Off the Record Reports on Bad Habits: a Jesuit on the Deformation of the Liturgy

Maryland Province Jesuit Father Vincent Capuano has a provocative essay in the Adoremus Bulletin called "Bad Habits: Can we correct liturgical abuse in religious communities?" The topic has much broader impact than the title suggests. It's definitely worth a read.

"In religious houses," says Capuano, "it is not uncommon to find

a) healthy persons celebrating the entire Mass seated even during the parts when it is prescribed to stand or kneel

b) healthy priests celebrating or concelebrating the Mass seated

c) priests not concelebrating when they are present at Mass

d) priests not vesting with a chasuble when they are the principal celebrants (and there are chasubles available)

e) priests not vesting with an alb and stole when they are concelebrants

f) priests making intentional changes in the prescribed prayersg) priests changing the Scripture reading for some other type of reading

h) the practice of "shared" homilies, where any member of the assembly is permitted to comment on the scripture (or often anything else that crosses his mind)

i) prolonged liturgies of the Word in the form of "Faith sharing"j) the use of a non-consecrated space when there is a consecrated chapel or church available (and even the barbaric practice of coffee table liturgies)

k) the use of glass or pottery chalice and patent

l) the use of strange bread-like substances m) the use of grape juice in place of wine." [Entire Post]

I wonder why this is happening and why something isn't being done about it. Any ideas?