standing before & after Communion

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Yes, the bishop does have that authority, but… I don’t think it’s sinful or disrespectful to continue kneeling when you wish to show reverence at the proper times.
 
Well, anyway, I’m going to an appointment right now so I guess I’ll see your responses when I respond. 🙂
 
twf said:
The bishop of the diocese where my parents live has mandated this requirement (standing until all have received)…if, for whatever reason, you are unable to receive, it becomes very awkward for you as you stand in the pew while everyone else is trying to navigate around you. I really don’t like it - but as a previous poster said, the bishop has the right…
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Go up and receive a blessing, if you are not to receive communion. If you can’t eat Him you need the priestly blessing and it causes less disruption. Be as much a part of the service as you can!

Are you saying you want to sit? That isn’t a good option at all and then you are going to make people go around you if you are kneeling or sitting? No, GO! just don’t eat if you can’t. Every 4 year old does it.
 
dshix said:
Disapproval for kneeling? I can see it now…

Parishoner comes up to you. “So… Bob… I noticed you’ve been kneeling at the consecration recently. That’s really weird dude. Yeah. Weird.”

You: “:eek:”
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Actually that did sort of happen to me. 😃

Backstory: Advent 2011 we were told to remain standing because of unity, etc. Recently during a homily our priest said that we needed to use common sense. The point was to maintain an attitude of reverence unless physically unable to do so. Therefore (if able-bodied) stand or kneel. If disabled or elderly, sit.

So… I went back to kneeling. The man next to me actually (:eek:!) tapped me on the shoulder and told me that we are supposed to stand. With a friendly smile, I reminded him that Father had explained this and it was okay to kneel. 🙂

I, happily, restrained myself from asking if he was the Church Police. 😃
 
wmw said:
Go up and receive a blessing, if you are not to receive communion. If you can’t eat Him you need the priestly blessing and it causes less disruption. Be as much a part of the service as you can!

Are you saying you want to sit? That isn’t a good option at all and then you are going to make people go around you if you are kneeling or sitting? No, GO! just don’t eat if you can’t. Every 4 year old does it.
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Please don’t advise this. There are many parishes where this is unheard of and/or where priests will not confer a blessing at that time since that’s not the purpose of the Communion procession.

If the OP is standing he can just move out of the way. I’ve noticed how people tend to make this sooo complicated on these boards. For 40 years I’ve gone to Mass with someone who can’t receive Communion. Many of my friends are in the same boat. All our spouses/girlfriends/boyfriends do is either step out in the aisle to allow us to leave the pew more easily and later repeat the process to let us back in or sit for a few seconds and let us go past them. It’s what I do when I’m not going up to receive. It’s not rocket science.
 
I sincerely hope that our diocese (Birmingham and northern Alabama) does not go this route. Standing for long periods of time can become very painful for me; my back muscles sieze up. Kneeling, besides showing more respect, is much more comfortable physically, and that enables me to concentrate more on adoration.

The good news – our bishop has been in place for 6+ years now; if he was going to change from kneeling to standing, he would have done it by now 😃
 
We stand. Always have. My church has stone floors and no kneelers. Haven’t seen anyone kneel at mass in ages.
 
on_the_hill said:
Several years ago the diocese where my in-laws live changed the rules about Mass, so that there is no kneeling after the Our Father. From that point on, everyone stands, even after receiving Communion.

I don’t fully know the reasons–something to do with how elderly and disabled congregants might feel left out if everyone is kneeling and they themselves can’t because of infirmities.

For years my in-laws didn’t like the rule change at all and continued to kneel at the usual times. They’ve adapted and stand with everyone else now.

I don’t particularly like it. Standing just doesn’t feel right.

Comments?
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The General Instruction of the Roman Missal has “42. … A common bodily posture, to be observed by all those taking part, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them.”

My preferred common posture after everyone has finished receiving Communion is sitting. I wrote about this in forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=345464 in 2009:

"If it is a Stational Mass of the Diocesan Bishop, then the correct posture is sitting.

From the Ceremonial of Bishops:
“166 When the bishop return to the chair after the communion, he puts on the skullcap and, if need be, washes his hands. All are seated and a period of prayerful silence may follow, or a song of praise or a psalm may be sung.” (My bold text, from Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 60).

Nothing in the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) changes this, since it has:
"112. … At a Mass celebrated by the Bishop or at which he presides without celebrating the Eucharist, the norms found in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum should be observed. [footnote 92: Cf. Caeremoniale Episcoporum, editio typica, 1984, nos. 119-186. ]

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“43. … and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.”
And: “42. … A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.”

And, at the end of n. 43: “With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to whatever is indicated in the Missal.”

