How to combat liturgical abuse idea

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I was driving today and got to thinking about people on CAF talking about liturgical abuse. Thank God I’ve never seen it first hand. But I was wondering, what if each diocese started a website…with the permission of the bishop…where they can report liturgical abuse. I think if it is to be stopped it is up to us to be more strict and affirmative. I have seen how people on here get upset bc of this, and this shouldn’t be the case. Any ideas?

Terrible idea. This reminds me of nothing so much as a high-tech equivalent of the Red Guard or Hitler Youth, encouraged to go around finger-pointing and making accusations, many of which, as other posters have said, wouldn’t be “abuses” at all – but still holding up the Church, and individual parishes and priests (who by definition would have to be identified in the postings) to public ridicule and criticism.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

If people can’t just man up and talk to the priest with humility, respect, and concern for the Mass, I have no idea how they’re going to find the courage to proclaim Christ with a sword at their neck.

 

[thomas_jd]

I was driving today and got to thinking about people on CAF talking about liturgical abuse. Thank God I’ve never seen it first hand. But I was wondering, what if each diocese started a website…with the permission of the bishop…where they can report liturgical abuse. I think if it is to be stopped it is up to us to be more strict and affirmative. I have seen how people on here get upset bc of this, and this shouldn’t be the case. Any ideas?

Next we can have a web site at the parish level where the priest posts all the sins he absolved at confession that week, with the Bishops permission of course!

 

[zab]

I think we should report priests who think Angus is the new translation of Agnus.

Well, it was nearly lunch time when he posted.

 

[roadsend]

Next we can have a web site at the parish level where the priest posts all the sins he absolved at confession that week, with the Bishops permission of course!

Oranges and apples.
The Mass is public worship. Confession is private.
That said, I would not support having such a website due to the fact that so many Catholics are so used to liturgical abuse in the Masses that they attend that they hardly know illicit actions at Mass when they see them. Direct approach to the padre and then the bishop, then Rome is the best course to follow, since far to often bishops themselves condone or support such abuse. When contacting Rome we need to prioritize our complaints so as not to overwhelm the folks in Rome who process them.

 

[dochawk]

I have a strong suspician that if the Great High Priest Himself celebrated the Eucharist, some folks would even report Him to the Bishop for Liturgical abuse.
.

There is a great SF story in which an English professor, somewhat into his cups, is talking at a faculty party to a physicist well into his cups. The physicist had performed a time-travel experiment, and had brought Shakespeare into the present. They enrolled him into a Shakespeare class, “and you failed him, you miserable *****”

I think we should report priests who think Angus is the new translation of Agnus.

Couldn’t we just barbecue them?


hawk

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I think this really shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of Bishop, priest, and laity.

Could you please be a bit more specific? At least please share your views as to the role of the clergy vis-a-vis liturgical norms?

Not trying to be disrespectful - just think it would be worthwhile to understand your views.

Peace!

 

[triumphguy]

To use a loose analogy: The Bishops are the Shepherds of the Flock. Sometimes shepherds are more worried about wolves and sheep rustlers attacking the flock, than they are about whether the sheep are eating the daises before they eat the grass!

BTW - abuses I have never seen in my diocese:

• Liturgical dance
• Clowns in mass
• People wearing masks
• Overhead projectors
• Artificial flowers on the altar
• The host referred to as a cracker and the wine as juice
• Concelebration with ministers from other denominations
• Flagons on the altar

Meanwhile the Bishop has fought

• to maintain Catholicity in Catholic Education (a very important battle, which we could lose without diligence)
• abolish the use of Casinos and gambling to raise money for education or for parishes
• create an annual Bishops appeal so Catholic money is not going to charities that support abortion
• for the dignity and rights of immigrant workers
• for an FSSP parish
• a reinvigoration of parish ministry etc., etc.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Going back to the beginning here, I think the idea posed in the OP, while a good potential use of modern means of communication, might end up being misused not only by the faithful (hopefully not willfully, but innocently), but also by those who perpetually aim to harm the Church. We all know that the internet is not a perfect deposit of truth.

I’ve followed this thread with interest. I can only say from observation, IMHO virtually all have posted fairly (at the core) with pro and con points on handling such concerns. Let’s just remember that one of the great joys of being Catholic these days is walking around with a target on your back. We are “judged” by non-Catholics, fairly or unfairly, based on how we respond to such matters and how we govern ourselves. News of liturgical abuses, real or alledged, are everywhere to be found these days. They just add to other “popular” subject matter.

A good rule of thumb might be focus only on those things that would be embarrassing should we have guests in our midst. Parishes are like families, and over time like-minded folks do generally congregate together, so this would perhaps be a good barometer. At least in this way we bound ourselves to the most aggregious possibilities. We are capable of such emotively-based judgment in our own homes (wouldn’t want to receive company in an untidy house, for risk of embarrassment). Should we not be capable of the same in God’s house?

And let’s do try to give our priests the benefit of the doubt in first instance. We go to a doctor when we’re sick, and expect that they have the expertise to make us better. We should expect our priests to have the expertise required to properly render the Mass. They are also duty bound to instruct us catechetically on such matters - this, too, is reasonably expected.

As our Lord urged generally in his preachings, humility in our approach would likely go a long way. Ask priests questions about areas of concern non-judgmentally - they’ll appreciate that approach. If not, then a second opinion might be considered …

Peace!