The GIRM, Diocesan Norms and Kneeling at Mass: Archdiocese of Anchorage

All postures at Mass are purposeful. They bring us closer to the Sacred through their purpose and proper place in the Mass. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) is the controlling document on all actions and functions of the Mass. There are in fact specific sections that concern the gestures and postures that the faithful should adhere to:

Movements and Posture
42. The gestures and posture of the priest, the deacon, and the ministers, as well as those of the people, ought to contribute to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, so that the true and full meaning of the different parts of the celebration is evident and that the participation of all is fostered. Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.

A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.

One of the most discussed and misapplied postures is that of kneeling. The confusion usually occurs after the Agnus Dei because there is a Diocesan option available, that when used, is often misused and even abused. The GIRM states:

43(c) : In the dioceses of the United States of America, they [the faithful] should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.

The final clause in this section is where confusion and abuse generally set in. Bishops do have the ability to  change the posture for this period, so we have to look to what the Bishop directs in this instance. In Anchorage, the Bishop has opted to diverge from the GIRM:

• Upon completion of the Holy Holy until after the Great Amen: KNEEL
• From the beginning of the Lord's Prayer and continuing as each receives Holy Communion (may bow head to venerate the Holy Sacrament) STAND
• Upon return to pew following reception of Communion: STAND
• After all ahve [sic] received Communion during sacred silence following Holy Communion: SIT or KNEEL

What is confusing is that in most Parishes that I have been to in Alaska, no one actually kneels during the Sacred Silence, if in fact there is a Sacred Silence. So the question becomes whether a person should adhere to the GIRM, which isn't the norm for the Archdiocese and therefore against the norms; or should the faithful adhere to the Diocesan Norms which aren't adhered to by the faithful? 

I personally find myself conflicted. After coming from an Archdiocese where the GIRM was adhered to strictly, I find myself in discontinuity with the rest of the faithful in my Parish. After researching the Archdiocesan norms, I find that in fact, if I were to unify myself with my Parish, I would be out of step not only with the GIRM, but the Diocesan Norms, which although valid and licit, are not adhered to. So what am I, and other faithful to do? This is only one example of discontinuity.

Hopefully, with the introduction of the New Missal, as Parishes will necessarily undergo the need to provide Liturgical Catechesis, these problems will be addressed and rectified. Although I am under no illusion that unification of posture and gestures at Mass will themselves create an authentic Catholic community, it is in fact impossible to have such a community without continuity and unification as to the GIRM.