Two weeks ago we published the story of Cromer parish where Fr Flacon the parish priest has refused to allow the implementation of certain changes. From the storm of protest that this has reised it seems clear that the problem Is not an uncommon one.
The right of a priest to do what he likes in his own parish In conflict with the needs of the people and the wishes of the Church, Is it seams a prevalent clash. A priest from quite another part of the country was overheard telling his bishop recently that his parish didn't need a perish council because the people did what he told them anyway! In many parishes the sign of peace is not given and Communion is grudgingly deposited in the hand rather than offered with dignity. People Ere not invited to read and women are excluded from the sanctuary. No one except the priest has any say in the lifturgy.
This is not to say that those who find it difficult to change should be bulldozed into following that which is distasteful to thern.la it not possible for perishes to offer a variety of styles at their different parish Masses?
This is quite different from allowing one man to impose his way of doing things on a whole parish to the exclusion of parishioners and against the wishes of his bishop and the rest of the Church.
It is important that these local practices and experiences are shared, both the successes and the failures, and one of the best ways of sharing them Is to write them up and send them to the Catholic Herald. Write and tell us how your parish is run and how it arranges Kai liturgy.