QUAERITUR: Saying the Office for an Old Testament saint from the Martyrology

Posted on 17 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

While reading the martyrology yesterday, I saw that today (6/14) has the prophet Elisha listed. I remembered your posts reminding your readers that the Church commemorates old testament figures and that "if there were no other saint in the liturgical calendar taking precedence, we are told that we indeed could take a saint from the Martyrology." (post of May 9, 2009)

Because there’s no solemnity/feast/memorial today in the general Roman calendar, I thought about praying the Liturgy of the Hours for the optional memorial for Elisha. How would I do that? Which common would I use, the common of "holy men"?

If you don’t know how this would be done with the OF LOTH, would you know how it would be done for the EF Divine Office?

Hmmm… I don’t know!

I suppose the common of Holy Men would be right, in the case of an OT figure.

Discuss.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged
6 Comments

QUAERITUR: conflict with priest over receiving Communion kneeling

Posted on 17 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

My pastor refuses to give me Holy Communion on my knees.  I approached him privately.  He claims that I am denying him his rights as a priest, destroying unity……he has tried to compromise with me by requiring me to sit in one pew where he can give me communion inconspicuously.  My family does not fit in this little pew.  So if I don’t arrive early enough to get into the right seat, I have no right to receive kneeling.  I have written our bishop, who is unlikely to be sympathetic to my desire for reverence.  Can you advise?  We live in a one parish town, and generally travel on Sundays for a TLM.  I am a daily communicant now, but I feel sick about all this.

First, Redemptionis Sacramentum says clearly:

[90.] “The faithful should receive Communion kneeling or standing, as the Conference of Bishops will have determined”, with its acts having received the recognitio of the Apostolic See. “However, if they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that they give due reverence before the reception of the Sacrament, as set forth in the same norms”.

[91.] In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that “sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them”. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing.

The priest may wish to offer that there are "other grounds".  He would be wrong. 

If he argues that you are not acting in unity with his wishes… er um… the majority of the congregation at that parish, it must also be acknowledged that he is not acting in unity with the Church’s clear legislation and your rights as a member of the faithful.

If you brought this up with the local bishop or …. better, and… the Congregation for Divine Worship, they must back your right to receive kneeling.  It sounds as if you have not received an answer from your bishop yet.  You might wait for the bishop’s response. 

However, at any time you may write to the Congregation.

His Eminence
Antonio Card. Canizares Llovera
Prefect of the Congregation for
   Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments
Palazzo delle Congregazioni
P.za Pio XII
00120 VATICAN CITY

Include copies of everything you have done or received.  Read this.

But do remember to examine your conscience. Be sure that you are not merely being stubborn, rather than being merely reverent.

Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged ,
37 Comments

QUAERITUR: Strange baptism: priest says words but deacon pours water

Posted on 16 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

So Father, this weekend I attended the baptism of my cousins daughter. 

The PRIEST said the words properly, BUT this perfectly healthy priest was NOT baptizing the child, the "DEACON of the word" was doing the pouring of the water. 

Father held the microphone and naught else. 

The DEACON did the anointing with oils, as FATHER said the prayer. 

Legit? Simply odd?

 

Invalid. 

The "baptism" needs to be repeated.

Before writing this I consulted an appropriate ecclesial authority for an opinion.

I would immediately relate this to the local bishop.

Write up everything with photos and videos if there are any of the baptism.   Documentation, proofs, are very useful.   In addition, you might get written descriptions of what happened from others who were there.

Send them to the local bishop and also to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Send a cover letter, with a description, but without your own editorial comment.

Indicate to the bishop that you have sent a copy to the Congregation.

His Eminence
William Card. Levada
Prefect for the Congregation
   for the Doctrine of the Faith
Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio
00120 VATICAN CITY

Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box |
170 Comments

QUAERITUR: priest uses hand sanitizer at Mass, not water

Posted on 15 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

 I am a reader from ___. Here the local franciscan priest who says mass at his franciscan center uses hand sanitizer when he washes his hands in the mass. Is this licit? I have a good idea because the other 3/4 of the mass was filled with abuses and a made up eucharistic prayer.

 

I believe the rubrics call for water.  Water.  Not "water, or something else".

I would ask the priest where in the rubrics it says "hand sanitizer".

Also, the washing of fingers, though practical and physical, is a spiritual event.  The priest asks for cleansing of sins (which water itself can’t do).

The rites of Mass require humility from the priest.  Obeying rubrics is a sign of humility.

Violating the rubrics at a moment when you are asking to be cleansed of sins is… what… ironic?

If the priest is making up a Eucharistic Prayer, and you can prove it, then contact your local bishop.  Soon.

Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box |
35 Comments

QUAERITUR: Can instituted acolytes wear the biretta?

Posted on 14 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:Twitter

I am trying to determine who may wear the biretta during Mass.

