To promote unity and reverence for the Eucharist in the Archdiocese of Louisville — and to dispel confusion related to sitting, kneeling and standing during Mass — Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre has issued a new document, “Norms for Posture and the Communion Rite.”
The norms will go into effect on June 22, the feast of Corpus Christi.
“Throughout our liturgies are moments when we collectively engage in specific actions that emphasize our communal worship,” said Archbishop Fabre, commenting on the new norms. “The Mass is imbued with deep significance, where each gesture and action conveys profound meaning.
“We are encouraged to remember that the Sacred Liturgy is fundamentally an act of the whole People of God united as one. The gestures of the Christian faithful serve as a tangible representation of our shared faith,” he said.
The letter to the faithful notes that in the Archdiocese of Louisville, “the previously recommended practice was to stand throughout the entire distribution of Holy Communion.”
“While commendable, this is not the norm in most places throughout the United States and has led to some confusion and disunity,” it says.
Under the new norms, the congregation will kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) and remain kneeling until their turn to join the Communion procession. Returning to their seats, congregants will kneel again for a period of personal prayer. Those who are unable to kneel may sit.
For reception of Communion, the norm is to be standing and to bow the head before receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The letter explains that communicants shouldn’t be denied Communion if they kneel, but catechesis should instruct that standing is the “normative posture.” Those who serve in the sanctuary should model the norm, it says.
Communicants may continue to choose whether they receive the consecrated Host on the tongue or in the hand.
After the “remaining hosts are returned to the tabernacle in the sanctuary or are taken out of the sanctuary,” the congregation should sit.
The “Norms for Posture and the Communion Rite” provides an in-depth explanation of the postures and offers a reminder about other practices, such as taking Communion to the sick and the reservation of the Eucharist in the tabernacle.
Article adapted from The Record
