special occasion

By Diogenes ( articles ) | May 28, 2008

On the feast of Corpus Christi, communicants knelt to receive the Blessed Sacrament from Pope Benedict. That break from the usual Vatican practice-- ordinarily the faithful approach the Holy Father standing to receive Communion-- prompted a good deal of comment. But a Catholic News Service story assures us that this is not necessarily a permanent policy change:

Vatican officials said the gesture at the May 22 Mass outside the Basilica of St. John Lateran does not mark a permanent change in papal liturgies, but highlighted the solemnity of the feast and a connection to Mass practices in the past.

So you see, when you don't want to highlight the solemnity of the occasion or the connection to Catholic tradition,....