Priest asked me to change or leave

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Joey89511

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I am going to a Newman Church and at this Church they do not kneel during consecration. I tried standing but I felt as though I was disrespecting the Eucharist, I felt very guilty. The Priest last weekend approached me and told me that when we spoke he told me I was guilty due to an ill informed conscience. When we were concluding our conversation he told me, “If you chose to kneel there are plenty of other parishes in the area where you are welcome, but you are not welcome here.” After this conversation I researched the issue and made the decision that I indeed have an informed conscience, I don’t think that I should ignore my conscience. My question is do you think I should abandon my conscience or simply switch parishes? Let me also say that I love the people at the Newman center, but want to make the right decision.
 
Well if your priest asked you to leave, you should respect the congregation’s structure and find a church where the parish and your conscience are not in dischord.
 
Joey89511 said:
I am going to a Newman Church and at this Church they do not kneel during consecration. I tried standing but I felt as though I was disrespecting the Eucharist, I felt very guilty. The Priest last weekend approached me and told me that when we spoke he told me I was guilty due to an ill informed conscience. When we were concluding our conversation he told me, “If you chose to kneel there are plenty of other parishes in the area where you are welcome, but you are not welcome here.” After this conversation I researched the issue and made the decision that I indeed have an informed conscience, I don’t think that I should ignore my conscience. My question is do you think I should abandon my conscience or simply switch parishes? Let me also say that I love the people at the Newman center, but want to make the right decision.
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Oh, I’d find a different parish. This priest sounds a bit full of himself- it’s not like your hurting anybody.

Don’t get “high and mighty” about it though, just find a place where you can feel comfortable.
 
From the GIRM:
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.
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General Instruction of the Roman Missal ¶ 43.

So it’s not always required to kneel; sometimes circumstances allow or require otherwise. Honestly, if everyone else is standing in a crowded church and you choose to kneel, I can see how there could be problems.

As for his comment that “If you chose to kneel there are plenty of other parishes in the area where you are welcome, but you are not welcome here,” my advice is to exercise Christian charity and assume that what he was trying to say was that you are not welcome to kneel here, not that you are not welcome here.
 
The parish seems sufficiently out of sync with Rome that I would find another parish without being asked.
 
Joey89511 said:
I am going to a Newman Church and at this Church they do not kneel during consecration. I tried standing but I felt as though I was disrespecting the Eucharist, I felt very guilty. The Priest last weekend approached me and told me that when we spoke he told me I was guilty due to an ill informed conscience. When we were concluding our conversation he told me, “If you chose to kneel there are plenty of other parishes in the area where you are welcome, but you are not welcome here.” After this conversation I researched the issue and made the decision that I indeed have an informed conscience, I don’t think that I should ignore my conscience. My question is do you think I should abandon my conscience or simply switch parishes? Let me also say that I love the people at the Newman center, but want to make the right decision.
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I Hope you dont get angry at me. I would say that you both, you and the priest, are good one for the other…:)😃

You wont stand, he will not buldge for you to kneel down. As stubborn are you as he is. As of course, it will lose the first who blinks… It made me smile…😉

If it was the Holy Trinity, anu ex-cathedra dogma, but this ??? As dramatic as “abandon my conscience”, switch parishes, expelling one from the parish for kneeling, everything is so surrealistic … “to make the right decision” (what you decide is the right decision )…

In cases like these, I go forward as a bull. I would not know what I would do. Most probably would stand, if my wife was with my and my kids too (they put me in check always). But if left alone I would kneed behind a column or do another mad thing just to see the result …

Maybe, I would not do it … first of all I must respect Jesus Christ and mass is not a Circus … otherwise …
 
Even if you are the only one kneeling out of your level or call of reverence, I can’t see why it’s a concern. I visit 2 parishes regularly and there’s always a mix, although mostly stand, many people stand.

And while we’re at it, I’ve never seen a priest deny a person communion when they kneel instead of stand in line before the Blessed Sacrament in order to receive Him.

If you are called to kneel. I say go for it.👍
 
I guess the priest has the right to ask people to leave for any reason, but I’d be more concerned about his focus on God as he’s offering the Holy Sacrifice. Seems like this only adds to the need of the ad orientem posture for saying Mass.
 
Is the chapel so crowded that people cannot kneel? If that is not the case, then yiu are supposed to kneel. Lack of kneelers is not an adequate reason for not kneeling during the Consecration.

The priest is in the wrong because he is going against those in authority over him. You are following the orders of those who have the authority over this area.

