My Top-Ten Liturgical Abuses

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Anyway, the State’s business is everyone’s business, no matter what religion they belong to.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, even in our church with modernistic architecture, we DO have altar rails!
 
Top Ten Liturgical Abuses I’ve personally witnessed:
  1. Priest uses “inclusive language” instead of Church approved texts.
  2. Clammy handholders during the Our Father.
  3. Girl altar boys.
  4. Honey-flavored hosts! WOOOOO!
  5. Glass chalice.
  6. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion used to ordinarily distribute Holy Communion.
  7. Hideous OCP music. (Not really an abuse, just irritating.)
  8. Priest leaves sanctuary and travels to the vestibule and back glad-handing and back-slapping during the sign of peace.
  9. Girl homily-givers.
And the Number 1 Liturgical Abuse I’ve personally witnessed:
  1. Priest attempts to consecrate a giant hunk of rye bread, or a chocolate bundt cake, it was hard to tell. :bigyikes:
 
My biggest abuse issue is when pastors commune non-baptized or non-Catholics who have no clue what they are doing. It’s one thing to take advantage of Canon 844 and similar provisions, but it’s quite another for the goofy guy to walk up and look around and then be given communion BY THE PRIEST!

I got into trouble a few years ago at the hospital when I refused to administer communion to an individual who obviously didn’t know what to do. And I don’t mean kneeling at the rail. He came up and stuck a hand out and said, “Yea, I want some of that too!”. I gave him a blessing with the Host and then tried explaining to him when he got loud that I couldn’t commune someone who did not share our faith in the Real, true, and genuine presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He complained to the Vice President of the hospital.

I wound up having to show a copy of our Rubrics and Canons, as well as get a RC priest and LCMS minister to come in and vouch for me (that I was doing something that was proper). Just ticked me off!

Rob+
 
Pariah Pirana:
That’s awesome…

While the altar railing can certainly still stand, it would be quite heterodox for a priest to limit communion to only on the tongue based only on his opinion – unless if was via intinction of course, and then it wouldn’t be based on on his private notions.
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I have a friend who is an EMHC at a nearby parish. I attended a Mass there for the installation of their new pastor, and unfortunately stuck out like a sore thumb. I told her that when I went to Communion, the EMHC (called EMs, as in “Eucharistic Ministers” in that parish) was flustered that I did not present myself to receive in the hand. She said they have been INSTRUCTED to deny Communion on the tongue. She got annoyed with ME for explaining to her that reception on the tongue is just as licit as in the hand.
 
Like Schola Cantora and their elaborate music from Palistrina (spelling?).

There is a problem with Palestrina now? Palestrina’s polyphony is some of the most beautiful ligurgical music - I often listen to some on the way to Mass so as to get myself in the right frame of mind. If the choir sings “elaborate music” reverendly and appropriately then what is the problem?
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
That’s how my wonderful pastor handles it!
We do not have an Altar Rail but Kneelers are all around the Altar. Intinction is the way to go. Our Dear Priest will NOT deliver into a hand a Consecrated Host dipped in the Blood of Christ.
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I loooove Fr. Ben! 🙂
 
Dr. Bombay:
And the Number 1 Liturgical Abuse I’ve personally witnessed:
  1. Priest attempts to consecrate a giant hunk of rye bread, or a chocolate bundt cake, it was hard to tell. :bigyikes:
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I had to laugh - not about that an abuse was being committed, but by the way you described it!
:rotfl:

Aunt Martha
 
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FrRobSST:
Unfortunately, it’s up to the state, whose building codes require bathrooms for buildings intended for public use.

I personally would love to see us all rebel and tell the state where to go when it comes to meddling with the Church.

Rob+
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Unfortunately?? Most people can go to the bathroom before they leave, but some people just can’t hold it- and some people may get sick all of a sudden. They need bathrooms in the church. I’d rather see someone get up and leave to go to the bathroom then not make it. Some parents need to take their kids there more often- and not to use the toilet either- screaming kids in church and parents who ignore them for are distracting- they’re the ones you hear screaming “NOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!” all the way out of the church. (a priest told me he once heard “PRAY FOR ME!!!”)

now, to answer the original question…

Why would I want to share the liturgical abuses I’ve seen? I’ve seen plenty- if it’s something that complaining about will do more good than harm, I’ll complain about it- to the people who will make a difference. How are people edified by reading how heretical, or careless clergy can be?
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
That is a liturgical abuse.
No hand holding during the Our Father.

(do you Flic your Bic and sway? just kidding)
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Kumbaya!!
 
I wonder if judmental laity is a liturgical abuse?

It certainly seems like a sin.

Are lay people who are so quick to notice the faults of others really receiving the Eucharist in a state of grace? Are judgemental people seeking holiness (as they should be) or are they just holier-than-thou ???
 
Detroit Sue:
I have a friend who is an EMHC at a nearby parish. I attended a Mass there for the installation of their new pastor, and unfortunately stuck out like a sore thumb. I told her that when I went to Communion, the EMHC (called EMs, as in “Eucharistic Ministers” in that parish) was flustered that I did not present myself to receive in the hand. She said they have been INSTRUCTED to deny Communion on the tongue. She got annoyed with ME for explaining to her that reception on the tongue is just as licit as in the hand.
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That’s unacceptable…

I remember attending a “liturgy planning meeting” at my parish once and an “EM” (that’s what they call themselves here too) complained about getting her fingers wet when distributing communion on the tongue. She demanded that it be “outlawed.”

