The Necessary Reception of those with Disabilities in the Mass amid Liturgical Fragmentation

The Necessary Reception of those with Disabilities in the Mass amid Liturgical Fragmentation

    Presenter(s)

    Jack H. Gorman

    Comments

    Presentation: 1:00-1:20, Kennedy Union 312

    Description

    The Catholic Church is at a moment of receiving those with disabilities through catechetics, liturgical accommodations, and structured ecclesial guidelines; the Church realizes that the reception of Catholics with disabilities is necessary. Although, this ecclesial posture does not alter the fact that the Church is in liturgical fragmentation. The true form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the novus ordo is being practiced and even exploited in many different ways and polarized into camps. Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has utilized the two poles of Neo-Pelagianism and Gnosticism to speak about this liturgical fragmentation, or “spiritual worldliness”. Working from this insight from the Holy Father, this paper applies these terms to the current reception of Catholics with disabilities in the Mass. In this paper, Neo-Pelagianism is characterized as the temptation to receive those with disabilities in the Mass solely through human means apart from the gift of Divine Grace. Docetism, which replaces Pope Francis’ Gnosticism for the sake of this paper, is characterized by an ignorant trust in the Liturgy that dismisses the embodiment of those with disabilities and neglects accommodations they may need. The presence of these temptations within disability ministry is objectively seen through ritually analyzing five separate Masses that were celebrated explicitly for accommodating those with disabilities. Although there are isolated signs of Docetism, the analysis shows that Neo-Pelagianism, as a temptation, is prevalent in disability ministry. The presence of Neo-Pelagianism is seen throughout the Liturgy as an abnormal amount of lay involvement, excessive and unscripted commentary, and invalid changes of liturgical rubrics or practice. The presence of Docetism, which was more isolated, is seen primarily through long and complex homilies. The paper will then end with some remedies to these temptations in the reception of those with disabilities within the Church.

    Publication Date

    4-17-2024

    Project Designation

    Honors Thesis

    Primary Advisor

    Tim R. Gabrielli, Ethan D. Smith

    Primary Advisor's Department

    Religious Studies

    Keywords

    Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

    Institutional Learning Goals

    Faith; Community; Scholarship

    The Necessary Reception of those with Disabilities in the Mass amid Liturgical Fragmentation

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