Sit, stand, kneel?

[Blessedwithfive]

I was alway taught that we remain kneeling after Communion until the tabernacle doors close. It that true? What if the priest sits before the tabernacle closes (the deacon or EMHC puts the rest of the hosts away).

What about churches without kneeler? They seem to stand until they receive Communion then return to their seats and sit (while others are still receiving). Is that allowed? If not, how long should they stand? Until last one receives or until the tabernacle doors close with their remaining Hosts?

Thanks

 

[peter26]

Personally, I stay kneeling until the priest says “Let us pray”. Most people round here seem to do likewise unless they are unable to kneel for that long. And you can always kneel on the floor!

 

[BartholomewB]

Blessedwithfive

I expect you’ll get quite a variety of answers. Similar questions about kneeling have been asked here from time to time, and from what I’ve seen on other threads, there are only two things that all posters seem to agree on:

The rules vary from one country to another.

In the United States, the rules can also vary from one diocese to another and even from one parish to another.

 

[Elizium23]

Let us assume the OP is speaking of the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Blessedwithfive

I expect you’ll get quite a variety of answers. Similar questions about kneeling have been asked here from time to time, and from what I’ve seen on other threads, there are only two things that all posters seem to agree on:

The rules vary from one country to another.

I disagree. There are no rules. The editors of the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal intended specifically to avoid legislating posture following Holy Communion. Therefore, any uniformity that is observed is simply local custom, and you are free to sit, stand or kneel as you feel comfortable.

 

[tee_eff_em]

tee

 

[Elizium23]

POSTURE OF THE FAITHFUL FOLLOWING COMMUNION

Dubium: In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after individually received Holy Communion during Mass. Is it the intention of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia, to forbid this practice?

Responsum: Negative, et ad mentem. The mens is that that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of the 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.

Francis Cardinal Arinze
Prefect

Proper Posture After Communion

First, it is incumbent upon the priest or deacon, and not upon the extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, to collect the remaining hosts upon the altar and bring them to the tabernacle. As the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 163, says:

“When the distribution of Communion is finished, the priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; as for any consecrated hosts that are left, he either consumes them at the altar or carries them to the place designated for the reservation of the Eucharist.”

No. 183 adds some pointers for the deacon:

“When the distribution of Communion is completed, the deacon returns to the altar with the priest and collects the fragments, if any remain.”

This task, therefore, may not be delegated to an extraordinary minister and it should be done upon the altar, not in the sacristy and not even upon the credence table.

After Communion the faithful are free to adopt the posture most consonant with their physical possibilities and personal devotion, whether kneeling, standing or seated. ZE05102523

 

[Wesrock]

I’d prefer to remain kneeling only until the tabernacle is closed, but my parish remains until the priest sits, which is after the tabernacle closes, so I kneel for unity of posture.

 

[Petaro]

It reminds me of the story of the Protestant man who was convinced by his Catholic wife to attend Mass. After sitting, standing, kneeling through numerous revolutions, he took that familiar hunched half kneeling position of the totally confused. His wife, annoyed, tapped his shoulder and asked “Is your fly undone or something?” where upon he responded:
“No, should it be?”

 

[zab]

Our pastor has answered that question when it arose and he suggested that we wait until the tabernacle closed before sitting, and he said that we should not wait for him to sit. He knew that people do this out of respect for the priest but he sounded like he really did not want us to wait for him. He wanted our emphasis to be on the Eucharist and not him. I understand what he was saying but personally I think he was being a little overly concerned about it. Anyway I try to do as he has asked us to do, but sometimes I happen to sit at the same time he does.

 

[St_Francis]

I thought the priest sat to say a prayer? Which I thought meant we should be able to kneel until he gets up for the final blessing? It bothers me that we stop kneeling when he sits–we could keep praying!

Does anyone know why he sits down then?

 

[brad90956]

I wait for the priest to sit down but he always closes the tabernacle before sitting down so I guess I’m doing it correctly.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

The practice at my old parish was that we would kneel after Holy Communion then sit down once the priest sat down. Usually this was after the Hosts had been placed into the tabernacle. It differs from parish to parish.

If they don’t have kneelers, I would kneel on the floor. I don’t think churches are allowed to not have kneelers, though.

 

[BartholomewB]

The practice at my old parish was that we would kneel after Holy Communion then sit down once the priest sat down. Usually this was after the Hosts had been placed into the tabernacle. It differs from parish to parish.

If they don’t have kneelers, I would kneel on the floor. I don’t think churches are allowed to not have kneelers, though.

Here in Brazil I have never seen kneelers in any church. When we kneel, we kneel on the floor. The warm climate helps, I suppose. The floor is never too cold to kneel on.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Here in Brazil I have never seen kneelers in any church. When we kneel, we kneel on the floor. The warm climate helps, I suppose. The floor is never too cold to kneel on.

I didn’t know Brazil didn’t use kneelers. All of the churches here have kneelers, so I only kneel on the floor when I am in line for Confession during Mass. The altar boys kneel on the floor, but they get little mats if they are the ones holding the candles during the Canon.

 

[otjm]

I thought the priest sat to say a prayer? Which I thought meant we should be able to kneel until he gets up for the final blessing? It bothers me that we stop kneeling when he sits–we could keep praying!

Does anyone know why he sits down then?

One can pray without kneeling.

 

[zab]

I thought the priest sat to say a prayer? Which I thought meant we should be able to kneel until he gets up for the final blessing? It bothers me that we stop kneeling when he sits–we could keep praying!

Does anyone know why he sits down then?

You can continue kneeling if you want.