I suggested that anyone lacking the hand/eye coordination to correctly distribute communion on the tongue might possibily not have the call to serve as an EMHC – that God would give anyone with such a call the ability to do the job correctly. That comment caused a great many purple faces with looks of hatred, but it stopped any foolish discussion on her “demand.”
 
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jpjd:
I wonder if judmental laity is a liturgical abuse?

It certainly seems like a sin.

Are lay people who are so quick to notice the faults of others really receiving the Eucharist in a state of grace? Are judgemental people seeking holiness (as they should be) or are they just holier-than-thou ???
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Similarly, are those that introduce or support liturgical abuse “really receiving the Eucharist in a state of grace?”
 
Dr. Bombay:
  1. Priest attempts to consecrate a giant hunk of rye bread, or a chocolate bundt cake, it was hard to tell. :bigyikes:
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I remember 3 years ago at Christmas day Mass. I had the duty as a server/sacristan. When I got there, someone (who should know better) had already filled the large gold “bread bowl” with slices of fruit cake.

I dumped the fruit cake into the trash can, swabbed-out the vessel and filled it with fresh wheat hosts. I thought the lady and her friends that did this was going to have strokes on the spot. Thankfully there was a feeling in the air that they had done something horribly wrong.

By the time the celebrant arrived, no one said a word about the incident.
 
Pariah Pirana:
Similarly, are those that introduce or support liturgical abuse “really receiving the Eucharist in a state of grace?”
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Now who’s demonstrating a poor knowledge of doctrine?

We are not to receive in a state of mortal sin. We all know this. And I think we also know that one’s position on this or that liturgical abuse, could in no possible way be considered a state of mortal sin.
 
Pariah Pirana:
I dumped the fruit cake into the trash can … I thought the lady and her friends that did this was going to have strokes on the spot. Thankfully there was a feeling in the air that they had done something horribly wrong.

By the time the celebrant arrived, no one said a word about the incident.
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I hope the celebrant was told of your action. You dumped what was apparently a well-intentioned (but misinformed) gift into the trash, and were oh-so-proud of it? You certainly could have handled this in a more charitable and considerate manner.
 
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jpjd:
I wonder if judmental laity is a liturgical abuse?
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Not Liturgical, but it can be an abuse, especially in the form of delivery. However, there is a difference between being judgmental and judging right and wrong. One can notice that a practice is not in conformity with the General Instructions or Canons, or one can assume such in error.

This forum is a good place to get answers to whether or not a practice is an abuse (something explicitly prohibited), but as is common in human nature, we sometimes get a form of feeding frenzy going on.
It certainly seems like a sin.
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It must be done with patience and love, but it must be done. (c.f. 2 Tim 4) There is more at stake than a matter of opinion. The Liturgy is not ours to mold. It is God’s. It is the liturgy of heaven and earth. We celebrate, we worship with the angels and saints before the throne of God. For this reason, the Church has to insist that its elements remain Universal, Catholic.
Are lay people who are so quick to notice the faults of others really receiving the Eucharist in a state of grace? Are judgemental people seeking holiness (as they should be) or are they just holier-than-thou ???
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Agreed, but here is a two edged sword: The abuse is often times not only distracting in itself, but indicates a more secular than properly sacred value.

I have had to apologize for my lack of charity in the past, and I’ll likely need to do so in the future, but that is not the same as agreeing that the abuse is ok.

Pax vobiscum,
Jim
 
My, my, Pariah Pirana, aren’t we defensive. My post did not say I support liturgical abuse.

I am glad I belong to a parish where people are not scoping one another for acts of “liturgical abuse”.

No wonder folks new to the church think Catholics aren’t friendly. When I read some of the posts on this board, the thought that comes to mind is: “With friends like this, who needs enemies?”

Are we reflecting the light of Christ in all we do? Do our words and actions make people say, “That person has holiness, I want to be like that.” ?
 
Thank you for your kind reply, JimmyToes.

I understand the need to correct true liturgical abuse.

I am distressed, however, with the pettiness of many of the complaints on this board and the sense that many here can not see the forest for the trees.

I’m sure there will be many critical posts here, so I will tell you now that this will be my last post on this subject, since to reply any more will be repeating myself and a waste of time.
 
I am very fortunate…I attend a Parish that has in Indult TLM every Sunday Morning at 0930, but the rest of the masses are NO and we still receive on the tongue, at altar rails, with a paten…I am so, so lucky to have such an orthodox Priest and Parish…I shopped around for a while and I struck gold.
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mommy:
Wow - we don’t have anything like that.

The things that bug me in our parish, which actually aren’t liturgical I believe:

*People leaving after communion (the priest mentioned this and it has drastiscally stopped)

*People not bowing during the creed when they are supposed to.

I’m lucky to have a very orthodox priest in charge. He’d bring back the alter rail and communion only on the tongeue if he could get away with it.
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rcn:
I hope the celebrant was told of your action. You dumped what was apparently a well-intentioned (but misinformed) gift into the trash, and were oh-so-proud of it? You certainly could have handled this in a more charitable and considerate manner.
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You’re clearly commenting on something you know nothing about. The fruit cake woman was once the head of the “liturgical committee” at my parish. She knew darned well what she was doing – introducing grave abuse into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The cake went into the trash can so that she would not try to serve it up at the next Mass, only 90 minutes down the road.

My focus was on the Mass and those hundreds who were going to receive communion – not some individual with an evil agenda.
 
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