Where does this come from?

[paramedicgirl]

Today at Mass we had a substitute priest. At the beginning of Mass, after the sign of the cross and before the Confiteor, he had everybody turn to their surrounding neighbours and meet and greet them, shaking hands and introducing themselves. HUH??

I have never seen this happen before. Where does this come from?

He also refused my daughter to take communion on the tounge, and made her take communion in the hand, something she has never done before. And when I went to confession after Mass, he would not let me kneel behind the curtain, but told me to sit in the chair, face to face. I didn’t mind that part too much, but the other two things have me wondering.

 

[Freeway4321]

Ah, more GIRM warfare.

I believe this can be found in Protestantism 101.

 

[SMHW]

paramedicgirl:

Today at Mass we had a substitute priest. At the beginning of Mass, after the sign of the cross and before the Confiteor, he had everybody turn to their surrounding neighbours and meet and greet them, shaking hands and introducing themselves. HUH??

I have never seen this happen before. Where does this come from?

I don’t know where it came from but I can assure you it’s been making the rounds for a while.

 

[puzzleannie]

It became popular in our former diocese for a while to do the meet and greet before the readings, new bishop said, fine, be hospitable, but before Mass begins, before the greeting and introductory prayers. If you want, put a sign up out front inviting people to coffee and donuts after Mass, but no disruption of the Mass itself with ad hoc rituals and performances.

 

[netmilsmom]

paramedicgirl:

Today at Mass we had a substitute priest. At the beginning of Mass, after the sign of the cross and before the Confiteor, he had everybody turn to their surrounding neighbours and meet and greet them, shaking hands and introducing themselves. HUH??

I have never seen this happen before. Where does this come from?

He also refused my daughter to take communion on the tounge, and made her take communion in the hand, something she has never done before. And when I went to confession after Mass, he would not let me kneel behind the curtain, but told me to sit in the chair, face to face. I didn’t mind that part too much, but the other two things have me wondering.

When receiving is in the hand and standing are the norms at a parish I am visiting, I have my daughter stay in her seat.
I’m not sure what I would do if it was my own parish.

 

[CatholicCid]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

When receiving is in the hand and standing are the norms at a parish I am visiting, I have my daughter stay in her seat.
I’m not sure what I would do if it was my own parish.

Hopefully, you’d do what the Priest would allow… Sure, it may not be how you would prefer to recieve, but if that is how you must recieve to recieve Our Lord, hopefully, you could make the sacrafice. Your daughter as well. Denying oneself Holy Communion so they might protest the way it is recieved doesn’t seem the best road to take

I would say talk to the Priest and seek his permission to do so before Mass, could push on the fact you are just visiting so

 

[netmilsmom]

CatholicCid:

Hopefully, you’d do what the Priest would allow… Sure, it may not be how you would prefer to recieve, but if that is how you must recieve to recieve Our Lord, hopefully, you could make the sacrafice. Your daughter as well. Denying oneself Holy Communion so they might protest the way it is recieved doesn’t seem the best road to take

I would say talk to the Priest and seek his permission to do so before Mass, could push on the fact you are just visiting so

I would have to have lessons ahead of time on HOW to receive like this. It isn’t a protest, we do not receive standing or in the hand in our N.O. parish. She has never done it.
Pretty sad that a priest would deny a child communion for putting her tongue out.
Oh well, the Devil got into some of these Priests!

 

[Dr.Bombay]

paramedicgirl:

Today at Mass we had a substitute priest. At the beginning of Mass, after the sign of the cross and before the Confiteor, he had everybody turn to their surrounding neighbours and meet and greet them, shaking hands and introducing themselves. HUH??

I have never seen this happen before. Where does this come from?

He also refused my daughter to take communion on the tounge, and made her take communion in the hand, something she has never done before. And when I went to confession after Mass, he would not let me kneel behind the curtain, but told me to sit in the chair, face to face. I didn’t mind that part too much, but the other two things have me wondering.

No one can be denied Communion because they wish to receive on the tongue. If I were you, I’d write a letter to the bishop immediately.

