I am a new Catholic, a hard-liner, and a bit of a Pharisee. Take what I say with significant doses of salt.
Kneeling during the consecration can be a complicated issue. However. it’s what we do in the West. It’s not what we’ve always done. Like our brethren in the East, we used to stand for Mass. Penitents, that is, Christians who had committed grave sins, knelt during the consecratory prayers. During penitential seasons (Lent, since Advent didn’t exist), everyone knelt.
Anyways, in the west, likely because of a recognition of our own sinfulness and desire to adore Christ in the Eucharist, we adopted the habit of kneeling during all seasons, even Easter and during Sundays. In the East, this is inappropriate. They do not kneel on Sundays or during the Easter season. They rejoice in the presence of their Risen Savior.
In the West, we developed the small “t” tradition of kneeling primarily as an expression of adoration, and secondarily as an expression of penance. However, it is very ancient, and firmly entrenched in Western culture and liturgy.
Hence, it is appropriate that all Latin Christians kneel during the appropriate times in the Mass. This is from the end of the Sanctus to the end of the consecratory prayer. It is custom in the United States to kneel from the end of the Agnus Dei until the reception of communion. Finally, many people kneel after reception of communion in private adoration.
However, the only time required by Rome is during the consecratory prayer.
In summary of the views of the Eastern churches and the Western church:
In the East, it is offensive to kneel, because it is a hypocritical expression of one’s own sinfulness, and a failure to acknowledge the joy and release from sin that Christ gives.
In the West, it is an offense not to kneel at the consecration, because it fails to express adequate adoration and oblation that should be presented to Christ on the altar.
Hence, while the good Cardinal is correct, standing is the traditional posture for Christian liturgical prayer, kneeling is the cultural posture that expresses adequate belief in the Real Presence and true adoration for Christ.
In the West, standing during the consecration is a horrid sign of the gradual decay for belief in the Real Presence. It does not necessarily mean that the congregation and the priest doubt it, but it indicates that their appreciation for it and their full realization has diminished greatly.
Now, I also address those infirm, elderly, pregnant, or otherwise inhibited: Christ sees your heart. If you kneel to him in spirit and in truth, but are prevented in physical reality, there is no difference. Do not force yourself to bear great pain, damage yourself, or injure your unborn child out of an absurd legalism.
Now, you had two reasons to stand at the consecration:
- There are bleacher seats, with no room to kneel.
- The leadership wants the laity to adopt a uniform posture.
In response to the first one, this is the school’s Catholic center. If they failed to design it to accommodate kneeling, then the designers were falling into error. Christ is present in the Eucharist, and if it is not altogether too dangerous for you to kneel, but only slightly inconvenient, then kneeling is the correct posture. To hell with the lack of kneelers and cramped conditions; Christ is on the altar. Christ, your high priest, stands there and offers the gift that reconciles you to his Father and removes your sins. Adore him, adore his sacrifice, and adore his Father. When piety has made a comeback, churches will be remade to accommodate piety. Piety must not accommodate church buildings. We cannot forget our Latin ancestors who stood and knelt on tile for six hour liturgies in the pewless churches in Europe.
Secondly, the leadership are advocating an erroneous position. The Latin Patriarch has said that we shall kneel. Hence, we shall kneel. It matters not if you are the only one following this command. A billion Latin Catholics adopt the uniform position of kneeling for this holy and sacred moment; why should the few hundred at your college dictate what the uniform posture for the Latin Rite is? Adoration for Christ cannot be thrown aside for a unity in rebellion against the Holy Father’s instructions.
Every time they stand for the consecration, respect for and belief in the Real Presence diminish. When you kneel, you correct their error, you shame their lack of piety, and you express your adoration for Christ in a most profound and visible way.
To paraphrase His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, if you believe that Christ is our God, and that he is truly present in the Eucharist, why don’t you kneel? Why don’t you crawl? Show respect!
The choice, as I see it, is between adoration and unity in rebellion.
