AN A&Q SESSION WITH THE CHURCH OF NICE

"A reprehensible attitude is shown by those priests who, though present at the celebration, refrain from distributing Communion, and leave this task to the laity." (Para 10, Inaestimable Donum).

"Much more reprehensible that a bishop should do so", adds the indefatigable Leo Leitch.

Leo draws our attention to Inaestimable Donum ('Priceless Gift'), another Instruction, approved by St Pope John Paul in 1980, which confirms and updates Redemptionis Sacramentum, quoted  in a comment on FR BRIAN BUENGER ON BLESSING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNION QUEUE.

Leo had noticed the Bishop of Rarotonga bestowing blessings instead of the Sacrament, which was administered by a layperson.

Just to emphasise the point, I'll repeat it: It is the Priest celebrant's responsibility to minister Communion, perhaps assisted by other Priests and Deacons …

• Only when there is a necessity may extraordinary ministers assist the Priest celebrant in accordance with the norm of law.

So why do we witness an 'eruption' (to quote Dr Peter Kwasniewski) from every Sunday assembly during the 'Lamb of God' of assorted lay people, mostly women, who often stand behind the altar as if concelebrating?

• (2).The distribution of Holy Communion (88).The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons.(157).
• Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.(259)

While we have no trouble fulfilling the first two requirements for extraordinary ministers, alas, never the third.

Inaestimabile Donum has quite a few other requirements which are generally ignored in NZ's Church of Nice:

• The granting of permission for Communion under both kinds is not to be indiscriminate, and the celebrations are to be specified precisely; the groups that use this faculty are to be clearly defined, well disciplined, and homogenous. (23).

So why do we have Communion under both kinds, holus-bolus, open slather? 

• Women are not permitted to act as altar servers (27).

So why are girls???

• Nor are the sacred vessels to be of poor quality or lacking any artistic style. (16)

Priests at Palmerston North's cathedral use an ordinary wooden bowl. And they're not the only ones.

• Before the blessing with the Sacrament (at Eucharistic Adoration), an appropriate time should be devoted to the reading of the Word of God, to songs and prayers. (32)

Where only one person attends Adoration (it happens!) that might seem a little OTT.  

• The venerable practice of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament … is to be maintained. … The genuflection must be neither hurried or careless. (26)

But what if you're chatting to someone at the time? That would mean interrupting your conversation. 

• Most of the difficulties in putting into practice the reform of the Mass stem from the fact that neither priests nor faithful have perhaps been sufficiently aware of the theological and spiritual reasons for which the changes have been made.

You can say that again. 

• Priests must acquire an ever deeper understanding of the authentic way of looking at the Church … adequate biblical training … knowledge of the history of the Liturgy. (38).

Does this perhaps mean something more than Joy Cowley at priests' retreats?

• It is of the essence of the Church that she be both human and divine … eager to act and yet devoted to contemplation.* (39)
• 
  It is a very serious thing when division is introduced … by the refusing of obedience to the norms laid down … The bishops … will not fail to discover the most suitable means for ensuring a careful and firm application of these norms, for the glory of God and the good of the Church.

*How can the Church be "devoted to contemplation" when it's not taught in seminaries and consequently isn't known or taught by priests?

A good start to contemplation (mental prayer, silent prayer), I found, was the advice of St John Chrysostom (John of the 'Golden Mouth'): repeat constantly, and specially during a set daily time for 20 to 30 minutes sitting quietly (10 minutes before the Blessed Sacrament I'm told, equals an hour elsewhere), the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner). St John Chrysostom tells us that:

"By this remembrance (the Jesus Prayer) a soul forcing itself to this practice can discover everything which is within, both good and bad.

First it will see within, in the heart, what is bad - and later, what is good. 

This remembrance is for rousing the serpent, and this remembrance is for subduing it. 

This remembrance can reveal the sin living in us, and this remembrance can destroy it. 

This remembrance can arouse  all the enemy hosts in the heart, and little by little this remembrance can conquer and uproot them.

The name of the Lord Jesus Christ, descending into the depths of the heart, will subdue the serpent holding sway over the pastures of the heart, and will save our soul and bring it to life. 

Thus abide constantly with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that the heart swallows the Lord and the Lord the heart, and the two become one."