Liturgical Abuses - So what's the big deal?

[Cathy]

theMutant:

An abuse is a deliberate deviation from the rubrics or the words of the Liturgy…
If, after careful consideration you feel that something is being done that shouldn’t, exercise patience in all of the following steps. Do not expect things to turn around immediately. Give the people you talk to time, plenty of time, to consider what you have to say and to put it into effect…

I appreciate your appeal for patience in addition to your steps to take to address perceived liturgical abuse.

I’ve been addressing the case of homilies by seminarians in my parish. Fortunately, it’s been rare, until now. First I spoke with our new assistant pastor, who is usually present when the seminarian gives the homily. He said that although this is not allowed in Mexico, where he is recently from, it is allowed in the United States. I told him that was not the case. He told me to speak to the pastor about it, who was the one who decided the matter.

Today I spoke with my pastor for the second time in a couple of weeks. I like him very much…very kind and very available. God bless him! The first time I spoke to him, he told me he would pray about it.

Today, he told me some of his reasons for allowing this, although he acknowledges that he knows it is against the rules. Today I showed him the documents related to homilies by laymen, and I told him he didn’t need to pray any longer about it since it has been ruled upon by the Church. (I’m not good at being subtle, but I think I said this is a friendly way.) A friendly discussion ensued about the perils and benefits of obedience under different circumstances.

He wouldn’t say, one way or the other, what he intended to do. (Two days after I spoke with him the first time, a seminarian gave the homily at a mass I attended. That was the fourth homily I had heard by this seminarian in about a month. I have spoken to the seminarian about it. He acknowledged that it was against the rules, but defended his action and gave no indication that he intended to stop.)

I parted from my dear pastor this morning as we were both in pain over this (at least I was). I told him I didn’t know what to do other than go to the bishop. With what seemed to me to be a sincere look of aknowledgement of our uncomfortable but somewhat amicable disagreement, he said simply, “OK.”

But upon your advice of giving time, I will give the pastor more time to think and pray about this. I really, really don’t want to go to the bishop about it, but I feel I must if it continues. I don’t want to hear any more homilies by dissident nuns (which I have heard in the past under another pastor), but I also feel that an obedient liturgy helps me more in becoming obedient to God.

 

[wannabee]

Why not find out to which Seminary the students are from and contact their Rector directly pointing out that you know it is not permissable.

He should then be in a position to inform his students that they may not preach - and that should be an end to it.

 

[Cathy]

wannabee:

Why not find out to which Seminary the students are from and contact their Rector directly pointing out that you know it is not permissable.

He should then be in a position to inform his students that they may not preach - and that should be an end to it.

Thank you, wannabee, good idea.
Cathy

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

It’s particularly troubling in that it sends the wrong message to the young men studying to be priests, as well.

By all means, write the Rector and wait for a response. Hopefully, you will get one in writing. There’s no need to give him the full text of that part of the GIRM or RS, but after you state that since seminarians are still lay people, they should not be giving the homily (then add the related paragraph numbers from the GIRM and Redemptionis Sacramentum).

Save your letter and save the response you get back. If the Rector’s response is much like the pastors (and people are a little more careful in writing than they are in discussion), then I would forward it to the Bishop and await his response. If his response is the same as the Rector, then forward all of it to Cardinal Arinze.

I’m thinking of the possibility that maybe the pastor, not wanting to give anything away, may be pressured into doing this by someone.