Use of Communion Rail

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Lux_et_veritas:
Altar Man, I was not even going to reply to your childish post. It never ceases to amaze me how you can ignite one thread after another. You have become the official flame-thrower for the opinionated, taking more threads down the path of violent, intolerable discussions.

If you don’t like altar rails and have opinions against them, by all means discuss it. But please check the flame-thrower at the door. And, if you can’t see how you are responsible for igniting this thread, then you really have a problem.

The altar rails were never intended be ripped out and they were done so without permission. Show me in any Vatican 2 documents where the rails were to be removed? Now, you find fault with those who choose to keep using them and you find fault with pastors who care to take the time to deliver Holy Communion this way, including Fr. Perrone?

How sad :(. While those of us who use the rail do so comfortably at my parish, we don’t bother any one else. Yet, it is the kind of intolerance that you display that causes so much pain within the Church.

Do you feel you really did Christ some kind of service by your hateful remark? Were you truly doing the Lord’s work or simply exercising some self-righteousness and judgmentalism?

I’ll pray for you that the Holy Spirit reveals to your heart the intolerance you have for Catholics who want to worship their Lord in this manner. Apparently, you feel godly enough to discern that Jesus himself has a preference for how we receive Communion, otherwise, you would not be so critical of a valid method to recieve Holy Communion.

And, if you want to discuss norms, then we will do it. And, for the record the picture you see is shot in a parish that never ripped out its rails and never stopped using them. Since Vatican 2 never called for the removal of rails, how can we be wrong? Furthermore, it is very obvious that it is with the blessing of the Cardinal and bishops because when they celebrate Mass at my parish, they deliver communion through intinction (on the tongue) at the Communion rail - the same manner used 365 days a year… This makes it all too obvious, that the bishops are fine with it. So, where the bishops and cardinal are fine with it, you feel justified to flamefully attack it? Being that they are hardly traditional in their worshiping styles, they show something you dont: Charity and tolerance.

You need an attitude check, and probably a time-out.
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I have nothing against altar railings perse, in fact I rather like them. Posting #8 on this thread is spot-on:
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“Receiving communion is not the only purpose of a communion rail. It also establishes a boundary between the sacred space of the sanctuary and the rest of the church.”*

But to spend the amount of time that is spent here talking about altar railings is absolutely ludicrous. Almost as bad as that guy that wanted to raise money to replace the former “high altar” in his parish just for looks…
 
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AltarMan:
I have nothing against altar railings perse, in fact I rather like them. Posting #8 on this thread is spot-on:
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“Receiving communion is not the only purpose of a communion rail. It also establishes a boundary between the sacred space of the sanctuary and the rest of the church.”*

But to spend the amount of time that is spent here talking about altar railings is absolutely ludicrous. Almost as bad as that guy that wanted to raise money to replace the former “high altar” in his parish just for looks…
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Then why are you wasting your time here?
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
Then why are you wasting your time here?
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Because it takes 15 seconds for me to type this, versus the diatribes we routinely hear on this subject…
 
It should be noted that intinction, as Lux et Veritas describes it, is perfect licit and allowed in the General Instruction. I am pleased to hear that your Bishop respects your parish’s tradition of reception by intinction and allows you to receive by intinction when he comes to celebrate Mass. 👍

My question still remains and has been unanswered, however. Because the posture for the reception of Communion indicated by the General Instruction is standing, how is it licit to receive kneeling at the altar rail?

I’m asking out of a sense of curiosity, NOT out of a “YOU CAN’T DO THAT” mentality. However, there are people out there who will look at the norm and scream “You can’t do that,” so I’d like to know how to defend the practice.
 
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MusicMan:
My question still remains and has been unanswered, however. Because the posture for the reception of Communion indicated by the General Instruction is standing, how is it licit to receive kneeling at the altar rail?
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I haven’t been at Grotto long enough to gather history, but any cardinal or bishop could have worked to make life miserable for any pastor at this parish since people indiscriminately started tearing down rails 40 years ago (without permission).

How long was standing the US norm before it actually worked its way into writing? I think if you trace back, standing was rammed at the faithful while the written norm was to kneel. But that was ok.

