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Littileboy
Guest
My church is very small so when it is too crowded, those who are late have to stand outside. Do they have to kneel at the consecration? If they do, is not doing so a sin?
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DeniseNY
Guest
I don’t think it’s a sin, but someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
When I would attend on my lunch hour, I unfortunately arrived late sometimes and there was no place to sit. I would kneel on the floor in the back. I don’t have problems with my knees or back (thank God), so I was able to. It never crossed my mind that those standing near me were sinning by not doing the same.
When I would attend on my lunch hour, I unfortunately arrived late sometimes and there was no place to sit. I would kneel on the floor in the back. I don’t have problems with my knees or back (thank God), so I was able to. It never crossed my mind that those standing near me were sinning by not doing the same.
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HowardF
Guest
I don’t have a source for this, but I recall reading somewhere that it is ok to stand during a time to be kneeling. When we have mass on our campus our (non-catholic) chapel doesn’t have any kneeling rails, so we stand throughout the Eucharistic Prayer. Some of us sit after receiving communion, but there are a couple of us who remain standing until the priest sits down.
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Brendan
Guest
General Instruction of the Roman Missal ( GIRM)
Others might come to a different conclusion for themselves, and might knell, and that is perfectly fine too.
If you are standing, make a profound bow when the priest genuflects in adoration of the Sacrament.
So the answer is, it depends. *If you consider the location to have either lack of space, if your health precludes you kneeling for an extended period on hard groud,if if the location itself is not contusive to kneeling ( a good reason), thenyou may stand.
Others might come to a different conclusion for themselves, and might knell, and that is perfectly fine too.
If you are standing, make a profound bow when the priest genuflects in adoration of the Sacrament.
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angell1
Guest
it also depends where you are I think. this is the instructions for the unitred states. which is what we do also where I live. but I’ve been to a couple other Canadian provinces that did things slightly differently. I’m not sure what our exact rules are here but this kind of thing could vary
I wouldn’t worry about it too much. when my church is full, I usually kneel on the floor as well
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pianistclare
Guest
So…do you believe the Lord will punish people for not doing the impossible?
Common sense
If they are unable to kneel due to space constraints, they are unable to kneel.
Would one rather they turned their backs on the consecration and go home? no. Be at peace.
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Phemie
Guest
In Canada the general rule is to kneel until the “Mystery of Faith” (although some parishes do kneel for entire Eucharistic Prayer) but the same rule about bowing when the priest genuflects is in effect if for any reason you are unable to kneel.
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GoGoDiego
Guest
As for the Philippines, I am unsure what the PH GIRM has to say about this. According to Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the CBCP President, we used to kneel until the Amen of the EuP until 1990. After 1990, the practice of standing at the mysterium fidei was started and still continues until now in most of the dioceses in the Philippines. But last year, the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines) gave the bishops authority to decide if their diocese wants to remain kneeling from the epiclesis until the Amen of the EuP. So far, only the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Diocese of Novaliches has returned to the original position since 1990. My diocese still continues to stand during the mysterium fidei.
As for the overcrowding situation, the GIRM (USA) states:
“In the Dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration”
So if there is an overcrowding or any similar problem that prevents one from kneeling, a bow after the elevations are appropriate
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Hoosier_Daddy
Guest
The mass attendance issue you are having is an absolute blessing that many would love to have.
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Melissa
Guest
I’ve also been to a Mass held at the old Yankee Stadium. We were not able to kneel up there in the stands, but at least I did get to see Pope Benedict XVI in person.
God doesn’t ask us to do impossible things (like kneel in a space where there just is no room to do so, since you do need more floor area to kneel than to stand or someone who has some infirmity that makes it impossible) or dangerous things (like drive through an ice storm to get to Mass).
Now, if one’s church building is too small every week for the number of people, and it’s not possible to add another Mass time, it may be time to start working on a capital fund to try to build a new church building. We did that in my parish, and our new building is great–we even had room when some charter buses full of people returning from a mission trip stopped by one Sunday (we have about a hundred stored chairs that can provide extra seating when needed, like Easter, Christmas, and regional missions).
God doesn’t ask us to do impossible things (like kneel in a space where there just is no room to do so, since you do need more floor area to kneel than to stand or someone who has some infirmity that makes it impossible) or dangerous things (like drive through an ice storm to get to Mass).
Now, if one’s church building is too small every week for the number of people, and it’s not possible to add another Mass time, it may be time to start working on a capital fund to try to build a new church building. We did that in my parish, and our new building is great–we even had room when some charter buses full of people returning from a mission trip stopped by one Sunday (we have about a hundred stored chairs that can provide extra seating when needed, like Easter, Christmas, and regional missions).
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twf
Guest
It can vary within the same Province in Canada. Take BC. In the archdiocese of Vancouver we kneel for the entire Eucharistic Prayer and again after the Agnus Dei (same practice as in the US). In the neighbouring diocese of Nelson, the faithful only kneel for the consecration itself.
To answer the OP, I personally kneel on the floor when forced to stand at the back of the church. But I’m also 30. It may be much more difficult for someone who is say 60.
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marytk
Guest
THere have been times when standiing on the side or the back when there isn’t even room to have everyone kneel. I do my best. I don’t mind kneeling on the floor but it can be different if a lot of people are right there. If it is just a few standing without seats I can ususally kneel (at ag e62)
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Fragile
Guest
Some parishes have taken out the kneelers all together, most don’t kneel at daily mass in the smaller chapel…
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Phemie
Guest
In Canada since the CCCB has not deviated from the universal GIRM, kneeling is only required during the Consecration, unless of course your bishop has mandated something else – some have.
But because of this sentence “Where it is the practice for the people to remain kneeling after the Sanctus (Holy, Holy,Holy) until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer and before Communion when the Priest says Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God), it is laudable for this practice to be retained.” not only does it vary between dioceses in one province, it can vary between parishes in the same diocese. In our parish we kneel immediately after the Sanctus until the Amen. At the basilica parish (former Cathedral parish) they kneel until the Mysterium Fidei. At the parish 5 km down the road from the basilica parish they have loose chairs instead of pews and they don’t kneel at all, even though they both have the same priest.
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erikd
Guest
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal # 43 states:
In the Dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2.cfm
In the Dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2.cfm
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Hoosier_Daddy
Guest
The employment of kneelers has nothing to do with if one should kneel.
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twf
Guest
Yep. Orthodox temples don’t have kneelers, but that doesn’t stop the faithful from prostrating on the floor. Same would be true for Eastern Catholics.
I remember years ago I visited a parish that had no kneelers. No one knelt. I knelt on the floor and I think perhaps one other lady did. Everyone else was standing. There was plenty of room to kneel and the floor was carpeted. When I returned to that same parish perhaps 8 or so years later, everyone was kneeling. It wasn’t that they couldn’t before…no one had told them they should. There was a change in bishops during that period and the current bishop was vicar general in my archdiocese previously. I bet he had something to do with it.
Of course there are individuals who can’t or shouldn’t kneel. And there are certain circumstances where kneeling is physically impractical.
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