No kneelers in this church?

[By_His_Mercy]

Hello all,

I’m a recent revert back to the Catholic Church. I’ve since attended two different churches near my house…the one I went to today didn’t have kneelers…just individual chairs. Is this “legit”? Aren’t we supposed to kneel during certain parts of the Mass?

Thank you,

 

[porthos11]

Hello all,

I’m a recent revert back to the Catholic Church. I’ve since attended two different churches near my house…the one I went to today didn’t have kneelers…just individual chairs. Is this “legit”? Aren’t we supposed to kneel during certain parts of the Mass?

Thank you,

Yes, we are. At the Consecration, at the very least. In the U.S., you kneel all the way to the Great Amen, and after the Lamb of God.

If there are no kneelers, then I kneel on the floor.

 

[By_His_Mercy]

Yes, we are. At the Consecration, at the very least. In the U.S., you kneel all the way to the Great Amen, and after the Lamb of God.

If there are no kneelers, then I kneel on the floor.

Wow…why would this church have no kneelers? I don’t remember seeing anybody kneel this morning. Is there some “official liturgy” document that says we’re supposed to kneel? I’d like to contact this church and reference something.

Thanks!

 

[porthos11]

Wow…why would this church have no kneelers? I don’t remember seeing anybody kneel this morning. Is there some “official liturgy” document that says we’re supposed to kneel? I’d like to contact this church and reference something.

Thanks!

Absolutely. The General Instruction on the Roman Missal. The U.S. edition is here. For the section that refers to kneeling, click here and see paragraph 43.

Just a heads-up. Just because a church has no kneelers does not automatically excuse one from kneeling, unless there is a serious reason, such as lack of space, health reasons (e.g. weak or painful knees) or some other justifiable circumstance. I remember the story of one bishop who visited such a church, and told the congregation that they should kneel for the Consecration. Someone pointed out that there were no kneelers. The Bishop replied that he didn’t say anything about returning the kneelers. He said that they should kneel.

 

[mattjd]

The church I attended this morning did not have kneelers.

Reason, they are in a temporary building (parish hall) that is serving as the church until the church can be built. Everyone stood.

 

[Joan_M]

I don’t know about other people, but I kneel on the floor beside my bed to say my morning offering.

Why is it that people think that there must be kneelers for them to kneel?

Even in St. Peter’s Square people kneel on the cobble stones for the Eucharistic Prayer. Tiled, wood or carpeted floors in Church can be kneeled on.

 

[kristie_m]

If I understand it correctly (and again, I’m sure SOMEONE will correct me if I’m wrong) the Bishop of each diocese can make that call. In my diocese, if there are no kneelers in the church (as there are not in mine) the people are asked to stand from the beginning of the consecration, until after everyone has received communion, unless they cannot for health reasons. We are not, however, discouraged from kneeling on the floor if we so desire.

 

[porthos11]

If I understand it correctly (and again, I’m sure SOMEONE will correct me if I’m wrong) the Bishop of each diocese can make that call. In my diocese, if there are no kneelers in the church (as there are not in mine) the people are asked to stand from the beginning of the consecration, until after everyone has received communion, unless they cannot for health reasons. We are not, however, discouraged from kneeling on the floor if we so desire.

From what I can tell, the Bishop does NOT have the right to make that call for the Consecration itself, for which kneeling is mandated under universal liturgical law in the Roman Rite. In the U.S., it’s not his call either for entire Eucharistic Prayer. It is, however, his call after the Lamb of God.

 

[By_His_Mercy]

From what I can tell, the Bishop does NOT have the right to make that call for the Consecration itself, for which kneeling is mandated under universal liturgical law in the Roman Rite. In the U.S., it’s not his call either for entire Eucharistic Prayer. It is, however, his call after the Lamb of God.

But how do you know at what times in the Mass the Bishop can require kneeling and the times he can relax the requirement? Is there some document explaining this?

 

[Corki]

Having kneelers is a convenience to kneeling but does not dictate what we are “supposed to” do.

Our Church doesn’t have kneelers. It was built to be a flexible space with the seating in different configurations for different purposes. I don’t know why, it was before my time and before the “time” of our current pastor.

We still kneell - all who are able.

 

[Catholicben]

But how do you know at what times in the Mass the Bishop can require kneeling and the times he can relax the requirement? Is there some document explaining this?

I don’t know of any documents (but I’m almost sure there are somewhere) that say this (when to kneel), but I’m almost sure that kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer in mandatory.

 

[Corki]

But how do you know at what times in the Mass the Bishop can require kneeling and the times he can relax the requirement? Is there some document explaining this?

As far as I know, the Bishop can chose - for the whole diocese - whether the congregation should kneel or stand after the Agnus Dei. That’s the only place in the current GIRM where the Bishop has the option. Whole conferences of Bishops (not individual Bishops) have requested permission for specific times of kneeling or standing during the Eucharistic prayer. In the US, it is until the end of the Great Amen but in most of the Latin American countries I have visited it is after the Memorial Acclimation. In Japan, I believe, they received pemission to stand for the whole EP.

The GIRM is the document to look at. It says where there is an option by the priest of the bishop. If there is a special “rule” for a whole country, it will be in the version of the GIRM for that country. In the US, that’s on the USCCB website.

 

[Brendan]

The church I attended this morning did not have kneelers.

Reason, they are in a temporary building (parish hall) that is serving as the church until the church can be built. Everyone stood.

When our parish was going through a parish expansion, we had Mass in our parish hall for about 5 months. There were no kneelers there, just chairs.

about 80% of the people still knelt. The rest sat.

 

[Brendan]

In Japan, I believe, they received pemission to stand for the whole EP. .

When I was in Korea, everyone stood for the EP, but performed a profound bow ( full bow from the waist) during the entire EP.

 

[TraderTif]

One of my local churches has no kneelers, and no one kneels.

Reasons?

-The church building is shared by the Catholic parish and the United Church of Christ. (I’m guessing this is the reason that the building was designed without kneelers; perhaps the UCC was there first?)

-You wouldn’t believe how tiny it is; I don’t think it could hold more than about 60 people, including the 15 or so that sit in the choir loft, and it’s crammed!

-The pews are solid underneath, and arranged tightly together, so you couldn’t, physically, kneel there, unless you were amazingly short!!

-There is not enough aisle space for the people to kneel either.

What can you do?

 

[porthos11]

One of my local churches has no kneelers, and no one kneels.

Reasons?

-The church building is shared by the Catholic parish and the United Church of Christ. (I’m guessing this is the reason that the building was designed without kneelers; perhaps the UCC was there first?)

-You wouldn’t believe how tiny it is; I don’t think it could hold more than about 60 people, including the 15 or so that sit in the choir loft, and it’s crammed!

-The pews are solid underneath, and arranged tightly together, so you couldn’t, physically, kneel there, unless you were amazingly short!!

-There is not enough aisle space for the people to kneel either.

What can you do?

Stand, of course.