The Church has received her Liturgy "from apostolic and unbroken tradition, which it is the Church's task to transmit faithfully and carefully to future generations." (RS-9)

Abuses are often "rooted in a false understanding of liberty" (RS-7)

Abuses "contribute to the obscuring of the Catholic faith and doctrine" (RS6)

Catholics have a right to the faithful celebration of Holy Mass (RS 12)

"The power of liturgical celebrations does not consist in frequently altering the rites" (RS-39)

Bishops must correct liturgical abuses (RS-24)

Authentic Participation Of The Laity

Pious practices like the Rosary help nourish the "interior understanding of liturgical participation" (RS-41)

Holy Mass is not a "concelebration" of the priests with the people (RS-42)

There is to be no "clericalization" of the laity (RS-45)

The "noble custom" of boys as altar servers "after the manner of acolytes" is to be encouraged (RS-47)

The Matter Of The Holy Eucharist

Bread used for Mass must be made solely of wheat; "it is a grave abuse to introduce other substances such as fruit or sugar or honey (RS-48)

Wine used for Mass must be grape wine only; "during the celebration itself, a small quantity of water is to be mixed with it"...other drinks "do not constitute valid matter" (RS-50)

The Eucharistic Prayer

"It is not to be tolerated that Priests take upon themselves the right ot compose their own Eucharistic Prayers" nor to change approved texts or introduce new ones. (RS-51)

"The Eucharistic Prayer is to be recited by the Priest alone in full" - It is an abuse to offer the Eucharistic Prayer with some parts recited by a deacon, lay minister, or others (RS-52)

While the priest proclaims the Eucharistic Prayer "there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent" (RS-53)

It is an abuse "contrary to the tradition of the Church" for the priest to break the host at the time of the consecration "and is to be corrected with haste" (RS-55)

The name of the pope and the diocesan bishop may not be omitted from the Eucharistic Prayer (RS-56)

Other Parts Of The Mass

It is forbidden to change the words of the Mass (RS-59)

The recent innovation of adding "tropes" to the Agnus Dei, such as "Jesus, Lord of All" and other titles to replace the thrice-repeated "Lamb of God" are to be eliminated (RS 59)

It is illicit "to omit or to substitute the prescribed biblical readings on one's own initiative" or to replace them with non-biblical texts (RS-62)

The homily must be given only by ordained clergy, "never by a layperson" including seminarians, students and so-called "pastoral assistants" (RS-64, 65)

"No Creed or Profession of Faith is to be introduced which is not found in duly approved liturgical books" (RS-69)

"Breaking of the Eucharistic Bread [is] done only by the Priest celebrant, if necessary with the help of a Deacon or of a concelebrant...The abuse that has prevailed in some places, with laypersons also helping in contradiction to the norms, should be corrected with all haste" (RS-73)

"The celebration of Holy Mass is not to be inserted in any way into the setting of a common meal, nor joined with this kind or banquet" (RS77)

"It is strictly to be considered an abuse to introduce into the celebration of Holy Mass elements that are contrary to the prescriptions of the liturgical books and taken from the rites of other religions" (RS-79)

Holy Communion

"The Penitential Act placed at the beginning of Mass...lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance and cannot by regarded as a substitute for the Sacrament of Penance" (RS-80)

The faithful should be "led insistently" to form a habit of confession outside of Mass (RS-86)

"The First Communion of children must always be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution" (RS-87)

It is the Priest's responsibility to minister Communion, perhaps assisted by other Priests or Deacons...Only when there is a true necessity may extraordinary ministers assist the Priest celebrant in the distribution of Holy Communion (RS-88)

"Any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ's faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling" (RS-91)

"Each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice...[but] if there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful" (RS-92

"The Communion-plate [paten] for the Communion of the faithful should be retained so as to avoid the danger of the sacred host or some fragment of it falling" (RS-93)

The faithful may not "serve themselves", and the abuse of spouses at a nuptial Mass giving one another Communion is to end. (RS-94)