I have never seen a priest kneeling after Communion. So I think sitting is the better posture. This is on the basis of the “common posture”, “view to a uniformity in … postures” and consistency with what is required for the Stational Mass of the Diocesan Bishop."

Writing today:

In Australia, our approved General Instruction of the Roman Missal, has: “In Australia: … They are to kneel again after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) until the distribution of Holy Communion. During the period of sacred silence after Communion, they may either sit or kneel.” (Roman Missal, English translation according to the third typical edition, approved for use in the dioceses of Australia, England and Wales, and Scotland, published by Catholic Truth Society, in 2010, ISBN 9781860827303, page 38).

The Australian Conference of Catholic Bishops has followed GIRM n. 390, making adaptions in the bodily posture of the faithful. Perhaps this has been done in the location where your in-laws live.

Similar threads to this are:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=273203
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=545091
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=480114
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=222497
 
Rich_C said:
If you find out that you’re not obligated to do what everyone else does at Mass, and you feel brave enough to do what you think is best, then I’d say kneel.
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Or stand, for that matter.
 
on_the_hill said:
Several years ago the diocese where my in-laws live changed the rules about Mass, so that there is no kneeling after the Our Father. From that point on, everyone stands, even after receiving Communion.

I don’t fully know the reasons–something to do with how elderly and disabled congregants might feel left out if everyone is kneeling and they themselves can’t because of infirmities.

For years my in-laws didn’t like the rule change at all and continued to kneel at the usual times. They’ve adapted and stand with everyone else now.

I don’t particularly like it. Standing just doesn’t feel right.

Comments?
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I can understand that very well being disabled and in my mid 50myself.

I am physically incapable of kneeling and genuflecting and have to make do with a profound bow.

When I was younger myself I made fun of how some people knelt (with their backsides on the pew) and bent a knee instead of truly genuflecting.

But now the shoe is on the other foot and I feel differently.
 
andrewstx said:
I can understand that very well being disabled and in my mid 50myself.

I am physically incapable of kneeling and genuflecting and have to make do with a profound bow.

When I was younger myself I made fun of how some people knelt (with their backsides on the pew) and bent a knee instead of truly genuflecting.

But now the shoe is on the other foot and I feel differently.
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I agree, it is of course stupid to expect a person who is incapable of genuflecting to do so, but able-bodied teenagers and young adults should have no difficulty.
 
on_the_hill said:
Several years ago the diocese where my in-laws live changed the rules about Mass, so that there is no kneeling after the Our Father. From that point on, everyone stands, even after receiving Communion.

I don’t fully know the reasons–something to do with how elderly and disabled congregants might feel left out if everyone is kneeling and they themselves can’t because of infirmities.

For years my in-laws didn’t like the rule change at all and continued to kneel at the usual times. They’ve adapted and stand with everyone else now.

I don’t particularly like it. Standing just doesn’t feel right.

Comments?
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This…

ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.vii.vi.xxx.html
 
Again… common sense… while the Blessed Sacrament is visible a posture of reverence is expected. That posture is determined by one’s physical capabilities.
 
I, too have run into controversy surrounding this “kneeling/standing” thing. Being that I always kneel whenever the host is exposed, I have simplified things. I rarely go to an OF Mass. I much prefer the EF anyway. :signofcross:
 
JackieMom said:
We stand. Always have. My church has stone floors and no kneelers. Haven’t seen anyone kneel at mass in ages.
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I have been to a few churches with no pews and not enough room if every one was to kneel.

John
 
In my usual parish everybody kneels at the consecration. When the priest utters “Let Us Proclaim the Mystery of Faith”, the entire congregation “Stands” until the priest sits in the presidential chair after Holy Communion.

Naturally; the elderly, the physically disabled, or ill are not forced to abide by this ruling.
Makes me wonder why the Posture of standing is now the prodominant expression of adoration in the Church.

I can’t fathom the rational of the Canadian Bishop’s ruling on this. In a Catholic Church today all throughout North America and likely many places around the rest of the world where belief and faith in the Holy Presence of the Blessed Sacrament is diminished to far less than half of Catholics worldwide nothing makes sense.

Bad enough the Catholic Church is beseiged by continuous Secularism and Moral Relativism within the Church itself.

When a sense of Reverence an Awe towards the Blessed Sacrament led by example goes missing at Mass, those who struggle with their belief and Faith in the Blessed Sacrament will begin to lose what little they already have.

Its so sad.
 
I tdoesn’t feel right to me either, but if that is the rule of the diocese, then you should follow it. God prefers obedience over sacrifice.
🤷🤷🤷
 
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