"instruction concerning worship of the eucharistic mystery

[CradleCath]

The assertion that the Mass must employ “the full and active participation” of the people is an open-ended declaration that, lacking specifics, has led to every form of excess and abuse. Rome directly confronted these aberrations as far back as 1980 when the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issued its warning and “INSTRUCTION CONCERNING WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARISTIC MYSTERY” (Inaestimabile Donum). We read:
ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euche3.htm
"But these…aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity (indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing communion while the priests refrain from doing so): an increasing loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed Sacrament, etc.): misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the liturgy (the use of private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of the liturgical texts for social and political ends)… In these cases we are face to face with a real falsification of the Catholic liturgy: “One who offers worship to God on the Church’s behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification.” (St. Thomas, Summa Theologica, 2-2, q. 93, a. 1.)

Am I the only one here, who is concerned about the blurring of the lines between the ordained priest & the laity??

 

[OKAstro]

Am I the only one here, who is concerned about the blurring of the lines between the ordained priest & the laity??

I’ve attended Masses in lots of different churches over the years, and haven’t seen any of what you describe. Hopefully, it’s an infrequent occurrence and one that the local Bishop will put a stop to. Unfortunately, we seem to have plenty of weak Bishops in the US.

 

[CDNowak]

The assertion that the Mass must employ “the full and active participation” of the people is an open-ended declaration that, lacking specifics, has led to every form of excess and abuse. Rome directly confronted these aberrations as far back as 1980 when the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issued its warning and “INSTRUCTION CONCERNING WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARISTIC MYSTERY” (Inaestimabile Donum). We read:
ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euche3.htm
"But these…aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity (indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing communion while the priests refrain from doing so): an increasing loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed Sacrament, etc.): misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the liturgy (the use of private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of the liturgical texts for social and political ends)… In these cases we are face to face with a real falsification of the Catholic liturgy: “One who offers worship to God on the Church’s behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification.” (St. Thomas, Summa Theologica, 2-2, q. 93, a. 1.)

Am I the only one here, who is concerned about the blurring of the lines between the ordained priest & the laity??

Apparently not, since the Vatican was taking steps to correct it (hence the document you cite). Things began to tun a corner liturgically in the mid 1980s (as far as I can tell, I didn’t notice when I was 2 ). You can probably still find a parish that hasn’t gotten the message, on average one or two per diocese; even more follow the instructions but don’t take them to heart (all but 2-4 per diocese).

 

[JacktheCatholic]

I’ve attended Masses in lots of different churches over the years, and haven’t seen any of what you describe. Hopefully, it’s an infrequent occurrence and one that the local Bishop will put a stop to. ** Unfortunately, we seem to have plenty of weak Bishops in the US**.

Many will agree with this and some would go so far as to say heretical.

I can only speak for myself. Our first Catholic Church when we moved was performing General Absolution at every Mass until the Bishop put a stop to it. This same Church offers Confession only on Saturday for an hour and yet when I went there was no priest to be found. This same church has the DRE and priest promoting women ordination and not in any secret way. This same church had the DRE tell me that the Eucharist in adoration is not important since we have Christ in us, maybe that is why they tuck the tabernacle in a little corner room. That was my personal experience.

 

[Walking_Home]

The assertion that the Mass must employ “the full and active participation” of the people is an open-ended declaration that, lacking specifics, has led to every form of excess and abuse. Rome directly confronted these aberrations as far back as 1980 when the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issued its warning and “INSTRUCTION CONCERNING WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARISTIC MYSTERY” (Inaestimabile Donum). We read:
ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euche3.htm
"But these…aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity (indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing communion while the priests refrain from doing so): an increasing loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed Sacrament, etc.): misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the liturgy (the use of private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of the liturgical texts for social and political ends)… In these cases we are face to face with a real falsification of the Catholic liturgy: “One who offers worship to God on the Church’s behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification.” (St. Thomas, Summa Theologica, 2-2, q. 93, a. 1.)

Am I the only one here, who is concerned about the blurring of the lines between the ordained priest & the laity??

