Kneeling after communion

[ConstantineTG]

I don’t think the Canadian Bishops have mandated standing as the norm after receiving Holy Communion - if they have, word hasn’t gotten here, yet.

Here in Calgary there is a lot of confusion about whether to kneel or stand at the time of the Consecration (in my home parish and in one other parish, everyone kneels, and in the rest of the parishes, half stand and half kneel - one Deacon I know is under the impression that the Bishops have told us to stand during the Consecration, but I haven’t found any documentation on the Diocesan web site that supports this) - and after the Lamb of God, most people stand, and some people kneel - but everyone kneels after receiving Holy Communion.

We have that here in the Lower Mainland as well. And even in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, there would be those who kneel and those who stand (you should be standing in the DL). Can’t we just say, “okay all of you who do not want to kneel and prefer to stand instead, go to the Byzantine parish. Those of you who want to kneel, go to the RC parish.” Problem solved!

 

[ConstantineTG]

Isn’t it remarkable how some “Church leaders” seem to get their thrills by misrepresenting those with higher authority (and often deeper knowledge) and appear obsessed to lowering the bar to what their miserable little hearts and minds can grasp?

I would have to say the same to the laity. There seems to be a lot out here who think they know better than the clergy.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Evidently the kneeling after Holy Communion is a vox populi devotion, and any priest who’s too stuck up to appreciate its beauty really doesn’t belong at the altar.

You don’t know the details to make such a harsh judgment.

The priest may in fact be obediently following the directives of his Bishop.

Jim

 

[johnpfmcguire]

You know it’s true: we should act in community. Let’s see some priests take some initiative and get people to pray the Saint Michael Prayer in community right after Mass! Or perhaps there are “details” I’m unaware of on that front as well?

 

[jmcrae]

We have that here in the Lower Mainland as well. And even in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, there would be those who kneel and those who stand (you should be standing in the DL). Can’t we just say, “okay all of you who do not want to kneel and prefer to stand instead, go to the Byzantine parish. Those of you who want to kneel, go to the RC parish.” Problem solved!

LOL! I agree!

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I like to kneel after receiving the body of Christ and pray and reflect on Him. It’s hard to do that standing up. But it’s about half and half in our church. I don’t think there is an official policy.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

You know it’s true: we should act in community. Let’s see some priests take some initiative and get people to pray the Saint Michael Prayer in community right after Mass! Or perhaps there are details I’m unaware of on that front as well?

The Saint Michael Prayer is a devotion and not part of the Mass.

A priest can ask that the people say the prayer after Mass, but he can’t mandate it.

Jim

 

[Corki]

jmcrae

The USCCB have set the norms which all dioceses should be following, My Bishop does.

Jim

The OP and jmcrae are in Canada so the USCCB norms don’t apply.

The USCCB have set the norm to kneel after the Agnus Dei. My Bishop put it into practice immediately.

Unless there is something very recent, the USCCB asked (and was given permission) to add a statement to the GIRM that stated that “The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.”

It should be uniform within a diocese but one Bishop could say to stand after the Agnus Dei in his diocese.

 

[johnpfmcguire]

Uniformity may be a personal preference of Rev. Walter Whitehead, yet subsidiarity is a Church principle! JimR-OCDS, you make it sound like the priest may only mandate what detracts from reverence, not what adds. Is this the case generally or only in the instances that have come up on this thread?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The OP and jmcrae are in Canada so the USCCB norms don’t apply.

Unless there is something very recent, the USCCB asked (and was given permission) to add a statement to the GIRM that stated that “The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.”

It should be uniform within a diocese but one Bishop could say to stand after the Agnus Dei in his diocese.

Yes to everything you posted here.

I understand the OP is in Canada, which is why I asked what the Canadian Bishops position is.

Jim

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Oh I see, it says we are encouraged to stand. So I guess the priest is right then.

I guess that depends you said the priest said that we are “suposse to stand” the citation I found says “encouraged” to me that is like says I would like for everyone to ware black pants tomorrow as a sign of unity, but it is ok to ware another color. Suppose to to me says that there is a rule to do it encouraged means suggested.

