David Ancell / Saturday September 06, 2003
In light of the recent papal encyclical, it is well known that there are disciplinary documents that will be coming out soon. Cardinal Arinze has been quoted as saying “the do-it-yourself Mass has ended. Go in peace.” I’ve heard cheering in other corners that suggested that they felt that the long reign of liturgical abuse has ended.
Forgive my attitude, but I am not so optimistic. In fact, I question whether new documents should be issued. The reason for this is that most, if not all the practices likely to be covered were already forbidden. Documents have been issues in the past, but no one has ever enforced them. I really doubt that many of our American bishops will.
Here’s an example: take a look at this instruction concerning the collaberation of laity in the ministry of the ordained. It mentions as a practice to be “avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular churches” the following:
the habitual use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of “a great number of the faithful”.
Well, does your parish have a schedule of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. I do not know of a parish in the city of Memphis that I have been to that does not. In fact, it seems that a need for lay people to distribute Communion at Mass has been artificially created by having all the faithful receive Communion under both kinds.
What happened to this document? From what I heard, a commission was formed to “study” it. The same thing was done with Ex Corde Ecclesiae, and the result was that it was watered down to the point where is was utterly ineffective. So, until I see these directives actually getting enforced, I don’t see myself becoming hopeful when I hear of a new directive coming.
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