---

No you are not the only one. It is a cancer growing just under the surface. People need to be aware—that just because they may not have outright encountered it — It is there —keeping itself hidden—but once in a while–it comes to the surface.

Consecrated Host
Question from Matt on 5/25/2007:

The priest at our parish just explained that if we truly have faith that we as lay people can change the host at Mass into the blessed sacrament. I never realized this before. Why do priests need to be ordained then as I’m sure our priest have faith? Can you expalin this to me?

ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=3&Pg=Forum6&recnu=72&number=504371

 

[CradleCath]

---

No you are not the only one. It is a cancer growing just under the surface. People need to be aware—that just because they may not have outright encountered it — It is there —keeping itself hidden—but once in a while–it comes to the surface.

I’m glad to hear that someone else is concerned. While the huge abuses, liturgical dance…general absolution, etc…have taken a hiatus here, the laity still fill the Sanctuary. While the documents of Vatican II make it clear that EEM’S are only to be used in EXTRAordinary circumstances, they are actually **scheduled **here.

From the Sacred Congregation for Sacramental Discipline:
Fidei Custos:
“After noting that those who are charged with the pastoral care of the faithful may for the good of their subjects ask the Congregation … to permit suitable persons to administer communion to themselves and to the faithful”, Fidei Custos goes on to specify the exact parameters which justify a request for the granting of this permission:

"whenever a minister indicated in can. 845 [1917] is** unavailable1; whenever the usual minister is unable to administer communion without difficulty because of poor health, advanced age, or the demands of the pastoral ministry; **
whenever the number of faithful wishing to receive communion is so great that the celebration of Mass would be unduly long.
These reasons, are to be particularly noted, since as we shall see they are repeated almost verbatim in all the succeeding documents that address the topic, and are taken as the only possible reasons for the legitimate use of such ministers.
ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/EXTRMIN.HTM

 

[DL82]

The assertion that the Mass must employ “the full and active participation” of the people is an open-ended declaration that, lacking specifics, has led to every form of excess and abuse. Rome directly confronted these aberrations as far back as 1980 when the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issued its warning and “INSTRUCTION CONCERNING WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARISTIC MYSTERY” (Inaestimabile Donum). We read:
ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euche3.htm
"But these…aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity (indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing communion while the priests refrain from doing so): an increasing loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed Sacrament, etc.): misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the liturgy (the use of private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of the liturgical texts for social and political ends)… In these cases we are face to face with a real falsification of the Catholic liturgy: “One who offers worship to God on the Church’s behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification.” (St. Thomas, Summa Theologica, 2-2, q. 93, a. 1.)

Am I the only one here, who is concerned about the blurring of the lines between the ordained priest & the laity??

Maybe this sort of thing was common in the 1970s and 80s, but I have not seen these abuses happening in a widespread way in the 5 years or so that I have been attending Mass here in the UK.

 

[CradleCath]

Maybe this sort of thing was common in the 1970s and 80s, but I have not seen these abuses happening in a widespread way in the 5 years or so that I have been attending Mass here in the UK.

Are you saying that your parish does NOT have EEM’s at every Sunday Mass, that you have no lay Lectors, noone in the Sanctuary except for the Priest & the traditional Altar Servers?

 

[DL82]

Are you saying that your parish does NOT have EEM’s at every Sunday Mass, that you have no lay Lectors, noone in the Sanctuary except for the Priest & the traditional Altar Servers?

No, I’m saying the abuses explicitly condemned in the Instruction from the Sacred Congregation for the Liturgy (quoted in the original post) don’t happen in any Church I’ve ever been part of. i.e. lay people praying the Eucharistic prayer, lack of vestments, priest not giving out Holy Communion, lay people reading the Holy Gospel or giving the homily.

My parish does have EMHC’s at Sunday (and daily) Mass, but the priest ALSO gives out communion (in fact, the priest is the only one who gives out the Host, the EMHC’s are available for those who wish to receive the Precious Blood). We do have lay readers, as the general instruction for the Roman Missal in the Ordinary Form allows or indeed encourages. There are still Altar Servers (all male in fact) and Mass is still said in a reverent way, following the texts and rubrics of the Missal.

There is a difference between this and the kinds of abuses the original post condemns.