Q: May a Priest change any of the words of the Nicene Creed?
A: No. No one, not even the Bishop has the authority to change any word in the Nicene Creed. This Creed was finalized in the year 325, with literally blood spilled and lives taken in hate and jealousy; and lives given in martyrdom over the wording of this Creed of our Faith. It is a definition of Christianity, not a statement of popular politics. No one, not even the Priest, may drop the word "man" from the Nicene Creed. To do so is intellectually dishonest and is in violation of Sacrosanctum Concilium 22, of VII.
Q: Is it required that a crucifix be displayed in the sanctuary of a Catholic Church?
A: It is required that a cross be clearly visible in the sanctuary; the General Instruction of the Roman Missal lists this requirement. Either a cross with the body of the Risen Christ or the traditional crucifix depicting the Suffering Christ is correct. The current cultural departure from the sense of the error of sin would dictate that the crucifix be used as it is a symbol of the redemption of man from his sin, part of the mission of our Lord.
Q: Is it required to have a lighted candle in the sanctuary?
A: Yes. Canon 940 states that "A special lamp to indicate and honor the presence of Christ is to burn at all times before the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved." Further, this lamp must be a living flame of a candle or oil lamp and must be visible from the nave of the church.
Q: Is it acceptable for the people to join hands during the recitation of the "Our Father"?
A: No, this is not acceptable and is discouraged because it signals concelebration of the Mass with the Priest which may only be done by another Priest. There is enough confusion without sending incorrect signals to the faithful. Further, no liturgical lesson is delivered by this practice. Incidentally, it is also not acceptable for the faithful to hold up their hands during the Lord's prayer as this, too, signals concelebration of the Mass which, of course, requires ordination into the Catholic Priesthood.
Q: May the Priest change the words of the prayers during the Reception of Communion?
A:
No. The Priest may not change these words. The rubrics are clear on this issue: Q: May the Priest or the Lector
change any of the words of Holy Scripture while reading? A: No. The Priest or Lector my not
change the words of the Bible or the Lectionary: neither of them has the authority to
revise either of these documents. Neither may anyone insert gender-revisionist words or
phrases to eliminate male references when reading during the Mass. Q: May someone other than a
bishop, priest, or deacon give the homily at Mass? A: No. No one but the Priest, Bishop or
Deacon may give the homily. Q: May someone give a talk
during Mass in place of the homily on Sunday or a holy day? A: No. The homily is required on
Sunday's and holy days of obligation. Q: May anyone use a
non-approved translation for any readings during Mass? A: No. Only approved translations may
be used for reasons which must be obvious to anyone. Q: May the people say parts of
the Eucharistic prayer that are reserved for the Priest, such as the Per Ipsum? A: No. The Per Ispum -- Through Him,
with Him, in Him... -- is reserved for the Priest. Read your missal to see this for
yourself. Q: May the Priest alter the
words of Consecration? A: Of course not. To do so is a gross
violation of his very calling. Q: May unusual breads be used
for communion in the Latin Rite? A: No. The only bread that may be used
for communion is that made of wheat flour and water. To do otherwise is an abuse of the
liturgy and a revelation of one's ignorance of the history of Christianity. Q: May the Priest leave the
sanctuary during the Sign of Peace to shake hands with people up and down the aisles? A: No. Any competent Priest knows very
well that he is to stay in the sanctuary. The Mass is not the arena for a popularity
contest -- The Mass is the central ritual of our Faith. No Priest should use the Mass for
personal gratification such as the hugs and kisses of the faithful; this he can do at any
other time of the day. Q: May the Precious Blood be
poured down a sink or sacrarium? A: Absolutely not. This must be
consumed by the Priest. Any sane Priest is well aware of this. To do otherwise is to deny
the REAL PRESENCE. If you see this happening in your church, ask the Priest if he believes
in the REAL PRESENCE (He is supposed to say "yes"). Q: May people stand around the
altar and hold hands during the Consecration? A: This is an outrageous liturgical
abuse and should be reported to the Bishop immediately. This may not be done. Q: May people imitate the
gestures of the Priest during the Mass? A: No, no one may imitate the actions
of the Priest. There is no sense in this practice and signals a concelebration of the Mass
which they may not do. Q: During the ritual of the
Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday, may women have their feet washed? A: Jesus washed the feet of the
Apostles. To re-enact this with women is intellectually dishonest. The practice is
prohibited.
Facing the altar, the priest says inaudibly:
The Priest may not change the words to: May the Body/Blood of
Christ bring us to everlasting life.
" May the Body of Christ bring me to everlasting life. "
He reverently consumes the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says inaudibly
" May the Blood of Christ bring me to everlasting life. "
He reverently drinks the Blood of Christ.
To do so is illogical and does not make sense. Read the missal yourself to grasp the
meaning.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1,3,22,3: "Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority."
For an authoritative source, read this book! Mass Confusion.
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