‘Why don't you kneel?’ Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone wrote on social media, adding that ‘we need to permit those who want to kneel to kneel’ for Holy Communion.
SAN FRANCISCO (LifeSiteNews) -- San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is urging priests to support laity who want to receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling.
Following the death of Pope Francis, a growing number of social media users have jumped into action to call for more reverent liturgical practices, seemingly to let the cardinals know their preferences as the coming conclave on May 7 draws near.
One account that has been particularly active on this front is Catholic Arena, which is run by an anonymous user.
Yesterday, Catholic Arena shared a video of Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze at a 2003 conference held in Louisville. The video has been circulating on social media for years.
Cardinal Arinze, who is now in his 90s, was the prefect for the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 until 2008. In the video, he talks about the importance of receiving Communion while kneeling.
Archbishop Cordileone reshared the video to his own account, while asking his followers: “Why don't you kneel? If kneelers are not provided only the very young with healthy knees can kneel.”
Archbishop Cordileone then responded to multiple X users who said they want to receive Our Lord while kneeling even if that means kneeling on the floor.
“We need to permit those who want to kneel to kneel,” His Excellency said while replying to one person.
“Priests help him kneel?” His Excellency said in response to another Catholic who is 75 years old and said he would kneel for Communion but that there are no altar rails where he attends so it is difficult to do so.
Archbishop Cordileone took time to express support for other Catholics who have difficulty kneeling for Communion and urged priests to help them.
Earlier this month, Archbishop Cordileone, 68, published an article for the National Catholic Register praising Catholics for their support for more traditional liturgical practices.
“To me, it is heartening how many young people are drawn to classic Catholic practices that so effectively express transcendent realities,” he said. “What is classically Catholic works. It’s time to rebuild with confidence on a solid foundation, including on our knees in reverence before Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The archbishop also revealed that he is seeing a revival of tradition within parishes across the United States. At his own parish, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, an increasing number of the faithful began kneeling to receive Holy Communion. This change led the parish to install kneelers to enable “the old and the infirm and not just the reverent young with healthy knees” to receive while kneeling.
Additionally, His Excellency said that the cathedral has begun celebrating Mass ad orientem, with the priest facing the altar during the liturgy of the Eucharist. Archbishop Cordileone also announced that the Fons et Culmen Liturgy Summit would take place at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park from July 1 to 4.
The event, sponsored by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music and the Benedict XVI Institute, will gather Catholic prelates, priests, theologians, scholars, and lay Catholic leaders to discuss “how to address contemporary issues facing the Church."
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