Sunday, May 3, 2015

Pope Francis, We May NOT Kneel Before Any Person

Note: To the title statement above, there are obvious exceptions when the person receiving homage is acting in the place of Christ and the Church as defined by sacramental rite or canon law:
  • Kneeling to receive Holy Communion
  • Kneeling in the confessional as the priest acts in personae Christae
  • A religious kneeling before a superior as he/she is professing vows
  • A man kneeling before a bishop as he is being ordained
There may be others of which I'm unaware.  Otherwise, to kneel before another, particularly in church, would seem to be tantamount to idolatry.  

Over these past two years, much mention has been made of the lack of kneeling and/or genuflection displayed by Pope Francis after he pronounces the words of Consecration at Mass or engages in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.  The writer to whom I just linked speculated that there might be some physical problem that precludes kneeling.  However, as Epnomous Flower points out, he knelt as he allowed himself to be "prayed over" by charismatics.

On Tuesday April 28, speaking on the topic of poverty, the Pope said "that Christians could kneel in veneration when a poor person enters the church".  NO!  That's tantamount to idolatry.  Why on earth he uttered that b.s. is beyond me.  Did he give a nod to "liberation theology"?  Who knows?  Does it matter?  It's still wrong and I will call out the error.
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2 comments:

  1. Православный физикMay 6, 2015 at 3:33 AM

    Other than what you've mentioned (and proposing for marriage) I can't think of any reason to kneel before a person. Granted to be fair, there are situations in Scripture of kneeling before mere mortals and before angels. But I agree, kneeling before the poor is idolatry, heck, this exaltation of the poor at the expense of the Faith is idolatry as well....May this pontificate come to an early retirement...

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  2. UnknownDecember 8, 2015 at 4:14 PM

    The rubrics of the Mass call for the celebrant to genuflect at the Consecration. To not so, not only is disobedience, but, more importantly, a lack of reverence and/or belief in the Real Presence, the Body and the Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus.

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