Usccb

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SacredHeartFan

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Must all dioceses sumbit to the USCCB? In other words when the USCCB declared that standing is the norm for recieveing the Eucharist in the United States, could an individual bishop in his own diocese say that kneeling is the norm for his repective diocese? This also applies to anything else that comes forth from the USCCB. Thanks! 🙂
 
While standing for communion is the usual practice in Latin Rite churches in the USA, there are other documents from Rome that say that no one is to be denied communion if kneeling.
 
bpbasilphx said:
While standing for communion is the usual practice in Latin Rite churches in the USA, there are other documents from Rome that say that no one is to be denied communion if kneeling.
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that’s not my point. that was just an example. I was wondering if a bishop in the USA could deny what comes out of the USCCB in his own diocese.
 
I had heard on CA Live a similar question. The answer was that the USCCB is an advisory council only, not an intermediate authority between the Bishop of Rome and the other bishops. The authority in the diocese is the bishop and he does not have to follow the directives of the USCCB. It is considered only suggestive. Now if there is a decision that is backed by Rome, then it does carry papal weight.
 
The decisions of the council are only binding when they are unanimous. There have been some interesting notable examples. One was the use of girls to serve at the altar. Although the USCCB “approved” it, there were individual dioceses who kept to an all boy altar service. I think there is only one left.

There is one diocese who chose not to submit to the audits approved, by not unanimously, by the USCCB.

More closely related to the kneeling example was a case in Brazil. The Brazilian equivalent of the USCCB voted to apply for an indult to receive communion in the hand. It was granted but one Bishop did not want it in his diocese. The Vatican upheld his authority to have his diocese excluded from the indult.
 
Although the USCCB “approved” [altar girls], there were individual dioceses who kept to an all boy altar service. I think there is only one left.

**I assume you man Latin dioceses here.

I know of no Eparchy of the Byzantine tradition that uses them.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
Although the USCCB “approved” [altar girls], there were individual dioceses who kept to an all boy altar service. I think there is only one left.

**I assume you man Latin dioceses here.

I know of no Eparchy of the Byzantine tradition that uses them.**
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While good to point out, I think that that was assumed.
 
The USCCB is a Conference of Bishops. Episcopal Conferences were established by Vatican II in Christus Dominus, which was implemented by Pope Paul VI in Ecclesiae sanctae of 1966. The 1983 Code of Canon Law (can. 447-459, among others) describes their operation, authority, and responsibilities. Pope John Paul II clarified their duties in Apostolos suos of 1998.

There are decisions which conferences can make which individual bishops cannot make on their own; see GIRM nn. 386-399. For example:
387. The Diocesan Bishop, who is to be regarded as the high priest of his flock, and from whom the life in Christ of the faithful under his care in a certain sense derives and upon whom it depends, must promote, regulate, and be vigilant over the liturgical life in his diocese. It is to him that in this Instruction is entrusted the regulating of the discipline of concelebration (cf. above, nos. 202, 374) and the establishing of norms regarding the function of serving the priest at the altar (cf. above, no. 107), the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds (cf. above, no. 283), and the construction and ordering of churches (cf. above, no. 291). With him lies responsibility above all for fostering the spirit of the Sacred Liturgy in the priests, deacons, and faithful.
  1. The adaptations spoken of below that call for a wider degree of coordination are to be decided, in accord with the norm of law, by the Conference of Bishops.
  2. It is the competence of the Conferences of Bishops in the first place to prepare and approve an edition of this Roman Missal in the authorized vernacular languages, for use in the regions under their care, once their decisions have been accorded the recognitio of the Apostolic See.
The Roman Missal, whether in Latin or in lawfully approved vernacular translations, is to be published in its entirety.
  1. It is up to the Conferences of Bishops to decide on the adaptations indicated in this General Instruction and in the Order of Mass and, once their decisions have been accorded the recognitio of the Apostolic See, to introduce them into the Missal itself. These adaptations include
    · The gestures and posture of the faithful (cf. no. 43 above);
    · The gestures of veneration toward the altar and the Book of the Gospels (cf. no. 273 above);
    · The texts of the chants at the entrance, at the presentation of the gifts, and at Communion (cf. nos. 48, 74, 87 above);
    · The readings from Sacred Scripture to be used in special circumstances (cf. no. 362 above);
    · The form of the gesture of peace (cf. no. 82 above);
    · The manner of receiving Holy Communion (cf. nos. 160, 283 above);
    · The materials for the altar and sacred furnishings, especially the sacred vessels, and also the materials, form, and color of the liturgical vestments (cf. nos. 301, 326, 329, 339, 342-346 above).
Directories or pastoral instructions that the Conferences of Bishops judge useful may, with the prior recognitio of the Apostolic See, be included in the Roman Missal at an appropriate place.
 
