Abuses? QUESTION from John on August 3, 2002 How Does a priest who is deaf say mass? How does a priest with no hands say mass?
If liturgical dancing of any kind is not permitted why was it going on at the canonization of St Juan Diego?
I'm sure you were watching the coverage of World Youth Day and Diego's Canonization. Why were they using unnecessary extrodinary lay and religious Eucharistic Miniters if there where hundreds of priests present? God Bless you.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on August 14, 2002 Dear John:
A deaf priest could, as far as I know, still celebrate Mass, since in all liklihood he would be able to speak out loud the parts of the Mass that are to be spoken by the priest outloud.
A priest with no hands I suppose could celebrate mass it he had some artificial device that functions like hands to allow him to handle the sacred vessels.
Such things would be up to the local bishop.
As for your other question, I did not watch the coverage on World Youth Day nor the canonization of Juan Diego.
As for liturgical dancing, this activity is prohibited in the Latin Rite unless there is a indult. An indult is possible with local indiginous people where dancing has been historically and culturally a SACRED activity.
However, in 100% of the alledged cases that I know of where people think liturgical dancing occured at some papal mass, there was no such thing. Dancing can occur at anytime OUTSIDE of Mass. It's prohibition is ONLY within the Mass. Most people are confused as to when the Mass actually begins when they see these large gathering masses on TV.
As for Extraordinary Ministers being used at World Youth day, I would have to say sir, that neither you or I are qualified or competent to know whether they were needed or not. You were not there and neither was I.
Extraordinary Ministers are allowed by canon law. If they were used then I presume they were needed.
We need to remember a very important Church teaching that is repeated in the Catechism:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.
We need to presume the positive and not the negative, ESPECIALLY when we see something on TV and are not actually there. Rash Judgement is always to be avoided.
Back to Index Page