What The Floopy?!

[Spem in alium]

I just got back from Mass, where I sang in the choir. It was quite a nice service...except for Communion time.

First, my choir director (who is lovely and non-Catholic) encouraged everyone to receive Communion regardless of their faith. We have a few non-Catholics in the choir. At Communion time, some of them ended up receiving, including my choir director. They looked very awkward and confused.

Then after Mass as I was walking home, I heard some of the non-Catholic girls from choir talking about how "weird" it was to receive Communion, among other things. Basically, from what they were saying it sounded like they were ridiculing the Mass.

It's nice to share in the Mass with non-Catholics...but I was a bit stunned by this. Surely they shouldn't receive the Body and Blood of Christ if they don't believe it to be such! It seemed wrong to me, it just confuses them and seems like a desecration of the Eucharist. I wasn't sure if there was something I should do. Though really, the fact that it happened at this college doesn't really surprise me. As much as I love it here, their observance of Catholic teaching is at times very questionable...

Any thoughts/similar experiences? If this sort of thing happens again, am I obliged to say something?

Edited November 18, 2012 by Spem in alium

[Maximilianus]

That's not cool, you need to tell someone before it happens again.

[Selah]

Tell a Bishop. That's not okay.

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='Maximilianus' timestamp='1353201121' post='2512044']
That's not cool, you need to tell someone before it happens again.
[/quote]

[quote name='Selah' timestamp='1353201236' post='2512045']
Tell a Bishop. That's not okay.
[/quote]

I will try. Conceivably the only real way I could tell him would be in writing. What would be the best thing to say?
The religious communities of monks and sisters here seem very liberal, so it's difficult to tell if they'd take this seriously. It's a shame, because even though I'm not an exceptionally great source of knowledge on Canon law or on the Catechism, I can tell that certain things done here just aren't okay. Really makes me miss my home church.

[Nihil Obstat]

Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope.
Did the priest not say something? I think the obligation is his, rather than yours. That was incredibly irresponsible of your choir director. She absolutely needs to be made aware of that. Though again, not necessarily by you.

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1353202002' post='2512051']
Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope.
Did the priest not say something? I think the obligation is his, rather than yours. That was incredibly irresponsible of your choir director. She absolutely needs to be made aware of that. Though again, not necessarily by you.
[/quote]

He didn't. I don't think he really knew, to be honest. The Eucharist was distributed to me and the other choristers by the Prioress of the monastery here. She probably wasn't informed either.
I agree. She said that she is Lutheran, and didn't really participate in much of the Mass...but she did receive the Eucharist. When she said it, I was seriously taken aback. What was even more shocking was that her statement was affirmed by one of the Benedictine sisters here. But as I said, they're very progressive and pretty liberal, and so I doubt it really concerns them. Which it should.

[Lil Red]

Talk to the priest first and make sure he is aware of the situation. If your choir director took liberties, that's on her, and that's on the priest to deal with. Only after approaching the priest and seeing if you can get it resolved there, should you approach the bishop.

edit: you posted right before i did. I'd definitely talk to the priest first, let him know what happened. If he blows you off or something like that, you can write a formal letter to the bishop, stating the time and date of the Mass, explain the situation, and ask to be followed up with via email or phone.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Lil Red

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Spem in alium' timestamp='1353202276' post='2512054']
He didn't. I don't think he really knew, to be honest. The Eucharist was distributed to me and the other choristers by the Prioress of the monastery here. She probably wasn't informed either.
I agree. She said that she is Lutheran, and didn't really participate in much of the Mass...but she did receive the Eucharist. When she said it, I was seriously taken aback. What was even more shocking was that her statement was affirmed by one of the Benedictine sisters here. But as I said, they're very progressive and pretty liberal, and so I doubt it really concerns them. Which it should.
[/quote]

Ahh, ok. I kind of had the impression that the choir director made some kind of announcement during Mass, which would be awful.
It is still very bad, but not quite on that level.

Yeah, somebody needs to be informed before the next time. Or several someones. Most diocese have a kind of standard announcement that can be made before Mass that gently informs visitors about the Catholic practice of closed Communion.
Hopefully someone, ideally the priest, will sit down with the choir director who will then inform the rest of the choir before the next time.

[Lil Red]

and from being in a similar situation, the bishop will most likely send a letter to your priest with a copy of your letter attached, so expect to hear from the priest again about it, unless you ask to remain anonymous.

[MissScripture]

I will pm you about my experiences with writing to the Bishop.

[Spem in alium]

Thanks, all. I probably should have made it clearer - there is no one priest assigned to the chapel where I go for Mass. Each week there seems to be a different one. I'd never before seen the priest who celebrated today.

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1353202331' post='2512055']
Talk to the priest first and make sure he is aware of the situation. If your choir director took liberties, that's on her, and that's on the priest to deal with. Only after approaching the priest and seeing if you can get it resolved there, should you approach the bishop.

edit: you posted right before i did. I'd definitely talk to the priest first, let him know what happened. If he blows you off or something like that, you can write a formal letter to the bishop, stating the time and date of the Mass, explain the situation, and ask to be followed up with via email or phone.
[/quote]

I have the name of the priest (it was in the Mass booklet) so I could see if his email address or mailbox is around.