Many years ago, a new progressive type pastor was assigned to our parish. A sweet old lady had for many years been kneeling when she went to receive Communion with no disruption to the line or complaint from anyone. The first Sunday there, the priest refused to give her Communion and shouted at her to stand up, humiliating her in front of the whole congregation.

Well, I’d seen enough. I wrote a letter to the bishop protesting this action. At the time, my diocese had a notoriously liberal bishop, so I didn’t expect any type of response. Much to my surprise, a few days later I received a letter from the Diocese indicating the priest had overstepped his authority by denying Communion. I also received a letter from the priest admitting his mistake, he wrote an apology in the bulletin and also apologized during his homily the next Sunday.

In your case, the priest was wrong, and you and your daughter deserve an apology.

 

[Santa_Cruz]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

I would have to have lessons ahead of time on HOW to receive like this. It isn’t a protest, we do not receive standing or in the hand in our N.O. parish. She has never done it.
Pretty sad that a priest would deny a child communion for putting her tongue out.
Oh well, the Devil got into some of these Priests!

I would receive but I would never attend Mass in that church again while that sub priest was serving Mass. The Bishop would get a phone call and /or a letter from me also.

 

[Lenis]

I too am from BC and I have been to a church
that usually,before the priest comes down the aisle, the reader will tell everyone to turn to their neighbor and say Hi and welcome.
It just bugs me to no end. It isn’t my regular chuch, so I only go there when I have missed going to my regular mass. About not giving your daughter communion, no priest has the right to do that, that is written in some documents(I can’t remember where), but if that happens to me I hope I have the courage to stand there until he gives me Jesus on the tongue. I receive on the tongue and so far I haven’t had any trouble. A couple of years ago my oldest son was in Oregon and he knelt down before the priest to receive communion and the priest told him to stand up . I was so annoyed when he told me that. About confession, most churches I have been in lately seem to give you a choice , you can see the priest when you go into the confessional room, then you can choice if you want to sit beside him or go kneel behind the curtain. Like you I can live with the face to face confession, but the other 2 things really upset me.
We must pray for courage and discernment to speak up when things are happening that shouldn’t be.
God Bless - Lenis

 

[paramedicgirl]

Thanks for all your responses. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to approach the meet & greet thing this priest seems to favour? We have him for another month, so it will happen again.

Is it a liturgical abuse, and if so, how can I approach the subject without offending?

When I go to weekday Mass, I will find out firsthand if he also denies me communion on the tongue. This has never happened to me before, what do I do if he wants to place the Host in my hand? Should I not receive, and go back to my seat or should I keep my hands folded in front of me and wait, hoping he places the Host in my mouth?

I have to say that I feel strongly that my hands should never touch the Sacred Host, as I feel that is a privilege reserved for priests alone.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

paramedicgirl:

Thanks for all your responses. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to approach the meet & greet thing this priest seems to favour? We have him for another month, so it will happen again.

Is it a liturgical abuse, and if so, how can I approach the subject without offending?

When I go to weekday Mass, I will find out firsthand if he also denies me communion on the tongue. This has never happened to me before, what do I do if he wants to place the Host in my hand? Should I not receive, and go back to my seat or should I keep my hands folded in front of me and wait, hoping he places the Host in my mouth?

I have to say that I feel strongly that my hands should never touch the Sacred Host, as I feel that is a privilege reserved for priests alone.

Get to Mass a few minutes early and try to catch Father in the sacristy. Then explain to him very calmly and kindly that you prefer to receive Communion on the tongue. If he squawks, point him to this from Redemptionis Sacramentum:

…each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice…

(emphasis mine)

During Mass, if he still refuses to give you Communion on the tongue, catch him after Mass. Tell him you intend to write the bishop and demand a public apology. Don’t worry about offending this guy. He’s treating you shamefully and doesn’t deserve courtesy.

But, catching him before Mass is the key. If he’s approached in charity, he may be more willing to listen to what you have to say. No need to bring the hammer down unless he obstinately refuses.

