I am from the Seattle diocese and I think there has been some misunderstanding concerning this directive. We are asked to stand (as stated above) until everyone has received communion. Then we are free to sit or kneel for private prayer after communion. This usually lasts for 2-3 minutes.
The dubium in post #6 shows that, while the default posture when returning to the pew after receiving Communion is standing, it is not to be interpreted so rigidly as to prevent someone from kneeling or sitting if they want to. What Rome was saying is that standing couldn’t be imposed.
Correct. But I think the local bishop could ask that we remain standing for some time and then kneel when all have returned. It did not specify when we were free to begin kneeling only that there must be time to kneel (if desired) after communion. So there is still some confusion as to what the bishop can legitimately request of the congregation.
Responsum: Negative, et ad mensum [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.**Where it is the custom that the people remain kneeling** from the end of the Sanctus until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, **and before Communion when the priest says Ecce Agnus Dei,** **this is laudably retained.** [See AB March 2003, p. 4 sidebar.]I guess I should clarify: Our priest has said: “He would prefer we stand 'til he sits, then all would change to another posture.” Generally, the pianist stops the music at that same time. So there is no compulsion one way or another, simply an expressed preference.
It is true that orginally he did ask that we all remain standing until after everyone received. But that changed and we were given the option to remain standing or to kneel or sit when coming back from Communion. Everyone in our parish continued to kneel. At least we got the message in our parish. I don’t know if other parishes did or if the pastors did not make that clear to their parishioners that they did have an option when coming back from Communion.
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Actually, it is my understanding that it was Archbishop Brunette who made the correction and acknowledged the clarification that was issued by the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Arinze. Our pastor at that time had previously told us of a change that was being made- that we were to remain standing after the Agnus Dei and remain standing until we all came back from Communion. However, when it came time to make the change, we were told that we may continue to kneel or sit if we prefered when Coming back from Communion and that is what everyone at our parish has chosen to do.