My encounter with liturgical abuse

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Catholicdeacon said:
Folks,

Here is the link to a new blog-post describing my close encounter with Liturgical Abuse. Enjoy 🙂

deaconharbey.com/2015/02/did-i-fulfilled-my-obligation-encounter.html

Viva Cristo Rey!!
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It must have been quite stressful to witness such a thing. You need to find out exactly what the rubrics require, and this can be done by contacting the USCCB. No need to mention that a priest might have went against the rubrics.

There is such a thing as liturgical abuse - it does indeed happen. The last one I witnessed was two months ago. The priest left out the Apostles Creed. Whether it was intentional or not, I’ve no idea. I wrote him a charitable email (it’s very important to be charitable and respectful when contacting a priest, or bishop), and explained that it is not supposed to be left out of the Mass. It was corrected the next time I attended that parish, thank goodness. Priests can tinker with the liturgy, not out of malice, but out of thinking that they need to make the Mass more interesting by inserting their own selves or views into it.
 
robwar said:
Most of the complaints about “liturgical abuse” come from arm chair liturgy experts that read GIRM and then think that they are now real experts and able to become police over it.
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You do make a good point here. One can go to a Spanish Mass, for example, and see/hear many more deviations from what he sees/hears at an English Mass. On top of that things like baptisms, confirmations, etc. can change requirements in the other parts of the Mass. I’ve witnessed so many “deviations” in my life, I now just worry about fulfilling my obligation and give the liturgists the benefit of the doubt. I’ll pray outside the Mass if I can’t pray within it, be the Mass reverent or otherwise.
 
Sometimes parts of the Mass might be omitted by accident: Either because the priest (or someone else) has a lapse of memory, or because of some unintended circumstances (say, a priest who omits the corporal because every last one of them happens to be in the laundry at that moment).

Things happen. People can and do make honest mistakes.

Most of us can realize the difference between an honest mistake and an intentional change to the Mass. One way to tell the difference is by frequency. If it happens at every Mass, it’s more likely to be done intentionally. If it happens just once, or rarely, it’s likely to be a mistake. It’s also obvious when the priest gives a reason for doing what he does. When Father Happyclappy says “we’re all priests, therefore we should all be standing around the altar” we know that he isn’t doing that because he misinterpreted the GIRM. He knows what it says. He just thinks he knows better than the Church. He is wrong.

As I read internet posts on CAF with regard to this subject, one thing truly troubles me: That is, the misunderstanding that the priest (sacerdos) has some kind of license to vary from the Missal (which includes the GIRM). Responses like “maybe that’s the local custom” or “maybe that’s just how they do it in that parish/diocese” are genuinely troubling. Each country has its own (slightly modified by legitimate authority) Missal and GIRM, but no diocese or parish has its own. No priest or pastor can deviate from what is written in the Roman Missal. He is free to exercise the options given, but there is no excuse or justification (none whatsoever) for intentionally changing what is found there.

The Second Vatican Council teaches quite clearly in Sacrosanctum Concilium #22
3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

Unfortunately, some priests simply choose to reject the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.
 
FrDavid96 said:
Sometimes parts of the Mass might be omitted by accident: Either because the priest (or someone else) has a lapse of memory, or because of some unintended circumstances (say, a priest who omits the corporal because every last one of them happens to be in the laundry at that moment).

Things happen. People can and do make honest mistakes.

Most of us can realize the difference between an honest mistake and an intentional change to the Mass. One way to tell the difference is by frequency. If it happens at every Mass, it’s more likely to be done intentionally. If it happens just once, or rarely, it’s likely to be a mistake. It’s also obvious when the priest gives a reason for doing what he does. When Father Happyclappy says “we’re all priests, therefore we should all be standing around the altar” we know that he isn’t doing that because he misinterpreted the GIRM. He knows what it says. He just thinks he knows better than the Church. He is wrong.

As I read internet posts on CAF with regard to this subject, one thing truly troubles me: That is, the misunderstanding that the priest (sacerdos) has some kind of license to vary from the Missal (which includes the GIRM). Responses like “maybe that’s the local custom” or “maybe that’s just how they do it in that parish/diocese” are genuinely troubling. Each country has its own (slightly modified by legitimate authority) Missal and GIRM, but no diocese or parish has its own. No priest or pastor can deviate from what is written in the Roman Missal. He is free to exercise the options given, but there is no excuse or justification (none whatsoever) for intentionally changing what is found there.

The Second Vatican Council teaches quite clearly in Sacrosanctum Concilium #22
3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

Unfortunately, some priests simply choose to reject the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.
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:extrahappy::clapping:

Father, your post made my day. I will read it when I feel down…

Thank you.
 
Jason_Firestone said:
I seriously doubt the Creator of the universe cares about the details of how humans worship.
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The Bible itself contradicts you. God spent a lot of time detailing to Moses exactly how He wanted to be worshipped.

And even brought about the death of a man who violated those laws by touching the Ark.
 
robwar said:
Most of the complaints about “liturgical abuse” come from arm chair liturgy experts that read GIRM and then think that they are now real experts and able to become police over it. Likewsie many of these type of “complaints” are opinions about what is or isn’t suppose to happen at Mass usually wanting the Mass to line up with their feeling and issues. I’m not sure what the point is over the link but the good deacon pointed out that one should approach any priest with their concerns in privacy and humility. A majority of the laity are not privy to directions given to priest by their bishops and to start to make accusations and assumptions is rather embolden.
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I think Father David addressed this downthread, but let me say that if the Church publishes the GIRM, then the Church should follow the GIRM. We are obligated, by said Church, to attend it’s Mass EVERY SINGLE WEEK. It should be obligated to follow it’s own rules. And, since we attend Mass every single week, we do indeed know what is normal and expected.
 
Brendan said:
The Bible itself contradicts you. God spent a lot of time detailing to Moses exactly how He wanted to be worshiped.

And even brought about the death of a man who violated those laws by touching the Ark.
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Really ? And so now you worship exactly as the OT Testament told them to worship ? If God spent all that time doing that, (as you say), when exactly did He say it was OK for humans to change it ? If not, what exactly is your point here ?
 
Jason_Firestone said:
Really ? And so now you worship exactly as the OT Testament told them to worship ?
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Yes, He described in great detail what the architecture would be for the Ark, the Tabernacle and the Temple. He told them who could, and who could not be a priest (and demonstrated what happens when someone who is not a priest attempted to do a priestly act.

He told them what to sacrifice and when.
If God spent all that time doing that, (as you say), when exactly did He say it was OK for humans to change it ? If not, what exactly is your point here ?
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In Mt 16. He gave the authority to Peter. What Peter holds bound is held bound, what Peter frees is freed.
 
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