I kneel, and I encourage everyone else to do so. Se what I mean.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I guess that depends you said the priest said that we are “suposse to stand” the citation I found says “encouraged” to me that is like says I would like for everyone to ware black pants tomorrow as a sign of unity, but it is ok to ware another color. Suppose to to me says that there is a rule to do it encouraged means suggested.

I kneel, and I encourage everyone else to do so. Se what I mean.

I’ll find the bulletin and type in the exact statement

 

[johnpfmcguire]

Bravissimo, oneGODoneCHURCH, splendid post!

 

[Phemie]

He said that he’s noticed that some people stand and others kneel at this time. He said that the only time we should kneel is during consecration, and we should all stand during all other times.

It’s true that the 1975 GIRM, which is still in effect in Canada, only requires us to kneel at the Consecration and says to stand for the rest of Mass. Rome has said that while the GIRM says to stand after Communion it is not to be understood to forbid kneeling (or sitting for that matter) if that’s what one wishes to do.

 

[ConstantineTG]

We should conform to postures that are unifying. Don’t kneel because you want to, don’t stand because you want to. If everyone is expected to d it one way, follow the priest. Mass is a communal prayer, we should be acting in unison with the community, not each doing his own thing.

 

[cjforJesus]

Shouldn’t or it isn’t mandatory??

Just wondering. Sometimes “you don’t have to” ends up being taken as a absolute no. Is it possible he was trying to give the option of not kneeling to those who are struggling with knee issues, elderly, etc?

If you are most comfortable kneeling during these times than do so. It’s not like the kneeling police are going to come and stop you.

I just love that ! “kneeling police”

 

[johnpfmcguire]

Saint Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” Now you’re not going to tell me posture is an essential. We need to de-emphasize the peripheral so we can emphasize the central with greater energy. Do not mistake the Catholic community for a robot army cult (like that thing that Mexican priest tried to found that one time). Our discipline should center on the spirital. It is not a scandal if not everyone kneels. They seldom do since there are always those with knee problems. We just need to loosen up on things that you can’t uniformize because they just aren’t essential! I prefer to kneel because it optimizes reverence. When it comes to responses, yes, we should be saying the same thing, not “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of God’s name for our good and the good of all God’s Church…It is right to give God thanks and praise,” but “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name for our good and the good of all His Church…It is right to give Him thanks and praise.” That would be an instance where uniformity is indeed desirable. See the difference? In a larger sense, too, Mass is supposed to emphasize the vertical rather than the horizontal as it has illegitimately done in the West lately. We need to follow the rubrics to the letter and do the rest according to our spirituality provided it not cause discord. But there is nothing Christian about conformism: I deem that’s what’s lulled so many Catholics to sleep.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Bravissimo, oneGODoneCHURCH, splendid post!

Thanks I try.

 

[The_Reginator]

It is only here at CAF that I’ve ever HEARD of anyone standing after receiving our Lord.

As an Anglican it was unheard of to stand after ‘communion’.
(I seldom attended an Anglican service after the age of 24, and stopped altogether in my 30s.)
When I converted it was at an EF Mass – there was no doubt there as everyone knelt.
Now I’m back at my local parish and I have never heard of anyone standing, unless they are vertical as they leave the church without even a ‘thanks’ to our Lord Jesus.

It always sounds to me like everyone is kneeling in my local parish. After I receive communion I kneel down in contemplation and meditation. After a time I hear some rustling which I assume is the sound of people all sitting up in unison. Since the choir is finally silent I continue to pray in this way until I hear the priest say “Let us pray”. Then I stand up and pray in a different fashion with the priest: using words.

 

[Havard]

I take it no one watched the video I linked in the 3rd post, because no one has mentioned it.



Here, I’ll type out what His Eminence said (bold emphasis mine):

**There is no rule from Rome **that everybody must stand during Holy Communion. There is no such rule from Rome. So, after people have received Communion, they can stand, they can kneel, they can sit. But a bishop in his diocese or bishops in a country could say that they **recommend **standing or kneeling. They could. It is not a law from Rome. They could – but not impose it. Perhaps they could propose. But those who want to sit or kneel or stand should be left reasonable freedom.

For those that aren’t familiar, His Eminence is Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

If your local bishop is at odds with his statement, the local bishop needs to have a chat with the current Cardinal Prefect (His Eminence Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera).