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I went to these links and the links within these links. No wonder the faithful are confused – the bishops themselves are!
I do hate that a bishop can decide to make a posture different from the norm (“custom” for tee) of the country. For that matter, I’m not crazy about the idea that a country can make a posture different from the norm of the universal Church. But both are allowed and I must accept that.
What is really difficult for me is the idea that an individual can make his posture different from that of the legitimate directive issued by his bishop. I don’t see where anything you pointed me to says that, at least, not in regard to kneeling after the Agnus Dei.
Below is something (not on kneeling after the Lamb of God, but on kneeling after receiving Communion) that appears to say the bishop can be overridden by an individual, but I don’t think it actually says so. This could very well mean that after standing to the end of Communion, one can kneel or sit (which is how I do it right now – as soon as Communion is over for all, I kneel). I could be wrong, though, because of the word “sit” – it wouldn’t be an option to sit at the point when I now kneel because that is what is already directed and being done by the rest of the faithful (unless it refers to those parishes where people don’t sit at all – they stand straight through Communion and all subsequent prayers and announcements):
Concerning the practice of kneeling after receiving Holy Communion, Cardinal Francis George, chairman of the Committee on the Liturgy, submitted a dubium [question] to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments [CDW] on May 26, 2003:
Dubium: In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after having individually received Holy Communion during Mass. Is it the intention of the Missale Romanum, editio typical tertia, to forbid this practice?
Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the CDW, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):
**Responsum: **Negative, et ad mentem (No, for this reason). The mens [reason] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, not to regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.
My question about this exchange of letters is “How much authority is in this response?” He is the prefect of the CDW – is he speaking as the prefect? Is this response definitive?
What a mess. The Church says stand; the USA says kneel; a bishop says stand; a parishioner decides to kneel – and all are in perfect obedience?! (Actually, the parishioner wouldn’t be, at least not in regard to kneeling after the Agnus Dei – at least, not from the sources to which you directed me).
If it’s true, it’s true. But I wish it weren’t.
This will answer your question. The authority in the CDW response comes from our Pope himself.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/index.htm
THE ROMAN CURIA
In exercising supreme, full, and immediate power in the universal Church, the Roman pontiff makes use of the departments of the Roman Curia which, therefore, perform their duties in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service of the sacred pastors.
CHRISTUS DOMINUS, 9
Secretariate of State
Congregations
Tribunals
etc.
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/index.htm
Congregations
------Doctrine of the Faith
------Oriental Churches
------Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments
etc.