It is clear that clergy (deacons, priests & bishops) wear the biretta.

Seminarians also wear the biretta, though I have not found any specific provision for this use.

My question concerns whether an Instituted Acolyte may wear the biretta.  Ministeria quaedam provides that an Instituted Acolyte assumes the duties of the Subdeacon and even assumes this title in certain dioceses.

According to the rubrics, Subdeacons wear the biretta in the EF.   Various statements have affirmed that an Instituted Acolyte acting as Subdeacon may not wear the maniple, but are silent as to the biretta.

So who among these non-ordained could/should be wearing the biretta?  Seminarians, Instituted Acolytes or both?

 

This is a good question, since it leads us into some other questions (which I won’t raise answer here  o{];¬)   ).

In my opinion any man with a role or status, or the equivalent of that status, requiring them to wear a biretta back in the day, should be able to wear it now. 

If a seminarian wears a cassock for choir dress, he wears the biretta, because once in seminary he would have been a cleric and would have been given the cassock.

Thus, a seminarian in a non-trad seminary should wear the biretta as part of regular choir dress if they use the cassock.

So, yes, I suppose the instituted acolytes should use the biretta when in choir dress even when that acolyte is not a part of a priesthood (or permanent deacon) formation program.

UPDATE:

I will add a couple notes.

First, seminarians should go by the house rules wherever they are.  Avoid trouble.  That said, if there are seminaries still so mired in the aging-hippie thing that they forbid the use of the cassock, then shame on them.

Second, seminarians should keep it simple.  Go light on lace, and don’t wear things you are not entitled to.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged ,
18 Comments

Hyundai removes blasphemous World Cup commercial

Posted on 14 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

You have seen the kerfuffle about the Hyundai / FIFA ad for the ongoing World Cup, which – in a blasphemous manner – portrayed the fervor of some soccer fans as being religious.

I received an notice from a reader about a response he received from HYUNDAI:

From: Hyundai Consumer Affairs
To: ___
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 3:22 PM
Subject: Anti-catholic ad
    
Hello and thank you for your feedback regarding Hyundai advertising.

Hyundai Motor America would like to thank you and other consumers for sharing concerns about a new ad titled "Wedding" which aired during the opening games of the FIFA World Cup broadcast last week. We take comments of this nature very seriously. Because of feedback like yours, we have removed the ad from all Hyundai communications and stopped airing it.

We credit the passionate World Cup viewers and Hyundai owners for raising this issue to us. The unexpected response created by the ad, which combined both soccer and religious motifs to speak to the passion of international soccer fans, prompted us to take a more critical and informed look at the spot. Though unintentional, we now see it was insensitive. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will accept our sincere apologies.

With appreciation,

Hyundai Motor America

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged , , , ,
45 Comments

Pew Study: MSM focus on allegations against Pope Benedict

Posted on 14 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I picked this us from Just B16.

Media dwelt on allegations against the Pope—Pew study

by Carolyn Moynihan 14 Jun 2010

Americans might find it difficult to believe but a Pew Research Center analysis of the media coverage of the recent clergy sexual abuse scandal shows that English-language European newspapers published three times as many articles on the scandal as US papers did.

There is no surprise, though, in another key finding of the study — that Pope Benedict himself was the target of many stories:

In addition, the media scrutiny this year zeroed in on the pope himself. During the six-week period from March 12 through April 27, Pope Benedict XVI was a major focus of more than half the stories on the scandal in the mainstream U.S. media, including print, radio, network television, cable TV and online news sources.

And the effort to sheet responsibility home to the Pope has had its effect:

In a nationwide poll released by the Pew Research Center in April, for example, just 12% of the public said the pope has done a good or excellent job addressing the scandal, down from 39% two years earlier. About seven-in-ten Americans (71%) said Benedict has done a poor or only fair job, up from about half (48%) who felt that way in 2008.

Among other findings:

* From mid-March (when the pope’s role in a decades-old abuse case in Germany came under scrutiny) through late April, clergy sexual abuse was the eighth biggest story in the mainstream media, beating out coverage of nuclear weapons policy and the Tea Party movement. The biggest week of coverage was March 22-28, when news organizations reported on the failure of Vatican officials years ago, including the future pope, to defrock an American priest who had abused nearly 200 deaf boys. The church scandal was the fourth biggest topic in the mainstream news that week.

As we know, the defrocking of priests has been persistently misrepresented in such stories; it has nothing to do with whether priests were removed from active ministry or punished by civil authorities.

* Benedict was by far the biggest newsmaker, featuring in 51.6% of the stories about the scandal in the mainstream media during the six-week period studied. All other individual figures combined, including cardinals, bishops and priests, appeared as lead newsmakers in just 12% of the stories.

