The 2002
General Instruction on the Roman Missal provides in paragraph 43 for the various postures of the people during the Mass. This universal liturgical law states that “the people should stand … from the prayer over the gifts to the end of the Mass, except at the places indicated later in this paragraph.” The indicated places are the Consecration, “when they kneel,” andduring the period of reflection after Communion, when they may “kneel, stand or sit” (Congregation for Divine Worship,
Notitiae 10, p.407).
With respect to the proper posture during the liturgy of Communion, the GIRM in No. 43 specifies some
norms approved by the U.S. bishops. One norm says the faithful should “kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.” A few bishops have determined that the faithful should stand at this moment, and this practice is the norm within those dioceses.
Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):
“Responsum: ‘Negative, et ad mensum’ [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of 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.”
Having received this response, the BCL Newsletter commented: “In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion” (p. 26).
July 2003 BCL Newsletter…
Clarification on Posture of the Faithful Following Individual Reception of Holy Communion
During recent months, the Secretariat for the Liturgy has received numerous inquiries concerning the proper posture of the faithful after each communicant has individually received Holy Communion at Mass.
Many Bishops have directed that the appropriate posture of the faithful during the distribution of Holy Communion is to stand. They have based this on the text of the
General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 431 which states that the people stand until the period of sacred silence following the reception of Holy Communion has begun. But when does this period of sacred silence begin? GIRM, no. 86 notes that “the singing [of the communion song] is continued for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful.” The period of sacred silence would seem to begin, therefore, once all have received Holy Communion; hence, the appropriate posture of the faithful during the distribution of Holy Communion is standing.
However, because of the widespread and longstanding practice of individuals returning to their places to kneel or sit in private prayer after having individually received Holy Communion, this provision has caused controversy in many dioceses.
In an effort to clarify the situation, Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., Chairman of the Committee on the Liturgy, submitted a dubium concerning this matter to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on May 26, 2003. On June 5, 2003, Cardinal George received the following response (Prot. n. 855/03/L) from Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments:
Dubium: In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after having 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 the prescription of the
Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of 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.
In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion.
I’m glad that someone else besides me saw the trend. It is actually deeper than that my friend, part of the whole thrust of the reforms from Vatican II was to de-centralize the authority of the Church so it would be more along the lines of the Orthodox Churches where no one Bishop is the ultimate authority. You have to remember that re-unification with the Orthodox Churches has always been a huge concern for the Vatican, and with the Pope being in charge as he is there is no chance of that happening, since the Orthodox totally reject the position and authority of the Pope as it is, seeing him merely as the first among equals. That was part and parcel of the spirit of Vatican II. De-centralize.