Deaf to Scandal
Dear Catholic Exchange:
I would like to thank Fr. “Chrysostom” on his fine article “Institution Men.” He not only got to the crux of the current sexual scandal among the priests in the Church but had the courage to put it in writing.
At a time when it is becoming more difficult to live as Christians, I listen to hear the voice of the NCCB (United States National Council of Catholic Bishops). Most often their silence has been deafening. I would agree that they have for the most part become more concerned about the structure of the system than in being shepherds.
I have always believed that the Church is the strongest when She is at her weakest. The living Body of Christ is constantly undergoing renewal from age to age. Each of us — as a member of that living Body — needs to politely let our Bishop know how we feel about this. I believe that God spoke to us on this when He said: “To those who have been given much, much will be required.”
Al
Editor's Note: To contact Catholic Exchange, please refer to our Contact Us page.
Please note that all email submitted to Catholic Exchange or its authors (regarding articles published at CE) become the property of Catholic Exchange and may be published in this space. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity. Names and cities of letter writers may also be published. Email addresses of viewers will not normally be published.
Kneeling and the Liturgy
Dear Catholic Exchange:
Referring to your reply to kneeling at the consecration [Viewer Letters, March 14]. Your answer is incorrect. The law of the universal Church is to kneel at the Consecration. The law in the United States is to kneel during the entire Eucharistic prayer. The local bishop has no authority to alter this law, nor does any priest. The bottom line is obedience or disobedience to Jesus Christ and His Vicar, the Holy Father.
Please correct your reply.
God bless your work,
John Dunlap
Twain Harte CA.
Dear John:
It's important for us Latins to remember that the General Instruction on the Roman Missal is not the playbook for every rite in the Church. You are right that kneeling at the consecration is the universal law of the Latin Rite. It is not the universal law “in the Church”.
Most of the Eastern Catholic (non-Latin) Churches stand for the consecration. Exceptions are the Maronites, Ukrainians and Chaldeans. There are still some Ruthenian Churches that will kneel at the consecration, but that is a Latinism that is slowly going away. The Eastern Catholic Churches follow the dictate of the ancient Church which prohibits kneeling on Sunday (Council of Nicea, Ancient Epitome of Canon XX, “On Lord's days and at Pentecost all must pray standing and not kneeling”).
You are citing (quite correctly) the directives from the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) which applies only to the Latin Church. Thus, your comment regarding “universal law” is incorrect. It is a liturgical law that applies to the Latin Catholic Church — and applies to that Church everywhere. It is true that we must be obedient to Jesus Christ. It is not true that a Byzantine Catholic who stands during the consecration in a Byzantine liturgy is being disobedient to either Jesus or the Holy Father.
On the contrary, in that expression of Catholic faith, he is being perfectly faithful. Hence my statement “If your bishop tells you it's okay to stand during the consecration (many places in the world, this is the custom) then you can. If he says you must, then you must.” If you are a Byzantine Catholic, you should stand at the consecration during the Byzantine rite.
Blessings!
Mark Shea
Senior Content Editor
Catholic Exchange
Unethical Vaccines
Dear Catholic Exchange:
I was one of the first to urge you to print the information on vaccines derived from aborted fetal tissue after you ran a story on the benefits of childhood vaccines. I thank you so much for your devotion to this pro-life issue. [“Fighting the Good Fight: The War Against Unethical Vaccines.”]
Last year my youngest daughter was in the hospital for a still undiagnosed condition. The first question everyone asked us was “Is she up to date on all of her shots?”
I tried to explain why she did not have some of her shots and was told by every doctor and nurse that either it simply was not true, or that they had never heard of it.
I hope and pray that some day, a parent will never have to go through what I did: defending their faith and morals when all they should have to be worried about is getting their child well.
Thank You & God Bless You for your work!
Susan Hoerauf
Dear Susan,
Thank you for writing in again. Catholic Exchange understands that there are many fronts in the Pro-Life war and that the dissemination of truth about the culture of death in all its evil manifestations is the most effective strategy we can pursue. That and teaching the faith is why we exist.
Please direct your friends to our resource so that more and more Catholics can become educated in these truths. We will keep your daughter in our prayers.
In Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
Catholic Exchange
