The ‘heresy’ of rubricism

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The bottom line is that people wouldnt be so uptight if the rubrics were faithfully followed.We wouldnt have aneed for law-enforcement if people would follow the law in society.However, if you took police of the streets and crime became rampet,than people as aresult would becme obsessed with the enfocement of the law.People in the church are no different.They see liturigual abuse amuck,and become obsessed with rubrics.The church has had this problem of people not following norms for centuries and has never tolerated it.If she did than our holy church would look like a patchwork of national and local churches and not catholic or universal.
 
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robertaf:
Thank you John for printing this.

What did I miss?
I read this two or three times. I never saw this Bishop say to ignore the rubrics. I never saw where he said they were wrong.

What I saw was him warning not to focus so much on them that you miss the heart and soul of the Mass.

Seems to me Jesus gave the very same warning to folks who made “rules” their God.

Some of you need to go back and read again.
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👍 EXACTLY!

To advocate AGAINST one extreme is NOT the same as to advocate FOR the other extreme. We do not worship the liturgy. We worship God. Form over substance is, as you say one of the things Jesus warned folks about - those who made rules their God.
 
Bobby Jim:
If I read this correctly, the bishop is not saying that people WORSHIP the rubrics, the way some Protestants might seem to “worship” the Bible. It’s more subtle than that.

What he’s saying is that some people might think that the essential part of Mass, the part that makes it “work”, that makes the worship and the sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God, is doing everything exactly right by the book. In other words, that it is our own perfection and our own holiness that is important. And that removes God from the equation. It’s all about us. And that’s not Catholic.

I doubt that very many people consciously think in exactly those terms, but he is describing an extreme which is to be avoided. Whether or not anyone here actually falls into that way of thinking is for you to decide for yourself.

I don’t take it to say that you should not speak up about problems, or settle for an imperfect liturgy. I would take it as a warning against thinking that a priest that does everything exactly by the book is, by virtue of that alone, holier than another priest who isn’t right on with everything, nor is the Eucharist more “real” or more efficacious at one parish than at another. Because no matter how perfect our actions, we all fall short, and we all need God. All holiness comes from God, not from us.
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Bobby Jim - I think you hit at a subtle yer very important point: to pin the validity, or ability to dispense grace, or a Mass on the level of perfection attained in following rubrics word for word, without mistake or error, then it DOES take God out of the equation. If that happens, we’re left with no more than magic. God is not limited in his ability to dispense grace by our rules - he gets to make his own rules.
 
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robertaf:
No PanisAngelicas,

I think it might be me that is crazy.

First I thought the Bishop meant that some folks were worshipping rubrics, which now has been presented in a much better light by Bobby Jim, but now, it would appear from what the good Dr has said that I might be siding with folks who promote breaking these rules.

I actually didn’t see a single poster who thought the rules should be ignored or broken. I sure don’t think that is true. I don’t think the Bishop thinks that either.

Where, oh where did I go astray!
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I wasn’t referring to you robertaf. I am referring to the good bishop and his ilk. I am sorry you read into that statement, though I did not address you, nor quote you.

However, there are certainly members of this e-community that certainly do feel the way the good bishop does, as we have all seen in posts in other places in this community and those people would be the “of the ilk” set I just referred to.

Your unworthy brother in Christ and by the Grace of God a future Maronite priest,
Dr. Donnchadh mag Eochadha, Psy.D.
 
Greetings Doc

Whew, thank you for clearing that up. Had me a bit worried.

I still don’t see what you see in what the Bishop is saying but that’s ok. I don’t always agree with everyone and that does not bother me.

Thank God the Catholic Church is big enough to embrace all of us and Jesus is merciful enough to forgive our ignorance and sillyness. Even the Apostles failed to always “get” what He was saying and they lived with Him. In fact one of the most silly ended up being our first Holy Father.
 
Basically when I hear someone being critical of “rubricisim” what they are REALLY saying is, “I don’t want any rubrics at all. I want to do it my way and resent objective rules that I must obey. Also I don’t like the fact that if I play games with the liturgy then there are specific rules that I can be shown to have violated. That is inconvienent.” I base my statement on my experience with liturgists.
 
If those of the faithful who desire a True Liturgy, properly celebrated according to the rubrics, by a duly ordained priest using proper form, matter, and intent, are to be considered ‘heretical,’ then point your fingers first to Rome, and to the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, who recently called upon the laity to report violations of the rubrics.
At least they take the Faith which has been handed down by the Apostles seriously, even if some American bishop thinks that faithfully adhering to the rubrics is a form of ‘heresy.’
And that’s what he’s really saying, folks.
Read BETWEEN the lines.
The entire article is tongue in cheek.
It’s very cleverly worded so as to be technically correct.
Anyone who would worship the liturgy, or worship the rubrics would be guilty of idolatry.
But it is written in such a way as to shoot the messenger, when the messenger is one who is requesting a Mass as has been laid down by the Church.
And he’s not talking about an occasional human error.
He is excusing liturgical abuses, and poking fun of those who complain about them.
Can you really not see it?

I don’t worship the liturgy; I don’t worship the rubrics; I’ve been around long enough to know Who it is that is to worshipped.
However, I trust the Church which laid down the form of worship which is most pleasing to God.
That is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
And there is a proper way of offering this Sacrifice to the Father.
And then, there’s the sloppy, lazy, irreverent, crude, offensive way.
A Mass which is pleasing to God nourishes the soul.

According to Rome we have the right~and the duty~to report deviations from the rubrics.

So, must be the Magisterium is ‘heretical.’ :rolleyes:
 
Panis Angelicas:
If those of the faithful who desire a True Liturgy, properly celebrated according to the rubrics, by a duly ordained priest using proper form, matter, and intent, are to be considered ‘heretical,’ then point your fingers first to Rome, and to the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, who recently called upon the laity to report violations of the rubrics.
At least they take the Faith which has been handed down by the Apostles seriously, even if some American bishop thinks that faithfully adhering to the rubrics is a form of ‘heresy.’
And that’s what he’s really saying, folks.
Read BETWEEN the lines.
The entire article is tongue in cheek.
It’s very cleverly worded so as to be technically correct.
Anyone who would worship the liturgy, or worship the rubrics would be guilty of idolatry.
But it is written in such a way as to shoot the messenger, when the messenger is one who is requesting a Mass as has been laid down by the Church.
And he’s not talking about an occasional human error.
He is excusing liturgical abuses, and poking fun of those who complain about them.
Can you really not see it?

I don’t worship the liturgy; I don’t worship the rubrics; I’ve been around long enough to know Who it is that is to worshipped.
However, I trust the Church which laid down the form of worship which is most pleasing to God.
That is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
And there is a proper way of offering this Sacrifice to the Father.
And then, there’s the sloppy, lazy, irreverent, crude, offensive way.
A Mass which is pleasing to God nourishes the soul.

According to Rome we have the right~and the duty~to report deviations from the rubrics.

So, must be the Magisterium is ‘heretical.’ :rolleyes:
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I suspect you’ve hit the nail on the head; I’m still curious about the internal dynamics in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that would cause a bishop to write this. It more like a high schooler’s protest against the new dress code, than an instruction to the faithful.
 
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