For all I know, Grotto may have long standing permission from the cardinal to continue using the kneelers. Or, Grotto-goers may have been “catechized” as to why the US norm is to stand, but have chosen to continue to kneel. I do know that anyone who stands in front of the rail, will not be refused, nor will anyone catechize them that it is within their right to kneel. So, if you came to my parish and wanted to stand because you felt that is what you should do, then by all means, no one would stop you are give you a hard time about it. But let one person kneel in a parish where everyone stands and all hell breaks out with people going on the attack.

I still think it comes down to the cardinal and bishops recognizing there is simply no harm from a community of people using the communion rail to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
 
Again, the Bishop has leeway on how GIRM is to be interperted and various exceptions as I said in a previous post, and this is nothing new. Before the Vatican II liturgical documents came out, some parishes, actually had mass facing the people and standing for communion, albiet it was very rare, there some parishes that celebrated mass in this manner. Also the GIRM says standing for communion is the Norm, Norm does not equal Canon law, it simpily means it is the way things are normally done, but it doesnt mean that it is required.
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MusicMan:
It should be noted that intinction, as Lux et Veritas describes it, is perfect licit and allowed in the General Instruction. I am pleased to hear that your Bishop respects your parish’s tradition of reception by intinction and allows you to receive by intinction when he comes to celebrate Mass. 👍

My question still remains and has been unanswered, however. Because the posture for the reception of Communion indicated by the General Instruction is standing, how is it licit to receive kneeling at the altar rail?

I’m asking out of a sense of curiosity, NOT out of a “YOU CAN’T DO THAT” mentality. However, there are people out there who will look at the norm and scream “You can’t do that,” so I’d like to know how to defend the practice.
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AltarMan:
But to spend the amount of time that is spent here talking about altar railings is absolutely ludicrous.
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Great, then how about exiting the thread and leaving it for people who choose to have a peaceful discussion.

You are way too bent on flaming the threads you engage in. First you use a replacement word for a highly filthy word when you referred to the altar rail as “freaking”. This is just immature and everyone knows very well what it stands for and it has no place in these forums. I find it highly offensive to read in a Catholic forum because of what the word stands for. It may not be the real thing, but we’re not that stupid catch the meaning. Secondly, you admit you get involved in the thread because YOU don’t think people should be spending their time talking about this issue.

With that, consider starting a brand new thread where you can argue with yourself on a topic of your choice.
 
Lux et Veritas, I hope you understand that I’m not asking the question out of some need to be overly legalistic. More out of curiousity.

If I ever attend Mass at the Grotto, it would be an honor to receive the Eucharist on my knees at the altar rail.
 
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MusicMan:
Lux et Veritas, I hope you understand that I’m not asking the question out of some need to be overly legalistic. More out of curiousity.

If I ever attend Mass at the Grotto, it would be an honor to receive the Eucharist on my knees at the altar rail.
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I did pick that up in the post you made the question so no problem there.

I just think it is good ecclesial charity to be tolerant and accepting of people who want to receive Jesus on their knees even if it does make for a longer Mass. It’s not like people are doing it to prove a point because there is no one to prove anything to in my parish. Rather, it is simply a group of people doing what is in their heart.

Incidentally, my 15 year old niece and 35 year old cousin both received Communion at a rail for the first time ever in my parish. It was amazing to see their resonse after Mass without even asking. The exact words used by both, and months apart,

“That felt so right to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue”.

I feel the same way and I actually feel there are subtle distractions as I progress in a line to receive. The rail offers an opportunity to fully prepare myself prior to Holy Comunion. There is nothing or no one in front of me for about a minute or two and it is so very peaceful.
 
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AltarMan:
Yeah, that’ll do it! Preach on the history and use of the vaunted altar railing and soon all Catholics will know their faith!
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Altarman, your pesimism is doing nothing to help. Having the altar rail forced a level of humility before Christ. It showed the greatness of the sacrament.
 
**The thread is now closed: Thanks to all who participated in an informative way.

“…With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love;”
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