Sign of Peace: liturgical abuse?

[quiet52]

In our parish, we’re talking 15-20 minutes. I’m still in the midst of cleaning up my letter to our liturgical committee… trying to get it from 3 pages to 2!

Clinton

I suggest that if you’re a member of the liturgy committee, then do’t bring a two or three page letter for them to read. Just print out the applicable sections of Redemptionis Sacramentum, make copies, and very briefly ask if you can express your concerns. The liturgy committee plans special liturgies, but otherwise only advises the pastor – it does not make decisions.

If you’re not on the liturgy committee, my suggestion is to write a brief letter to the bishop. It’s possible if you bring it up the pastor or liturgy committee, you will be considered a troublemaker. There is no requirement that you “go through the chain of command” when reporting liturgical abuse.

 

[clintondyches]

I suggest that if you’re a member of the liturgy committee, then do’t bring a two or three page letter for them to read. Just print out the applicable sections of Redemptionis Sacramentum, make copies, and very briefly ask if you can express your concerns. The liturgy committee plans special liturgies, but otherwise only advises the pastor – it does not make decisions.

If you’re not on the liturgy committee, my suggestion is to write a brief letter to the bishop. It’s possible if you bring it up the pastor or liturgy committee, you will be considered a troublemaker. There is no requirement that you “go through the chain of command” when reporting liturgical abuse.

Oh, no, I’m not on the liturgy committee… I’ve my quotes from sources in the letter and will be cc’ing our pastor and Bishop.

Clinton

 

[Phemie]

I suggest that if you’re a member of the liturgy committee, then do’t bring a two or three page letter for them to read. Just print out the applicable sections of Redemptionis Sacramentum, make copies, and very briefly ask if you can express your concerns. The liturgy committee plans special liturgies, but otherwise only advises the pastor – it does not make decisions.

That’s the way it SHOULD work. In practice, in many parishes, they do make the decisions and the priest goes along.

 

[clintondyches]

That’s the way it SHOULD work. In practice, in many parishes, they do make the decisions and the priest goes along.

And that, exactly, is what happened in my parish. Hence my letter to the committee and a simple cc to the pastor and Bishop.

Clinton

 

[HelenRose]

I understand and I’m not correcting you just giving my opinion not that it’ll matter that much.

God bless

It seem like such a silly thing to quibble over. I mean, compare 3 minutes of saying “God’s peace” to dancing down the aisle with gifts. There really are horrible abuses to attend to. “God’s peace” really is so minor.

I agree that to prolong it is a mistake. But, 3 minutes. It is an important part of the Mass. And, I think a very beautiful part. But, like you say, this is just my opinion.

 

[englishredrose]

OK, so I’ve had a few issues with the way a few things are done in my new parish… using glassware and earthenware for chalices, etc. But because we had a visiting priest this past Sunday (our pastor was in Detroit) one of the things that ‘bothers’ me also seemed to greatly disturb our ‘replacement’ priest…

…it seems that, long before I began attending the parish, the Liturgical Committee decided to ‘move’ the Sign of Peace from the Communion Rite to directly after the Gloria. OK… but the thing is, the Sign of Peace is, in our parish, an extended 15 minute (at least) house party. Last Sunday, after about 10 minutes, the visiting priest tried tap-tap-tapping on the microphone to let folks know that it was time to get back to business… but, of course, his tapping couldn’t be heard above the clamor. He was embarrassed, perhaps a little angry and I was really embarrassed for our parish.

In the instance of the glass and earthenware ‘chalices,’ I wrote to our pastor but the issue persists - only rarely do we have a noble metal chalice. I don’t know that this moved, extended ‘greeting’ is liturgical abuse or not so I have not written Father about it nor have I decided whether or not to tell him how frustrated the whole thing made our visiting priest (who is his very good friend, I understand).

So I’ve two questions:

1. Does the movement of the Sign of Peace in the Order of the Mass constitute liturgical abuse?
2. Should I send off another letter to our pastor, quoting the GIRM in re the Sign of Peace: "…it is appropriate that each person, in a sober manner, offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest” and reminding him that the Sign is optional for the congregation and really shouldn’t be turned into a social hour (we DO have coffee and doughnuts after Mass, should those wanting to socialize wish to stick around).

Thoughts, comments and answers, please?

Thanks,

Clinton

lets hope you soon be at peace … of all the things to worry about though we do bring some odd things here. I think I would just drop it and allow the peace to take it cause if it was me. Or simply ask the priest rather than bring it here whether I should ask the priest and will you be content with however he answers if not then no point in asking. Sorry for sounding somewhat cheesed off here but honestly of all the niggles. If he was not black shoes or discovered he had wax on his black trousers how will you approach that as liturgical abuse? Please I know someone will wave the anglican card stating I don’t understand but I understand the need to communicate with our priests directly rather than the pretence of being important and bringing it here first for our reactions and if you wanna sting your priest with litugical abuse of peace then do so but you mayn’e tbe at peace for doing so. Come on guys, isn’t it supposed to be about if you can’t shake hands with another then you not in a fit state to receive communion so at the end be a bit lost cause on that wouldn’t it? It symbolic but it does mean that if you don’t wont/cant shake hands then are you really at peace to receive communion remembering everyone is Loved by God and we are not there to judge one another sins and… So if a Priest wants to make a bigger deal of it and you don’t like it, you got two options. learn to like it or go but since Catholics are supposedly obediant to their priests then you going to have to learn to like it and the liturgical abuse for me would be those who can’t bear it because it is symbolic state of our peace before communion …

 

[poche]

If you are not getting anywhere with the pastor why not write a letter to the bishop. Be sure and include pictures.