This was very much a campaign in the mainstream media:

* The scandal found little traction in new media, however. Across the millions of blogs and Twitter posts tracked in PEJ’s weekly monitoring, the clergy abuse scandal registered as a leading topic in only one of the six weeks analyzed.

* Among the religion blogs published by high-circulation U.S. newspapers, those operated by USA Today and The Washington Post contained the most entries on the clergy abuse scandal – a total of 12 each during the six weeks studied.

The full study can be found at the Pew Center.

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, Clerical Sexual Abuse |
5 Comments

A comment on applause in church

Posted on 13 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I found this great image over at True Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter.

 

Posted in Pope of Christian Unity | Tagged
83 Comments

More on the Empire State Building’s snubbing of Mother Teresa

Posted on 13 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Last night the Empire State Building was illuminated with what I am guessing were the colors of the Brazilian flag, because of a game.

From CNA:

Other Mother Teresa birthday plans on offer after Empire State Building refusal

New York City, N.Y., Jun 13, 2010 / 05:49 pm (CNA).- Other activities to honor Mother Teresa in New York City are being planned after the Empire State Building operators said they would not light the building in the blue and white of the Missionaries of Charity on the religious sister’s 100th birthday. The Catholic League continues to question the consistency of the policy and plans a protest.

The Catholic League had asked the Empire State Building’s management to light the building on August 26, but the request was declined.

According to a statement on the building’s website, its guidelines do not accommodate requests for “religious figures” or requests by “religions and religious organizations.” It claimed all organizations agree to these guidelines upon submitting a lighting request. [Read on!]

The official Empire State Building Lighting Partner program was established in August 2006 after prior management was replaced.

However, in a June 11 statement, Catholic League president Bill Donohue noted that on April 25 last year the towers were lighted with blue and white on honor of the Salesian sisters.

He also claimed that there was “no such guideline that I had to agree to up front.”

“Indeed, if there had been such a rule, I would never have bothered to fill out the application.”

Donohue, who provided a copy of his application for a lighting scheme request, charged that the policy was being “made up” because the building management is “on the run.”

[Therefore…] “So they not only refuse to honor Mother Teresa, they are lying about their indefensible decision,” he charged, announcing that a planned protest at the building will go forward.

Many New Yorkers had critical reactions to the building’s decision.

"They are stupid to deny her the lights. They’ll regret it in the afterlife. It’s dumb, dumb, dumb," commented former Mayor Ed Koch, according to the New York Post. "Mother Teresa deserves the highest honors. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus — all of us think she’s a saint.”

The former mayor fondly recalled meeting Mother Teresa at Gracie Mansion, the Post reports.

Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg declined to comment, [sheesh] but Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio criticized Empire State Building owner Anthony E. Malkin.

"The fact that the Empire State Building Lighting Partners has honored others, including an oppressive Chinese regime, but refuses to do so for a compassionate humanitarian like Mother Teresa is stunning,” Lazio commented, referring to the building’s red and yellow lighting scheme which marked the 60th anniversary of the Communist revolution in China.  [I saw that.  It was really annoying.]

A statement on the Empire State Building’s website said “We are saddened by the hateful words and messages being generated both for and against lighting for Mother Teresa’s 100th birthday.”  [Awwww…. ]

The building management said emotions should be directed towards community service and those who are opposed to the decision should be “dignified and respectful in their dialogue.”

The New York City Council is offering a day of service for August 26 to honor Mother Teresa’s legacy. Mayor Mike Bloomberg and others are planning to do volunteer work.

City Council president Christine Quinn has called on New Yorkers to put blue and white battery-operated lights in their windows and the city’s borough halls are planning to show the colors, Fox News reports.

Posted in The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged , ,
39 Comments

Altar breads from Cistercian nuns, with video

Posted on 11 June 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a priest reader:

Thank you for all that you do to promote the religious life, especially the businesses that cloistered religious operate to support themselves.

I thought you might appreciate (and plug) this video on the altar breads business run by my sisters at Valley of Our Lady Monastery in Prarie du Sac, Wisconsin and spread the word that parishes can buy altar breads made by women who sing vigils at 4:00 a.m. each morning in Latin:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MlwAwdjw6c]

As the video says, the business supports the sisters, but they’re going to need some extra help to build a new monastery that will hold their rapidly growing community.  Those who are able to help can send a donation to:

Valley of Our Lady Monastery
E 11096 Yanke Drive
Prairie du Sac WI 53578-973773

Or

If a parish would like to use altar breads baked by contemplative nuns, they can, click here.

These women are the only house of O.Cist nuns in North America and you can see that they’re the real deal by the joy on their faces.  These are the type of nuns that your readers can feel very good about supporting.

Did I mention that, in addition to working and praying hard, they’ve now gone ad orientem?

Posted in Mail from priests | Tagged ,
13 Comments