On kneeling, part 1

On kneeling, part 1

For those who don’t know, the Vatican within the past few years came out with a new version of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which can be thought of as the instruction book for celebrating Mass. After the Vatican promulgates such a document, the various countries’ bishops’ conferences would then have it translated into their languages and then discuss the adaptions that are allowed and determine how they will be applied to their country.

One of the controversial ones has been regarding when the people should kneel during the Mass. I can’t believe that kneeling in reverence and adoration before the Lord could and should be so controversial, but what do I know? I’m not a liturgist. What’s happened is that in some dioceses, new rules are being promulgated that are said to come from the GIRM when in fact they contradict the GIRM and introduce innovations that were specifically rejected by it or by the bishops’ conference.

Anyway, the fine folks at Adoremus, the society for the renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, have come up with a Q+A on kneeling so that we can know what we as Catholics in the peware obliged to do and not obliged to do. The first question and answer has to do with the gesture of reverence that is required before receiving Communion and whether one may kneel. I assume other questions and answers will follow.

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