Fr. Z's Blog

From a reader:

Our last pastor decided we should all stand up before the Great Amen (going so far as to pause the Mass until all were standing -and some peoples refusal to stand became a horrible distraction and battle of wills between us and him …so we all eventually stood). People remained standing until everyone had received Communion. When he retired the new pastor (thankfully) instructed everyone to remain kneeling until after the Great Amen. But has retained the practice of standing until everyone returns from Communion. Everyone sits down when he sits down, even though the Blessed Sacrament has not yet been returned to the tabernacle. What is the purpose of standing after Communion? If there is some wonderful significance to it, it is lost on the congregation

It seems to me that kneeling is appropriate, not only to receive Holy Communion, but also to pray after having returned to one’s place in the pews.

In any event, we can look to the GIRM for some instruction on this question:

43. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated below.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.

Is it possible that, since the GIRM says “unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise”,  the local bishop has thought to interpret the time after the Agnus Dei to include the time after reception of Holy Communion and that therefore he is imposing his will on people to require them to stand through the completed distribution of Communion?

Nahhhh…. that can’t be right.  That would be just plain weird.

I cannot see the point in trying to force people to stand until every one has received Communion.   What’s that all about?  Can’t there be a little flexibility at this point… as there has always been?

Some people cannot receive and need to remain in place, perhaps to kneel and pray and make a spiritual communion, maybe or to reflect with sorrow on their black, soul-threatening unconfessed sins.

Perhaps you could drop a respectful note to the pastor and/or local bishop asking why people are being forced to stand until everyone has received Holy Communion.

ASK FATHER and the readers here would like to know what response you get.

From a reader:

It was announced during our school Mass today, by the associate here at the parish where I teach, that henceforth, whatever class has “planned” the school Mass each week will be invited to gather around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer and will remain until they have given the Sign of Peace to Father.

This is sloppy sentimentality.  This crude attempt at being “meaningful” demeans both the Mass and everyone involved.

I don’t believe there is an explicit prohibition in any document against this.  However, there are documents which describe who should be where.

For example, in GIRM 295 we read.

The sanctuary is the place where the altar stands, where the word of God is proclaimed, and where the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers exercise their offices. It should suitably be marked off from the body of the church either by its being somewhat elevated or by a particular structure and ornamentation.

Lay people are not to be in the sanctuary unless they have a ministerial role.  “Standing there” is not a role.

Furthermore, in the USA people are to kneel – not stand – from the Sanctus until after the Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Also, back in 1981 the Congregation for Divine Worships official publication Notitiae (No. 17 (1981) p. 61) responded to a question about this matter.

Query: At the presentation of gifts at a Mass with congregation, persons (lay or religious) bring to the altar the bread and wine which are to be consecrated. These gifts are received by the priest celebrant. All those participating in the Mass accompany this group procession in which the gifts are brought forward. They then stand around the altar until communion time. Is this procedure in conformity with the spirit of the law and of the Roman Missal?

Reply: Assuredly, the Eucharistic celebration is the act of the entire community, carried out by all the members of the liturgical assembly. Nevertheless, everyone must have and also must observe his or her own place and proper role: ‘In liturgical celebrations each one, minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy’ (SC 28). During the liturgy of the Eucharist, only the presiding celebrant remains at the altar. The assembly of the faithful take their place in the Church outside the ‘presbyterium,’ which is reserved for the celebrant or concelebrants and altar ministers.

While this does not say explicitly that that people with no ministerial role mustn’t stand around the altar, it is pretty clear that that is the meaning of the response.

Furthermore, at no point is there an indication in the rite for the priest or anyone else to invite people to come into the sanctuary and stand (against the Church’s clear direction during the Eucharistic prayer) near the altar.

Moreover, the Ceremonial of Bishops 50 states,

“A minister who is not wearing a vestment, a cassock or surplice, or other lawfully approved garb may not enter the sanctuary during a celebration.”

The priest who has this in mind should be dissuaded from starting this, perhaps over a couple mugs of rich and aromatic Mystic Monk Coffee.  If he will not be dissuaded, then he should be compelled, either his superior if he is a religious and/or by the local diocesan bishop, whose task it is make sure that the Church’s liturgical directives are followed.   One could also explain the situation to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and ask for advice.