Communion Under Both Species

The chalice should not be administered to the congregation "where there is such a large number of communicants that it is difficult to gauge the amount of wine for the Eucharist", and too much Precious Blood would remain at the end of the celebration, or "where a notable part of the people" chooses not to approach the chalice (RS-102)

"If one chalice is not sufficient there is no reason why the Priest celebrant should not use several chalices... It is praiseworthy, by reason of the sign value, to use a main chalice together with smaller chalices" (RS-105)

"Pouring of the Blood of Christ after the consecration from one vessel to another is completely to be avoided" and pitchers, flagons, decanters or other such vessels for the Precious Blood are "never to be used" (RS-106)

Vessels, Vestments, Etc.

Only "truly noble" materials may be used for the sacred vessels, "so that honor will be given to the Lord by their use, and all risk of diminishing the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in the eyes of the faithful will be avoided. Reprobated, therefore [are] common vessels...as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily" (RS-117)

It is forbidden for sacred ministers to celebrate Holy Mass or other rites "without sacred vestments or with only a stole" over their ordinary clothes or religious habit (RS 126)

Priests are to "take part as concelebrants" at Masses they attend because, "It is fitting, except in rare and exceptional cases...for them to participate at Mass, as regards to externals, in the manner of the lay faithful" (RS-128)

Eucharistic Worship Outside Mass

Noone may carry the Eucharist home; and "removing or retaining the consecrated species for a sacriligious purpose" or throwing them away are such grave abuses that only the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith may grant absolution from them (RS-133)

When administering Communion to the sick, the Blessed Sacrament may not be carried to a profane place and the proper ritual must be used (RS-133)

Pastors are to foster Eucharistic worship, especially of the Blessed Sacrament exposed (RS-134)

The faithful are to be given access for prayer in churches where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved (RS-135)

The exposed Blessed Sacrament is not to be left unattended (RS-138)

Bishops should recognize and support the activities of Perpetual Adoration associations (RS-141)

Extaordinary Ministers

Recourse to the assistance of extraordinary ministers in the celebration of the Liturgy is not intended for "fuller participation of the laity" but should only be out of true necessity (RS-151)

It is never licit for laypersons to assume the role or the vesture of a Priest or a Deacon or other clothing similar to such vesture" (RS-153)

The name "minister of the Eucharist" belongs only to the Priest who confects the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and to the ordained (RS-154)

Formally instituted acolytes are "extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion"; and certain lay people who may perform this function are referred to by the same title - not as "special minister", nor "extaordinary minister of the Eucharist', nor "special mimister of the Eucharist" (Rs-155, 156)

Lay "extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion" should not be appointed if there are enough ordained mimisters for the distribution of Holy Communion; and even if appointed, should not serve in this capacity if there are ordinary ministers present (RS-157)

Priests present at the celebration may not "abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons" (RS-157)

The "extraordinary minister of Holy Communion" may distribute Communion only when there is no priest or deacon, or when the priest is incapacitated for a good reason, or when the number of communicants is "so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged", but a brief prolongation is not a "sufficient reason" (RS-158)

Conclusion

All Catholics are responsible for correcting abuses in the Liturgy by reporting it to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See (RS-184)

Every bishop, priest and deacon should ask himself "whether he has respected the rights of the lay members of Christ's faithful" and "should always remember that he is a servant of the Sacred Liturgy" (RS-186)

"This Instruction, prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by mandate of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II in collaboration with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was approved by the same Pontiff on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, March 19, 2004, and he ordered it to be published and to be observed immediately by all concerned."

Every Catholic's Duty Regarding Liturgical Abuse

"In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will bee protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses by thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favoritism.

Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ's faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. 290 It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity." (RS-183, 184)

"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity"

St. Augustine

Reprinted from the Catholic Resource Center
P.O. Box 720 West Covina, California 91793
Telephone - 877-526-2151
Website - CatholicRC.org

Direct link to Redemptoris Sacramentum, the Vatican Documnet upon which this article was based