Bishop Braxton OK's Lay -Led "Celebrations"
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CNA) – In response to a growing priest shortage in his diocese, Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton has announced that lay ministers may preside at Sunday liturgical celebrations in certain cases of emergency, where there is no priest.
The “celebrations,” which are not Mass, follow norms established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1994 based on Vatican directives.
Bishop Braxton stressed that laity could only perform the celebrations in cases of absolute last resort and only with a written mandate from him.
Special instruction will be offered to those who wish to hold the responsibility, which includes a prayer service and distribution of communion.
In a letter to the diocese, the bishop cited John Paul II who wrote that, “the church draws her life from the Eucharist,” and so pointed out that the church “has a special pastoral concern for those who cannot attend Sunday Mass because a priest is not available.”
He wrote that “the norms that I am promulgating today are intended to do all we can to make it possible for Christ to come sacramentally to the Catholic people of God on Sunday, even if participating in the celebration of the Eucharist is not possible.”
The bishop closed his letter by strongly calling on the faithful to pray for vocations to the priesthood in order to solve the problem.
This is so sad. I know from my personal experience that the Belleville Diocese is a strong Catholic community, but that there were priests there who were not fit to be priests. Now, there is a shortage of vocations to the priesthood. Please join me in saying the following prayer for vocations:
Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood
Lord Jesus, who in your pilgrimage along the roads of Palestine, chose and called the apostles and entrusted to them their task of preaching the Gospel, feeding the faithful and celebrating divine worship, ensure that today, too, your Church may not lack numerous holy priests, who can bring to all the fruits of your death and resurrection.
~Pope John Paul II , Message for Vocations Sunday 2001
The “celebrations,” which are not Mass, follow norms established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1994 based on Vatican directives.
Bishop Braxton stressed that laity could only perform the celebrations in cases of absolute last resort and only with a written mandate from him.
Special instruction will be offered to those who wish to hold the responsibility, which includes a prayer service and distribution of communion.
In a letter to the diocese, the bishop cited John Paul II who wrote that, “the church draws her life from the Eucharist,” and so pointed out that the church “has a special pastoral concern for those who cannot attend Sunday Mass because a priest is not available.”
He wrote that “the norms that I am promulgating today are intended to do all we can to make it possible for Christ to come sacramentally to the Catholic people of God on Sunday, even if participating in the celebration of the Eucharist is not possible.”
The bishop closed his letter by strongly calling on the faithful to pray for vocations to the priesthood in order to solve the problem.
This is so sad. I know from my personal experience that the Belleville Diocese is a strong Catholic community, but that there were priests there who were not fit to be priests. Now, there is a shortage of vocations to the priesthood. Please join me in saying the following prayer for vocations:
Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood
Lord Jesus, who in your pilgrimage along the roads of Palestine, chose and called the apostles and entrusted to them their task of preaching the Gospel, feeding the faithful and celebrating divine worship, ensure that today, too, your Church may not lack numerous holy priests, who can bring to all the fruits of your death and resurrection.
~Pope John Paul II , Message for Vocations Sunday 2001
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