SacredHeartFan said:
In other words when the USCCB declared that standing is the norm for recieveing the Eucharist in the United States, could an individual bishop in his own diocese say that kneeling is the norm for his repective diocese?
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I do not think he can; it does not appear that the Church leaves that decision up to individual bishops:
In accordance with the custom of the Church, the faithful may receive communion either kneeling or standing. One or the other practice is to be chosen according to the norms laid down by the conference of bishops and in view of the various circumstances, above all the arrangement of the churches and the number of the communicants. (1967 - Eucharisticum Mysterium, n. 34a)

With regard to the manner of going to Communion, the faithful can receive it either kneeling or standing, in accordance with the norms laid down by the episcopal conference: “When the faithful communicate kneeling, no other sign of reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament is required, since kneeling is itself a sign of adoration. When they receive Communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in a procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the sacrament. This should be done at the right time and place, so that the order of people going to and from Communion is not disrupted.” (1980 - Inaestimable Donum, n. 11)

Fideles communicant genuflexi vel stantes, prout Conferentia Episcoporum statuerit. Cum autem stantes communicant, commendatur ut debitam reverentiam, ab iisdem normis statuendam, ante susceptionem Sacramenti faciant. (2002 - IGMR, n. 160)

The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. (2002 - GIRM (US), n. 160)

“The faithful should receive Communion kneeling or standing, as the Conference of Bishops will have determined”, with its acts having received the recognitio of the Apostolic See. “However, if they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that they give due reverence before the reception of the Sacrament, as set forth in the same norms”. (2004 - Redemptionis Sacramentum, n. 90)
A bishop may certainly permit both practices, even though one has been determined as the norm for the diocese by the Conference.

If this posture were regulated (that is, permitted) by an indult, that would be another matter altogether, because indults (if I’m not mistaken) can be declined by each bishop to whom it is offered. So if the absolute universal posture was kneeling (which it no longer appears to be), and standing was only permitted by means of an indult, a bishop could decide to no longer make use of that indult and require kneeling. However, that is not the case: no matter what the norm set by the Conference, a person may never be refused Communion based on their posture (standing or kneeling).

Communion in the hand, which is regulated by indult, is granted to the bishops of a Conference, not to the Conference as a whole. So a bishop could refuse to apply the indult and require Communion to be received on the tongue.
 
The USCCB only has authority when it comes to issuing new Missals for the Mass. outside of that it has zero authority.

Any individual bishop is free to accept or not accept the decisions that are voted on by the USCCB. A bishop doesn’t have accept anything this bureaucracy puts out. But most of these bishops are of the same ilk and just go along with what they all agree on.

Most importantly, the USCCB has zero authorithy and zero relevance to the individual Catholic lay man. I don’t trust a single thing from these characters and all they do is usurp Rome and the Pope, and the faith.

The USCCB is a mini-vatican in which they think they are the only authorithy for the American Church. What they really are, is clowns who come up with gutless nonsense.
 
I don’t trust a single thing from these characters and all they do is usurp Rome and the Pope, and the faith.

Inasmuch as national episcopal conferences are called for by canon law, I don’t know where you got the idea they "usurped Rome and the Pope and the faith."
 
saint_rafael said:
The USCCB only has authority when it comes to issuing new Missals for the Mass. outside of that it has zero authority.
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Wrong.

Can. 455 §1. A conference of bishops can only issue general decrees in cases where universal law has prescribed it or a special mandate of the Apostolic See has established it either motu proprio or at the request of the conference itself.

§2. The decrees mentioned in §1, in order to be enacted validly in a plenary meeting, must be passed by at least a two thirds vote of the prelates who belong to the conference and possess a deliberative vote. They do not obtain binding force unless they have been legitimately promulgated after having been reviewed by the Apostolic See.

§3. The conference of bishops itself determines the manner of promulgation and the time when the decrees take effect.

§4. In cases in which neither universal law nor a special mandate of the Apostolic See has granted the power mentioned in §1 to a conference of bishops, the competence of each diocesan bishop remains intact, nor is a conference or its president able to act in the name of all the bishops unless each and every bishop has given consent.

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1L.HTM

The Roman GIRM provides for the conferences to make many decisions. Those decisions are binding in regards to the Liturgy.

Other Moto Proprio documents grant other authorities to the national conferences.

It is fair to say that the USCCB has often pushed beyond its allowances…

but it is not right to say they are without authority.
 
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