NCR says Pope's Liturgist Won't Rule out Communion on the Toungue becoming Normative

In his interview with NCR, the Pope's liturgist will not rule out that communion on the toungue and kneeling won't become normative. Although some might despair on this point, the impetus is definitely heading in this direction, and we could well see, to the chagrin of many liturgists, that these practices, including the use of Latin and the Immemorial Mass may become more commonplace and sought after than their current unsatisfactory liturgical faire.

Marini told NCR, however, that Benedict’s style is to “propose” these practices so that they may be slowly “welcomed” into the life of the church, rather than imposing them by authority.

“It’s the style of the current pope to move forward not by imposing things, but proposing them. The idea is that, slowly, all this may be welcomed, considering the true significance that certain decisions and certain orientations may have,” Marini said.

Marini did not rule out, however, that such practices might be made binding at some future point.

“Whether sometime down the line, in the future, what the pope is presenting should become more of a disciplinary norm [for the whole church], we don’t know and can’t say,” he said.