I went through the same problem, but the priest never talked to me about it. I just tried to sit somewhere where I wouldn’t be in front of everyone, so it wasn’t super obvious.

In your shoes, I would call the diocese and put it all in the form of questions. I would say, I know we are supposed to kneel but the priest says I have to stop or leave. Then just see what they tell you.
 
If it were me, I would loop the Bishop in on the goings-on at the Newman Center.
 
1ke said:
If it were me, I would loop the Bishop in on the goings-on at the Newman Center.
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This was my thought. The last thing the Church needs on college campuses is priests who give young people reasons to leave. :mad:

To the OP: If I remember correctly from your previous post, you have recently joined the choir. The priest can ask you to leave the choir but he can’t make you leave the parish. Mass is public, anyone can go to any Mass.

That being said, it’s up to your own comfort level as to whether you want to stay and just kneel discretely or look for a parish where the priest isn’t so averse to following the GIRM.
 
I go to an Eastern Church and the priest and bishop has asked people NOT to kneel and they still kneel. We never ask them to leave.

Maybe we should trade parishioners 😃
 
Sit in the last row and kneel. I feel like I should kneel, as well ,and am usually one of a few who do so.

Does anyone know the( theological or liturgical) reasons we are supposed to stand rather than kneel?
 
thats sad that your in that predicament. maybe you can still make time for your friends you see there even if you find a new place. but maybe you should stay and kneel and stay and kneel and pray and dont go, maybe you can do what God told you to do right there, and make a change there for God, through your obedience you could choose to kneel before Our God and give Him respect right there! queitly and peacefully. cause you can do what God told you to where you heard it, i see no crime in that. its not like having a bitter fight with words its submitting to God. i dont think the church would rebuke you for kneeling where God said so or for finding a different place where kneeling is no problem. I would kneel too. question is where and why? maybe a priest at another parish can give you support if you choose to kneel where you knew it was to be done at all, maybe another priest that allows kneeling could help you know where you should chose to kneel. and if its there then maybe having another priest to talk to can help you keep it about God and not petty stuff. i would talk to another priest and discuss this and get advice from them if you can find another.
 
coco2 said:
Sit in the last row and kneel. I feel like I should kneel, as well ,and am usually one of a few who do so.

Does anyone know the( theological or liturgical) reasons we are supposed to stand rather than kneel?
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there are exceptions for disabled people when it comes to fasting, are there exceptions for crippled or disabled people with knee conditions when it comes to kneeling? that is what i want to know. cause we should all kneel before Our God out of respect, but sometimes we have to stand and kneel at different times depending on the mass right?
 
We are supposed to kneel, but if there is no room or it is very difficult it is ok to stand. The priest is wrong to tell you not to kneel if you are not endangering someone by doing so. My own church is such that there are a few places where it would be dangerous to kneel, if I am in such a place I stand (as do most of the congregation), otherwise I kneel, at least for the consecration.
 
For what it is worth my fellow Christian, I am the only one who kneels where I am.

St. Louis de Montfort says about those who impose unjust and unmerciful rules on worshippers, “It annoys them to see more people kneeling before Mary’s altar” where Her Son is exposed. (I have taken this a little out of context but the quote fits as Mary’s Altar and Her Son’s Altar are one in the same.)

Peter kneeled down when he prayed.
Petrus ponens genua oravit : et conversus ad corpus, dixit, surge.
Peter knelt down and prayed, and turned to the body and said, “Arise!”

Paul kneeled down when he prayed as depicted in the Books of Acts.

Indeed, Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel, God Himself, kneels down when He prays!

“Orate ne intretis in tentationem… et positis genibus orabat…”

“Pray, lest you enter into temptation. And He was withdrawn away from them a stone’s cast. And kneeling down, He prayed. Saying: Father, if You will, remove this chalice from Me: but yet not My will, but Yours be done. And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him.”

Continue to kneel but do so in a place where it is not a distraction. Go a stone’s throw if you must, but do not give into the temptation to leave. If confronted again ask the good priest, “Father, please remove this burden from me that my will might not be done but the Will of He that is in Heaven.” When we kneel before the holy Eucharist it is a sign of mourning and a sign of respect and a sign of obedience to Christ.

Perhaps you might tell him you will be able to do so somewhere in the back corner pew; that is, if there are pews. If not excuse yourself so that you are out of sight and out of mind.

This way you might be able to continue to as you are commanded by your God.
 
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