Letters

No kneelers (letter)

Contents - Jul 2004 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Separation of Church and State? - Michael Gilchrist Liturgy: New improved English Mass translation nears completion - Michael Gilchhrist Feminist 'rituals': no substitute for prayer - Joanna Bogle News: The Church Around the World Pastoral Letter: The secular challenges to our faith: how to respond - Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett Eucharistic Adoration: heart of evangelisation - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM Croagh Patrick, Ireland's Holy Mountain: 'Sure, it's a bit of a hill' - Paul Russell Letters: Synod (letter) - Lance Eccles Letters: Courageous lead (letter) - Tom King Letters: Ineffective system (letter) - John Mulholland Letters: Catholic schools (letter) - George Simpson Letters: Dating the Gospels (letter) - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Informative talk (letter) - Frank Bourke Letters: Gay lobby (letter) - Alan A. Hoysted Letters: Abusive letters - Maureen Federico Letters: Christian models (letter) - Brett Powell Letters: Christians the most vilified group (letter) - Arnold Jago Letters: Disappointment (letter) - Cathy Cleary Letters: The Passion of the Christ (letter) - June Forester Letters: Parish concerns (letter) - Peter Gilet Letters: No kneelers (letter) Letters: The power of one (letter) - Brian Harris Letters: Sacred Heart (letter) - V. Mulligan Letters: CD response (letter) - Melanie and Christopher Duluk Books: Flee To the Fields - The Founding Papers of the Catholic Land Movement - Peter Chojnowski (reviewer) Books: An Essay on the Restoration of Property, by Hilaire Belloc - John Ballantyne (reviewer) Books: Ethics and the National Economy, by Heinrich Pesch - John Williamson (reviewer) Redemptionis Sacramentum (Sacrament of Redemption) abridged version - Fr M. Durham Books: More new titles for 2004 from AD Books Reflection: No time to pray? Try contemplation - Fr Leo J. Trese

Those who see fit to furnish churches without kneelers have no consideration for people like myself who like to kneel, but may get muscle cramps in their legs while kneeling on the floor.

Likewise, it seems to be standard practice these days to shut down "traditional" parishes like mine, and force its parishioners to attend Mass at nearby "trendy" parishes.

The interiors of these churches tend to resemble those of factories or cinemas. The thought of attending Mass at such places has as much appeal as worshipping at the local railway workshop. Catholic churches should look like the sacred places that they are.

At the same time, some trendy parish churches continue to treat Canon 907 with contempt by allowing lay people to say prayers and perform actions set aside for priests.

FRANKLIN J. WOOD
North Rockhampton, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 17 No 6 (July 2004), p. 15