Liturgical Abuses

[b_justb]

I have read several remarks by many posters on CAF referring to liturgical abuses.

For the ones concerned about them have you done anything to address the issues you see as problems? Maybe joined the Liturgy committee, or taken the matter up with the Pastor or local Bishop?

If you have, have you had success in making a productive change? Has it helped your parish thrive?

I am not looking for a list of them or a gripe session about how they stink worse at anyone’s particular parish, OK?

 

[Eileen_T]

I pointed out to a PP that using various other prayers instead of the Creed at Sunday Mass was a no-no.

He stopped doing it but I was not too popular with him thereafter.

He tended to appoint his preferred choices to Church committees so that things ran as he wished.

Our current PP told me that when Liturgy Committees bring in things that are not liturgically correct, it is up to the PP to deal with it. Unfortunately, some of these changes have his approval.

Our new PP, OTOH, was criticised in a prev. parish by those who were stopped in their innovative tracks. They complained to the Bishop and, by the grace of God, he is now with us and learning to celebrate the TLM for us.

 

[bear06]

I have read several remarks by many posters on CAF referring to liturgical abuses.

For the ones concerned about them have you done anything to address the issues you see as problems? Maybe joined the Liturgy committee, or taken the matter up with the Pastor or local Bishop?

If you have, have you had success in making a productive change? Has it helped your parish thrive?

I am not looking for a list of them or a gripe session about how they stink worse at anyone’s particular parish, OK?

Yes, yes, yes and yes. I can’t see the point of ranting if we’re not going to get in there and do something to try and change it.

 

[b_justb]

Yes, yes, yes and yes. I can’t see the point of ranting if we’re not going to get in there and do something to try and change it.

What did you see as a result of the change? Like Eileen T’s showing that TLM is now being celebrated in her parish (I think that’s GREAT! btw)

 

[Corki]

We have no liturgy committe (thankfully). But I have spoken to the pastor about a few things. About half of the time, there have been changes made. We have very little LA compared to other parishes near us so I can’t complain.

 

[bear06]

What did you see as a result of the change? Like Eileen T’s showing that TLM is now being celebrated in her parish (I think that’s GREAT! btw)

We have a wonderful new bishop, the Institute of Christ the King has been invited to our diocese. The bishop told his priest that they had to follow the GIRM and, if not, they better explain why. Kneelers have gone into the few churches that didn’t have them already. Our diocese now has a confraternity of eucharistic devotion. A most notorious priest is gone from the diocese. An orthodox man was brought in from afar to take over the catechetical department of our diocese. Most of the old liberal guard has been cleared from the chancery. There’s too much to list. I’m seeing revererence that I’ve never seen in our diocese. All of this is getting better everyday.

 

[MichiganTrumbul]

I have read several remarks by many posters on CAF referring to liturgical abuses.

For the ones concerned about them have you done anything to address the issues you see as problems? Maybe joined the Liturgy committee, or taken the matter up with the Pastor or local Bishop?

If you have, have you had success in making a productive change? Has it helped your parish thrive?

I am not looking for a list of them or a gripe session about how they stink worse at anyone’s particular parish, OK?

For starters, I would like to compliment you on starting this thread. It is about time that someone “called out” the many posters who complain about liturgical abuses. It is a good idea to differentiate between those who are working to correct error and those who are just complaining.

I say this because I am one of the chief complainers. I like to believe that there are no more than ten posters (if that many) who abhor liturgical abuses as much as I do.

And so, I will do my best to answer your question, and I will answer any follow-up questions (from you or another poster) as well.

The answer is yes, I have done something to address these issues. On two occasions I have actually approached a priest and (very respectfully) brought his error to his attention.

Neither one of these confrontations yielded any good results. One priest kept on doing the same things, and the other corrected the abuses - but only when I was present at one of his masses. I really felt patronized by that.

Sometimes I use a more passive approach. If a liturgical abuse is severe, such that the mass comes to a screeching halt (like changing the words of consecration or leading the congregation in applause for some human achievement), I usually get up and walk out. Even though I do this without making a lot of noise, it is definitely something that gets noticed.

(Incidentally, we should get together on what a “liturgical abuse” is, in the first place. When I use that term I use it to mean anything in the mass that contradicts the liturgical laws; everything from wearing the stole over the chasuble to changing prescribed texts, even the Eucharistic Prayer.)

So yes, I have tried to do something about it.

Let me give you one more thought. Consider the possibility that many people will refuse to correct a priest, no matter how wrong he is. They believe it to be a heinous sin, no matter how respectfully it is done. This belief is presented, possibly among other places as well, in the Pieta Prayer Book (a.k.a. The Little Blue Prayer Book). In it, it claims to have divine revelations on this subject given directly to some person named Mutter Vogel. I do not know who this person is, nor do I have any reason to believe that Rome has accepted these “revelations” as actual.

And that’s the way it is, today, December 1, 2006.

MT