Youth Mass idea: Lifehouse Skit DURING Mass?

[bobolink]

Would a phone call be a better thing to do? It just seems a bit officious to start issuing letters!

 

[una_fides]

Would a phone call be a better thing to do? It just seems a bit officious to start issuing letters!

I know what you mean that it sounds a little official to be sending him a letter, but this way you will be able to cite from the exact Church document itself. Otherwise, if you’re over the phone, it would be much more difficult to cite an official Church document. It’s so much easier to write that in a letter. If the priest desires to be loyal to the bishops in authority over him, then he will submit to the document and if he is truly ignorant of that fact and is a good priest, then I would assume he would thank you for letting him know. If he is not a good priest and is stubborn or prideful or willfully disobedient to those who gave him his office, then he would likely just disregard the letter. I seriously doubt he would get offended either way.
What you could do, as that article I sent suggests, is to hand the priest the letter in person so that it would be less impersonal and tell him you’d like to setup a time with him to meet and discuss its contents. You could do so in a comfortable manner and if he asks what the letter is about you can say it’s something you’ve been thinking about and wanted him to be aware of. I’m telling you, if the priest is a good, loyal priest, he will thank you for informing him because the last thing he would want to do is disobey his superiors.

 

[block]

If it is being presented in place of the homily and the presider has no problem with it, it is totally appropriate and could be the key to getting the youth fired up. That is part of the purpose of a homily, getting people to think.

Nothing personal but I would have preferred to see the pastor play the part of the Lord, thought.

I disagree with this statement. To me, the homily is very important and should never be replaced with anything. And, the purpose of the homily is to explain the passage out of the gospel that was read, how can you replace that? I, personally, would be very disappointed to see anything but the homily when it was time for the homily.

 

[una_fides]

Here I even did the homework for you. Here’s a relevant section of the GIRM that forbids adding anything to Mass:

1. Nevertheless, the priest must remember that he is the servant of the Sacred Liturgy and that he himself is not permitted, on his own initiative, to add, to remove, or to change anything in the celebration of Mass. usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter1.shtml

The GIRM is quoting from Vatican II Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, 22.3:
3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html

 

[Aramis]

Would a phone call be a better thing to do? It just seems a bit officious to start issuing letters!

NO! A letter is the safest, clearest way to make such complaint. Keep a photocopy (or 4) of the original, signed document… so that, when you need to write the bishop, you enclose a copy of the letter you sent the priest. And, if it goes that far, to the CDW.