Sunday "Service" Without A Priest

[Ockham]

Having just been introduced to the Sunday “service” without a priest, I’m trying to gather information on their origin and agenda. Typical of the modernist style there doen’t seem to be uniformity from one diocese to another. In my view these ‘services’ are unnecessary and likely harmful to the growth of our Church. By diluting the role and prestige of the priesthood, pretend Masses, layperson led Stations, EMHCs giving Communion, etc contribute to the declining seminary enrollment.

Thoughts?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Having just been introduced to the Sunday “service” without a priest, I’m trying to gather information on their origin and agenda. Typical of the modernist style there doen’t seem to be uniformity from one diocese to another. In my view these ‘services’ are unnecessary and likely harmful to the growth of our Church. By diluting the role and prestige of the priesthood, pretend Masses, layperson led Stations, EMHCs giving Communion, etc contribute to the declining seminary enrollment.

Thoughts?

I’m not sure why you put scare quotes around the word service. It is, in fact, a service.

There is a document from the Congregation on Divine Worship called Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest which can be read here. Or you can purchase the USCCB document here.

You may feel that such services (where you use quotes again; what would you call it if not a service?) are unnecessary but apparently the Vatican disagrees. Not every part of the world is blessed to have sufficient priests available to celebrate Mass. If a priest isn’t available the options would seem to be a) have the community gather for prayers or b) ignore the idea of coming together to worship on Sunday.

It’s not a pretend Mass since it’s not a Mass at all; you need a priest to celebrate Mass. It is a prayer service.

I’m not sure how Stations of the Cross relate to this issue. Stations of the Cross are not a liturgy.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Ockam,

The commandment is to honor the Lord’s Day. The Church wants us to attend mass when this is possible, but it is not the only way to honor the Lord’s Day. And receiving the Lord’s Body is no small event either.

Verbum

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Divine Office, aka Liturgy of the Hours, can be celebrated anywhere and anytime without a priest, and always could be, even before V2.

Eastern Churches without priests will celebrate Vespers and Matins, the Little Hours, and Typica (basically, the Liturgy of the Word with a few other prayers) on Sundays.

Furthermore, Station of the Cross has ALWAYS been a private devotion and has NEVER required a priest.

 

[The_Fool]

It is disheartening to hear of services for the Lord’s day instead of Mass. It reminds me of a priest who got irritated every time someone called the rectory asking when Ash Wednesday services were. It’s the Mass, not a service!

Anyway, the service you describe sounds as if it was done due to lack of a priest. These services are legitimate so long as one understands that it is not the Mass. For instance, Good Friday has services, not Masses, because there is no Mass on Good Friday. It’s the one day priests can ask the deacon to do everything, although perhaps he should not.

These services can also be helpful to the Church. I remember a visiting missionary priest once mentioned such acts in his homily. People from miles away would gather at the nearest Church, and then bring Our Lord back to their villages for a service. I don’t know about the validity of such an act, but it sounds incredibly beautiful. Although they had no priest to celebrate mass for them near by, they had the Lord, and it was good.

 

[diggerdomer]

. It’s the one day priests can ask the deacon to do everything, although perhaps he should not.

One point of clarification: deacons cannot preside at the Good Friday liturgy. That requires a priest.

Cheers

 

[diggerdomer]

Having just been introduced to the Sunday “service” without a priest, I’m trying to gather information on their origin and agenda. Typical of the modernist style there doen’t seem to be uniformity from one diocese to another. In my view these ‘services’ are unnecessary and likely harmful to the growth of our Church. By diluting the role and prestige of the priesthood, pretend Masses, layperson led Stations, EMHCs giving Communion, etc contribute to the declining seminary enrollment.

Thoughts?

I’m not sure what’s going on in Canada, so I’m sorry I can’t provide more definitive info, but in the U.S. there’s a Rite called “Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest” that is the only legitimate, authorized Rite that can be celebrated in the unfortunate case where a parish is not able to celebrate Eucharist on a Sunday due to not having a priest available. SO, there’s uniformity in the U.S.

I’d have to guess the Canadian Conference of Bishops has a similar Rite, but I don’t know.

The services are only necessary in the situation where Mass cannot be celebrated. How necessary the SCAP service is and how its implemented is up to each diocesan Bishop to decide. It in no way should be seen as something that dilutes the priesthood.

It really has nothing to do with EMHCs or stations of the Cross.

Hope this helps.

Cheers