Saturday, September 18, 2010
Papal Visit
Having just finished watching the EWTN programmes on today's ceremonies I was surprised to see female servers both at the Mass in Westminster Cathedral & at the Prayer Vigil & Benediction in Hyde Park. Fr Robert Sorico - an EWTN commentator - made a very valid point regarding the use of 'acolettes' at a papal ceremony. He felt it could only be the local organising committee kow-towing to political correctness & a sop to those wanting female ordinations.
He further went on that the cassock & cotta are male garments & that it is more usual to employ seminarians in these roles.
Why, oh why do not our bishops & priests follow the line of the Holy Father & return to the practise of communion on the tongue & kneeling. An Anglican friend once said to me that "if I believed, as you do, that the host was the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Jesus Christ I would approach communion on my belly!!"
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For connundrums such as how best to distribute and receive communion, I tend to look to the Eastern Rites and Orthodox Churches, who can usually be relied upon to do things in a proper and dignified way.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, the practice of intinction is one that we should adopt for all of our Roman Rite Masses (both Ordinary and Extraordinary). It has many advantages. See the following sites:
www.romanrite.com/j220402.html
www.adoremus.org/0903Intinction.html
I'm not talking about self-intinction, but rather about inctinction by the priest, preferably via a silver long-handled spoon, rather than by the hand.
Ever since having received communion in this way, at the Ukranian Catholic Cathedral in London many years ago, I have longed for the day when it is rolled out to our Roman Rite parishes.
As for whether to kneel or stand, I personally prefer kneeling, but have no problem with standing as long as people genuflect or bow beforehand. Standing is after all symbolic of the Resurrected Jesus, and is also a sign of respect.