Vatican rules

[AveMaria12]

I’ve been wondering recently why the Vatican doesn’t make uniform definitive regulations for certain things, such as female altar servers or way of receiving communion, but leave a lot of these things to the discretion of the bishops and priests?

 

[YoungTradCath]

There are “rules,” in a manner of speaking, shall we say. But the rules allow these things.

 

[LegoGE1947]

There are “rules,” in a manner of speaking, shall we say. But the rules allow these things.

VATICAN RULES!

 

[fermat]

The main reason is that the church is not a top-down organization. The church believes strongly in the idea subsidiarity and in that spirit, most decisions are left at the lowest level possible. Very few items, such as how to receive communion, can be generalized to fit the needs of everybody.

 

[Spirithound]

I’ve been wondering recently why the Vatican doesn’t make uniform definitive regulations for certain things, such as female altar servers or way of receiving communion, but leave a lot of these things to the discretion of the bishops and priests?

I would term it ‘the Church’s prudential judgement that such things are most fruitfully left to the judgement of the local authority.’

 

[triumphguy]

I’ve been wondering recently why the Vatican doesn’t make uniform definitive regulations for certain things, such as female altar servers or way of receiving communion, but leave a lot of these things to the discretion of the bishops and priests?

Because the bishop is the head of the local church.

 

[Cat]

Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom, embraces different cultures, and doesn’t try to make “one size fit all.” The “territorial authority” is most qualified to make decisions about the everyday things in his diocese.

I think this is especially true of various arts, e.g., music (vocal and instrumental), dance, and visual arts. Often what Europeans find beautiful is very different from what Asians, Middle Easterners, Slavics, Africans, Americans (Native and other) find beautiful. And often what is profane in some countries is sacred in other countries; this is true of dance, which in the U.S. is not allowed in Mass, but from what I understand IS allowed in the Mass in other countries where dance has not become associated with sex and worldliness.

 

[ATeNumquam]

Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom, embraces different cultures, and doesn’t try to make “one size fit all.” The “territorial authority” is most qualified to make decisions about the everyday things in his diocese.

I think this is especially true of various arts, e.g., music (vocal and instrumental), dance, and visual arts. Often what Europeans find beautiful is very different from what Asians, Middle Easterners, Slavics, Africans, Americans (Native and other) find beautiful. And often what is profane in some countries is sacred in other countries; this is true of dance, which in the U.S. is not allowed in Mass, but from what I understand IS allowed in the Mass in other countries where dance has not become associated with sex and worldliness.

Excellent answer!

 

[LegoGE1947]

Excellent answer!

What is sad is that in the West so very much has become associated with sex and worldliness, not just dance. As an early CCM singer Larry Norman used to say," Why should the devil have all the good music?"