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1353202734' post='2512063']
Ahh, ok. I kind of had the impression that the choir director made some kind of announcement during Mass, which would be awful.
It is still very bad, but not quite on that level.

Yeah, somebody needs to be informed before the next time. Or several someones. Most diocese have a kind of standard announcement that can be made before Mass that gently informs visitors about the Catholic practice of closed Communion.
Hopefully someone, ideally the priest, will sit down with the choir director who will then inform the rest of the choir before the next time.
[/quote]

Sorry for mixing you up. I don't believe we are singing at any other Masses this year, but the particular Mass we sang at today is an annual event.

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1353203005' post='2512066']
and from being in a similar situation, the bishop will most likely send a letter to your priest with a copy of your letter attached, so expect to hear from the priest again about it, unless you ask to remain anonymous.
[/quote]

If I manage to write, I will ask to remain anonymous. I don't want to cause trouble, I just want to make sure Jesus is respected. I felt today that he wasn't.

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1353203948' post='2512076']
I will pm you about my experiences with writing to the Bishop.
[/quote]

Thank you

[An Historian]

The bishop may not be your second port of call (the local pastor is always first).

Non-Catholics are not to be admitted to the Sacrament of Holy Communion. To do so is a grievous offense to God and His Church. You were right to be alarmed by the situation.

The local pastor should be consulted first. I would personally recommend you commit your words to paper and keep a copy of it. Be respectful and charitable. Simply state your concern (and the relevant sources of the Church's teaching on communicationg non-Catholics; I sadly cannot provide any links, I'm on my mobile phone) and wait for a response. If the response is positive then leave it at that (for example if the pastor was unaware of the situation). If he responds negatively to you then your next course of action is a bit more complicated.

I am assuming you're American (I myself am not). I believe that in the U.S the majority of the Catholic colleges and universities are not administered by diocesan clergy but rather by Religious (which I believe relates to yourself in light of your comment of the local Religious). If your pastor is a Religious then you contact his superior rather than the bishop. Forward a copy of your original letter-and the pastor's response-to the superior and leave it in his hands. If there is no improvement in the situation then... Well there my knowledge run's out! I believe you may then go on to contact the superior's superior and so forth. If necessary you go to the Vatican. But not through your bishop if the college is not diocesan. Of course it does not hurt to contact your bishop for advice, etc. But he won't be the canonical authority you need.

Try and get everything on record. It helps. And again at all times be respectful and charitable.

And pray. Pray, pray and then pray some more!

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='An Historian' timestamp='1353207682' post='2512116']
The bishop may not be your second port of call (the local pastor is always first).

Non-Catholics are not to be admitted to the Sacrament of Holy Communion. To do so is a grievous offense to God and His Church. You were right to be alarmed by the situation.

The local pastor should be consulted first. I would personally recommend you commit your words to paper and keep a copy of it. Be respectful and charitable. Simply state your concern (and the relevant sources of the Church's teaching on communicationg non-Catholics; I sadly cannot provide any links, I'm on my mobile phone) and wait for a response. If the response is positive then leave it at that (for example if the pastor was unaware of the situation). If he responds negatively to you then your next course of action is a bit more complicated.

I am assuming you're American (I myself am not). I believe that in the U.S the majority of the Catholic colleges and universities are not administered by diocesan clergy but rather by Religious (which I believe relates to yourself in light of your comment of the local Religious). If your pastor is a Religious then you contact his superior rather than the bishop. Forward a copy of your original letter-and the pastor's response-to the superior and leave it in his hands. If there is no improvement in the situation then... Well there my knowledge run's out! I believe you may then go on to contact the superior's superior and so forth. If necessary you go to the Vatican. But not through your bishop if the college is not diocesan. Of course it does not hurt to contact your bishop for advice, etc. But he won't be the canonical authority you need.

Try and get everything on record. It helps. And again at all times be respectful and charitable.

And pray. Pray, pray and then pray some more!
[/quote]

Thank you. Actually, I'm Australian and in the US on exchange - I have one month left of a four-month program The pastors here are all from the monastery, so it probably would make sense to go to their Abbot. I suppose I could also contact the Prioress here, because she was present at the Mass and distributing Communion.

[Ed Normile]

You could have kindly but matter of factly told the choir director at the time she encouraged this that that was not allowed as we do not share communion with non catholics. If she still insisted I think it would have been prudent to tell the priest before it could occur.

ed

[Spem in alium]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1353209049' post='2512143']
You could have kindly but matter of factly told the choir director at the time she encouraged this that that was not allowed as we do not share communion with non catholics. If she still insisted I think it would have been prudent to tell the priest before it could occur.

ed
[/quote]

You are right, in hindsight that would have been the best moment. I do recall myself being stunned at her encouragement (particularly after she said she was Lutheran). When the Sister acknowledged what she was saying I guess I thought "She knows better" and so didn't let it affect me as much. And it's probably silly, but I'm a very quiet person and can be very scared at the thought of confronting people or of asserting superiority. This probably affected my treatment of the issue, and it's something I'm trying to deal with.