If you are asking if a bishop can give permission for those who do not feel comfortable kneeling without kneelers to adopt some other posture. Yes, in fact that is considered to be a ‘good’ reason under the GIRM.I’ve been curious about this topic for a while; I know I’ve asked questions about kneeling, but they revolved around the authority of an individual priest, not necessarily the bishop. So I know that the Notiate says that the absence of kneelers is not an acceptable reason to not kneel, but could a bishop override this? Say one of the parishes in his diocese lacks kneelers, could the bishop give the congregation permission to not kneel at all during Mass?
I feel the same way, and I’ve got two blown out knees from sports injuries. Stations of the Cross are especially difficult, but I just accept the pain.To me, a healthy individual, there is no excuse for not kneeling, regardless of the presence of kneelers. If I believe that Christ is TRULY PRESENT before me, then I am kneeling and have done so without kneelers.
My two cents …
Indeed! My left knee is shot in the MCLs – thank you, defensive line in Division II ball!I feel the same way, and I’ve got two blown out knees from sports injuries. Stations of the Cross are especially difficult, but I just accept the pain.
Reported.
amateur hockey team Soviet Red Army (Nobody Parties Like The Communist Party)Indeed! My left knee is shot in the MCLs – thank you, defensive line in Division II ball!
my sister’s parish in soCal is still using temporary facilities due to what I understand is a building moratorium. no kneelers, so everyone stands. I still knee (carpet, thankfully) because that’s what I always do.Chronic pain from GWI here. I kneel for as long as I possibly can. If I can’t kneel, then I sort of prop myself up with my knees still on the kneelers. Most of the time I can get through it just fine. It hurts, but not quite to that point. It’s difficult because I don’t look like a person who would have that sort of trouble, so I do end up pushing it past reason simply because I don’t want people to make assumptions.
There really is little chance I would be able to just sit there or stand, though. I would rather be in pain than that.
I know of a Chicago-area parish about ten years ago that kept chairs instead of pews even though they were relatively well off. I wonder in hindsight if it was intentional.my sister’s parish in soCal is still using temporary facilities due to what I understand is a building moratorium. no kneelers, so everyone stands. I still knee (carpet, thankfully) because that’s what I always do.
I think the difference here ould be the fact that its standing room only. According to the GIRM that would be adquate reason to not kneel. In my case the parish is deffinately large enough for everyone to kneel. It’s just that they’d have to kneel on the floor.Our parish is currently without a large enough church building. we have a small historic chapel, and a slightly larger historic church, but our parish is so large that we have 3 standing-room-only Masses each Sunday in the gymnasium of the parish hall. With chairs and bodies smashed so close together it is very difficult to find a way to kneel. some people on the aisle or in the front spread out a little in order to kneel. Most people stand reverently with folded hands and bowed heads. I don’t know if it is with the permission of the bishop; however, our pastor came to us from the cathedral. The bishop reassigned his rector to us. Our pastor has never instructed us to kneel. So I can only assume it is permitted to stand.