Thursday, October 01, 2009

Eucharistic Adoration: Rev. McBrien vs. the Magisterium

Here's what Rev. Richard McBrien of Notre Dame (and the mis-named National Catholic Reporter) says:
Notwithstanding Pope Benedict XVI's personal endorsement of eucharistic adoration and the sporadic restoration of the practice in the archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere, it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.  Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions. The Mass itself provides all that a Catholic needs sacramentally and spiritually.  Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward.
And here's what an actual teacher of the Church, Cristoph Cardinal Schönborn says:
The prelate recalled the example of St. John Vianney, who instructed his parishioners to focus on the tabernacle in prayer, stating, "He is there, he is there!" ... Cardinal Schönborn urged, "Do everything possible, and the impossible, to allow the faithful and persons seeking God -- whom God awaits -- to have access to Jesus in the Eucharist: Don't close the doors of your churches, please!" ... "Let us leave our churches open!"

2 comments:

Scelata said...

Poor Father Mcbrien is simply hopeless, It is hardly worth refuting the nonsense he spouts, I don't think anyone takes him seriously enough anymore for him to do any real damage.
Or at least, I hope not.

He needs our prayers.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

Andy said...

I disagree with Rev. McBrien on several counts. Two of the main ones...

1. Most Catholics are not literate in their faith - in my informal surveys I have done, most Catholics admit to a very limited education in their faith

2. To adore the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in the Eucharistic species has always been right, good and fitting