Very true. I do that as well in those cases. Most often since having children, I’ve either been in the first pew or the cry room, so it doesn’t happen that way for me very often.If the person directly in front of you sits, though, then I figure it is more comfortable for them if I sit, too. I’m sure there is something of a “domino effect” for that reason.
It doesn’t just vary by diocese, it varies from parish to parish. The Canadian GIRM calls for kneeling only at Consecration but there are parishes where people never kneel at all. We hadn’t knelt at all for about 13 years until our last Pastor asked the Parish Council why that was.In the archdiocese of Vancouver and, as far as I remember, in the archdiocese of Toronto, the norm is to kneel throughout the entire EP and again after the Agnus Dei - as per the US custom. In Canada a lot of things seem to vary diocese to diocese.
In the rest of the Vancouver ecclesiastical Province (outside of the archdiocese itself), the norm is as you
GIRM 43 (…) In the dioceses of Canada, the faithful should kneel at the Consecration, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration.
Where it is the practice for the people to remain kneeling after the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer and before Communion when the Priest says Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God), it is laudable for this practice to be retained.
There is no need to kneel simply because the vessels are being purified.Hello, what is the proper time to sit down after communion? I have always kneeled until the Hosts are put back in the Tabernacle and the priest / deacon has finished purifying all the vessels on the altar and sits down. However, a new priest at our parish will gesture for everyone to sit while he is still purifying the vessels, after the Hosts are put in the Tabernacle.
To stand is the correct posture, since the entire rite for the reception of Communion is a procession. Although one joins the procession and receives the Eucharist, others in that procession are still in that process until the very last communicant is accommodated.People typically sit either when the priest sits or when he otherwise indicates for you to sit earlier.
As far as I know this is set by the diocese. One of my regularly visited dioceses actually told people not to kneel after communion but instead to all stand until the priest sits or tells you to sit. I ignore this as I prefer to kneel and say prayers after receiving.
The faithful should sit, on the other hand, during the readings before the Gospel and the Responsorial Psalm and for the Homily and during the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory; and, if appropriate, they may sit or kneel during the period of sacred silence after Communion.
- The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance Chant, or while the Priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia Chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Universal Prayer; and from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the Prayer over the Offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated here below.
In the Dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise. [53]
For the sake of uniformity in gestures and bodily postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the instructions which the Deacon, a lay minister, or the Priest gives, according to what is laid down in the Missal.
You are referring to this memorable incident when the Americans were overzealous, again, with rubricsI heard someone from the Vatican say in some way, that it is not a good idea to overregulate the liturgy. Maybe someone can find a quote, or someday.
Numerous inquiries” received by the BCL led Cardinal Francis George, chairman of the BCL, to submit a dubium (doubt, question) to the Holy See’s 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 typica 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 mensum [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] 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, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.
The BCL Newsletter continues: “In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion” (p. 26. emphases added.)
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You have the latitude to kneel.I appreciate your thoughts, Father, but I have been through about 5 different US dioceses in 4 states in the last 2 months and this one I mention is the only one advocating the “standing” concept. I know they are advocating it not only because people stand, but because I happened to be at a Mass there the weekend the local bishop sent out a communication to be read or explained from the pulpit on the standing (this was several years ago).
They don’t seem to be standing anywhere else I go, unless the church has no kneelers, in which case a lot of the people will stand and a few will kneel on the floor.
I remember watching a YouTube video with Cardinal Arinze when he was in the United States. Someone asked him this exact question and he said that individual Catholics should feel free to kneel, sit or stand, whatever they feel like doing.You have the latitude to kneel.
The Congregation has delineated what is to be done. They have also declared that these rubrics are not to be so rigidly interpreted that they are imposed in a draconian fashion.
My point is: should one choose to set aside what the rubrics indicate to follow one’s preference, which one may, then one must understand that – wherever there is any latitude – that latitude must be respected for the choices by others.
Rubrics are not meant to be weaponised.
Yes, in my parish you can literally hear people raising their kneelers and sitting down once the tabernacle doors close.Our parishioners are in the habit of sitting after the tabernacle doors are closed. A few stand or sit regardless if the priest is sitting or standing during this period.
May I respectfully SUGGEST you use your own judgment and Informed Conscience:Hello, what is the proper time to sit down after communion? I have always kneeled until the Hosts are put back in the Tabernacle and the priest / deacon has finished purifying all the vessels on the altar and sits down. However, a new priest at our parish will gesture for everyone to sit while he is still purifying the vessels, after the Hosts are put in the Tabernacle.