Note:** “Bishop”**. The Bishop has authority on matters of liturgy in your diocese, so if this directive is coming from the Bishop then you should follow it. If it is not, then you have more of an argument, but first, find out if is from the Bishop.:
The Bishop has SOME authority in the Liturgy, but most of the authority actually comes from Rome, specifically the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discpline of the Sacraments.
It is that Dicastery that has been charged by the Pope to develop and approve the Liturgy.
It is under that authority that the Liturgy and the primary rubrics recieve the force of law, and therefore, it is the rulings of that organization that we are to obey, under pain of disobedience.
We see this under Canon 16
Can. 16 §1. The legislator authentically interprets laws as does the one to whom the same legislator has entrusted the power of authentically interpreting.
§2. An authentic interpretation put forth in the form of law has the same force as the law itself and must be promulgated. If it only declares the words of the law which are certain in themselves, it is retroactive; if it restricts or extends the law, or if it explains a doubtful law, it is not retroactive.
The one who is the legislation of the liturgical law ( the CDWDS) is the authentic interpreator of the law, and it’s decisions have the force of law.
The liturgical law of the Church has granted certain control over rubrics to the local bishop. Those are clearly stated within the law itself ( such as the authority to mandate the posture of standing after the Agnus Dei until the personal reception of Holy Communion)
Other postures, such as the posture of kneeling or standing during reception of the Holy Conmuntion, reception of the Holy Communion on the tounge or in the hand, or of kneeling, standing or sitting after returning to the pew, the Holy See has delegated to the individual member of the faithful.
Thus, in those matters, the local bishop, the pastor or the minister of Holy Communion, is actually under obediece to us ( if we choose to recieve Holy Communion on our tounge or in our hands, the minsiter is obliged, under obediece, to comply)
That all goes back to Aquinas’ definition of the virtue of obedience, the conformation of the will of the subject to the will of the one who has authority.
Thus, if a bishop attempts to regulate in an area where the liturgical law has been set by Rome, the one to whom we conform our wills is the one with the actual authority, Rome
Pastor Aeternus- Vatican I
Wherefore we teach and declare that, by divine ordinance, the Roman Church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every other Church, and that this jurisdictional power of the Roman Pontiff is both episcopal and immediate. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, and this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those which regard the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world.
Ergo, if Rome has set regulations, all Catholics, clergy and lay, of whatever digntiy, are bound out of obedience to obey and comply.
