest also told me that, if I didn’t believe him, that I’m free to contact the diocese and ask them.
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dan:
If I were you I would always carry one of the letters from Cardinal Ratzinger or the Congregation for Divine Worship forbidding priests to prevent someone from receiving on their knees.
Click to expand...
I would do as the priest suggested. I would contact the diocese explaining what happened and include copies of Cardinal Ratzinger’s letters on the Congregation for Divine Worship forbidding priests to prevent someone from receiving on their knees and ask them to explain their official position in light of Cardinal Ratzinger’s instructions.

If they support the priest in this matter, I would take their reply and send it to the Holy See for additional clarification from Rome on this matter. If they support you, I would present the priest with a copy of their reply and come to an understanding with him that you WILL be receiving communion from HIM on your knees.
 
Br. Rich SFO:
From what I understand the instruction from the CDF says that no one is to be refused Holy Communion because they are kneeling. It also says something about the pastor or priest speaking directly after Mass to the person and explaining why. If they refuse to follow the direction of the Bishop they are now no longer just kneeling to receive Holy Communion. They are intentionally disobeying the instruction of their Bishop regarding liturgical posture which is consistant with the official documents. If a Bishops instruction is clearly opposed to the official instruction then that is a different issue.
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Do you have a reference?
 
Isn’t kneeling or standing for communion (or after reception, in the pew), something the Bishop can dictate?
 
*Last night, at mass, I went up to take communion, and kneeled before the priest as I usually do. The priest looked down at me, motioned his hand upward, and told me to “stand up.”

Although I was angry (and not to mention extremely embarassed) I followed the priest’s instruction and stood up to take communion. I have to admit, however, I glared a hole through the priest and I slowly stood up.*
*:confused: *

Do you really think that Christ was happy with either of you in this situation?

When it comes right down to it you, because of your unfortunate experience, were not properly disposed to receive Him since you were blinded by anger and humiliation.

The abuse here not only lies with the Priests refusal to allow you receive on your knees but it also lies in the fact that you saw each other, were angry at each other and focussed not on the actual recpetion of Christ.

The moment of reception of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ is no time to be angry or glaring at others just because they have annoyed or inconvenienced you.

I agree that you have the right to kneel and would be the first to run to your defence, but when the rejection of this personal act of piety causes you to lose sight of Christ who was in front of you, I would also suggest that you should have moved away, confronted the Priest and then gone to Mass again, receiving Him with the proper dispositions of heart and mind.

Imagine His heart in all of this squabble between the two of you.

I am ashamed of both of you.
 
Fergal said:
*Last night, at mass, I went up to take communion, and kneeled before the priest as I usually do. The priest looked down at me, motioned his hand upward, and told me to “stand up.”

Although I was angry (and not to mention extremely embarassed) I followed the priest’s instruction and stood up to take communion. I have to admit, however, I glared a hole through the priest and I slowly stood up.*
*:confused: *

Do you really think that Christ was happy with either of you in this situation?

When it comes right down to it you, because of your unfortunate experience, were not properly disposed to receive Him since you were blinded by anger and humiliation.

The abuse here not only lies with the Priests refusal to allow you receive on your knees but it also lies in the fact that you saw each other, were angry at each other and focussed not on the actual recpetion of Christ.

The moment of reception of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ is no time to be angry or glaring at others just because they have annoyed or inconvenienced you.

I agree that you have the right to kneel and would be the first to run to your defence, but when the rejection of this personal act of piety causes you to lose sight of Christ who was in front of you, I would also suggest that you should have moved away, confronted the Priest and then gone to Mass again, receiving Him with the proper dispositions of heart and mind.

Imagine His heart in all of this squabble between the two of you.

I am ashamed of both of you.
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Well said, Fergal! 👍
 
I am a bit shocked that you were angered at the time of receiving Jesus. Then remained angry after. I can see why you wanted to receive him with reverence, but why not genlflect then rise?

Do as the priest asked and praise God for the oportunity to receive because there are many people who cannot.
 
I agree that the alter is no place for a confrontation and both parties have some blame.

However, if any of our feeble little minds could truly understand the awesomeness of what were receiving in the Holy Eucharist, we would probably crawl up to the alter on our hands and knees, sobbing and trembling, filled with fear and gratitude.

May the LORD rebuke anyone who prohibits earnest acts of reverence towards Jesus, I humbly pray
.
 
If a priest tells you to “stand up”, just be humble about it whether you like it or not. Then focus on Jesus in the Eucharist.

Then later, calmly approach the preist and ask him, “How come I could not kneel?” or something like that.
 
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dan:
I followed the priest’s instruction and stood up to take communion. I have to admit, however,** I glared a hole through the priest**
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:eek:

Personally, I wonder if that negated the graces normally received during the Eucharist.

It is my understanding that we are to receive only with a pure, open heart (thus the reason for extending our peace to those around us right before communion and the prayer of the Our Father before going to communion - ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’.) To have anger in your mind, heart or soul at that precise moment seems dangerous to me.
 
I’m in the San Jose Diocese also. Of the three that I’ve been to in this area, they all stand now. Growing up, at the same Church, we knelt. There have been so many changes over the last few years, I’m getting frustrated. Only because some of the changes seem to be incorrect. Like standing after communion even when the Tabernacle is still in the Church.
 
Personally, I wonder if that negated the graces normally received during the Eucharist.

It is my understanding that we are to receive only with a pure, open heart (thus the reason for extending our peace to those around us right before communion and the prayer of the Our Father before going to communion - ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’.) To have anger in your mind, heart or soul at that precise moment seems dangerous to me.
[/quote]

We know the poster’s words, but not his soul or his heart.
 
That part of California…well, the most abused Mass I ever witnessed was in Santa Cruz, just a short hop away. Lay homily, paraphrased canon, lay fractioning of the Most Precious Blood, because it had been consecrated in a flagon, etc. No liturgical dance, thank God and the Holy Angels.

Brother Rich, I’m not sure that even after a communicant is admonished for kneeling the Church allows him/her to be refused Holy Communion at a subsequent occasion when he or she again kneels (I think we should do as the bishops have directed, on one hand, but then some of them seem to be directing odd things, on the other hand, like standing for the consecration and until everyone has communicated. Sometimes I think they enjoy jerking our strings, some of them anyway, like marionettes).
 
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fix:
We know the poster’s words, but not his soul or his heart.
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:hmmm: “glared a hole through the priest”…

do you know any human who could possibly do such a thing without anger in his heart or mind???
 
From Redemptionis Sacramentum (the Bishops site)

[90.] “The faithful should receive Communion kneeling or standing, as the Conference of Bishops will have determined”, with its acts having received the recognitio of the Apostolic See. “However, if they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that they give due reverence before the reception of the Sacrament, as set forth in the same norms”.[176]

[91.] In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that “sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them”.[177] Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing.

If no progress made with the Bishop RS says furhter:

…
  1. Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters
[183.] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favouritism.

[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.[290] It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.
 
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