 

[CatholicCid]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

I would have to have lessons ahead of time on HOW to receive like this. It isn’t a protest, we do not receive standing or in the hand in our N.O. parish. She has never done it.
Pretty sad that a priest would deny a child communion for putting her tongue out.
Oh well, the Devil got into some of these Priests!

Oh, sorry if I came off somewhat sarcastic or the likes…

I was refering more to, if for at Mass, I would rather recieve Our Lord physically if able.
Heck, if the custom was to walk up while doing a head stand singing some heavy metal p), I would even do that… Then I’d write the Bishop

 

[netmilsmom]

paramedicgirl:

Thanks for all your responses. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to approach the meet & greet thing this priest seems to favour? We have him for another month, so it will happen again.

Is it a liturgical abuse, and if so, how can I approach the subject without offending?

When I go to weekday Mass, I will find out firsthand if he also denies me communion on the tongue. This has never happened to me before, what do I do if he wants to place the Host in my hand? Should I not receive, and go back to my seat or should I keep my hands folded in front of me and wait, hoping he places the Host in my mouth?

I have to say that I feel strongly that my hands should never touch the Sacred Host, as I feel that is a privilege reserved for priests alone.

Print this out.
Rome, February 26, 2003

This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has received your letter dated December 1, 2002, related to the application of the norms approved by the Conference of Bishops of the United States of America, with the subsequent recognitio of this Congregation, as regards the question of the posture for receiving Holy Communion.

As the authority by virtue of whose recognitio the norm in question has attained the force of law, this Dicastery is competent to specify the manner in which the norm is to be understood for the sake of a proper application. Having received more than a few letters regarding this matter from different locations in the United States of America, the Congregation wishes to ensure that its position on the matter is clear.

To this end, it is perhaps useful to respond to your inquiry by repeating the content of a letter that the Congregation recently addressed to a Bishop in the United States of America from whose Diocese a number of pertinent letters had been received. The letter states: “…while this Congregation gave the recognitio to the norm desired by the Bishops’ Conference of your country that people stand for Holy Communion, this was done on the condition that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds. Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”.

This Dicastery hopes that the citation given here will provide an adequate answer to your letter. At the same time, please be assured that the Congregation remains ready to be of assistance if you should need to contact it again.

With every prayerful good wish, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,
[signed]
Mons. Mario Marini
Undersecretary

 

[Irish_Melkite]

paramedicgirl:

And when I went to confession after Mass, he would not let me kneel behind the curtain, but told me to sit in the chair, face to face.

PMG,

Code of Canon Law

Canon 964 §1 The proper place for hearing sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.

§2 As far as the confessional is concerned, norms are to be issued by the Episcopal Conference, with the proviso however that confessionals, which the faithful who so wish may freely use, are located in an open place, and fitted with a fixed grille between the penitent and the confessor.

§3 Except for a just reason, confessions are not to be heard elsewhere than in a confessional.

The highlighted provision has been interpreted to mean that the opportunity to confess anonymously, versus face-to-face, cannot be denied to a penitent.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Ivornotion]

I would talk to the Parish priest, your are within your rights to receive on the tongue, and if not resolved as DrBombay says, write to the Bishop.
As for shaking hands with people we probably don’t even know, well I don’t care for it, I usually shake hands with my heart, not my head. ( I have to mean it)
I don’t care if Confession is behind a screen or up-front, but having been brought up with going into that dark Confession box, I prefer at screen at-least.

 

[Catholic_Heart]

paramedicgirl:

Today at Mass we had a substitute priest. At the beginning of Mass, after the sign of the cross and before the Confiteor, he had everybody turn to their surrounding neighbours and meet and greet them, shaking hands and introducing themselves. HUH??

I have never seen this happen before. Where does this come from?

He also refused my daughter to take communion on the tounge, and made her take communion in the hand, something she has never done before. And when I went to confession after Mass, he would not let me kneel behind the curtain, but told me to sit in the chair, face to face. I didn’t mind that part too much, but the other two things have me wondering.

The before Mass hand-shaking came from a practice often seen in Protestant churches…As for the rest…He needs to do a little reading on what the rights of Catholics are…I think he took a lot upon himself that he had no right to do.