A few thoughts on clerical obedience

Vioctor R. Claveau, MJ

I recently attended Holy Mass at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala, Florida. It was an EXTRAORDINARY experience. Why, extraordinary, you might ask? I answer, because the Novus Ordo Mass was celebrated without creativity or innovation. Every gesture and word said was in strict obedience to the liturgical norms.

It has been many, many was years since I attended the celebration of Mass where the priest celebrated in such an obedient manner. It was a glorious experience, as Mass should always be.

More often than not, priests feel at liberty to “improve” on the Holy See’s directives. As there simply isn’t enough room here to list the numerous aberrations that faithful Catholics normally have to endure with by prideful priests and bishops who exceed their authority and insist on recreating the Mass in one way or another.

The latest edition of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal specifically states in which instances a bishop has liturgical discretion within his diocese to mandate one posture over another. Most bishops exceed their authority when they mandate postures not authorized by the directives; for example: requiring the assembly to remain standing until all have received Holy Communion.

Another area in which bishops exceed their authority is forbidding a deacon to kneel during the consecration. The Ceremonial of Bishops, states that the deacon should be kneeling from the “Epiclesis to the elevation of the cup” (p.57).

Many times, the reason for compliance to an unlawful directive is the realization that the bishop has the authority to remove a priest or deacon who dares to confront him about his abuse of authority. They are willing to compromise for the sake of being able to continue their ministry. In other words, they “go along to get along.”

As part of the Ordination Rite, the newly ordained priests recite the Apostle’s Creed, thus publicly professing the faith, which they will preach to the world. The newly ordained priests also recite a Promise of Obedience. This promise of obedience is not a vow such as the vow of obedience made by the religious, but it imposes upon the priest the solemn obligation to administer his office in faithful obedience to his ecclesiastical superiors. Without obedience, the Church could not carry on her work. And after all, how fitting it is that the priest, who is “another Christ,” should distinguish himself and merit the blessing of God for his work by the practice of that virtue which may be called the characteristic virtue of our Savior Jesus Christ, who “became obedient unto death even the death on the cross”. Inherent in this Promise of Obedience is that the priest will do and teach what the Church ordained him to do and teach. If a priest willingly and knowingly celebrates Mass in a manner contrary to the specifics mandated by the Church, he is in violation of his oath before God and he commits sacrilege, i.e., mortal sin.