by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Bishop of Knoxville is on the job, addressing serious problems in the local church entrusted to his pastoral care. If for nothing else he would be notable for the pogrom he conducted last October – he must have a thing for October – against people who desire the Traditional Latin Mass. HERE

What's his problem now? People who pray prayers together before or after Mass. HERE

It came to the attention of Most Rev. Mark Beckman that in some churches people were praying well-known prayers together before or after Mass. For example, after Mass some people had the custom of reciting the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Others pray the St. Francis's Prayer or a Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine such a thing? Such a gross offence to… to… liturgical… thing? Because… experts! The bishop "reflected" about this grave situation and wrote the article I linked, above. Those prayers…

and others have been added regularly to the liturgy—recited together, sometimes before the entrance hymn, or immediately after the dismissal….

[…]

Having reflected on the importance of celebrating the liturgy in accordance with the mind of the Church, I do not think it appropriate to add additional prayers associated with the celebration of the Mass itself.

I hate to break the news here, but "before the entrance hymn" or "after the dismissal" are both outside of Mass.

"But Father! Be fair! He said 'associated with the celebration of Mass'"!

Sorry. I don't believe people are stupid. You would have to think they were pretty thick to imagine they don't know when Mass starts and when Mass ends.

So, the only reasonable thing to do is to stop pious people from different walks of life who find themselves together in a church from praying together.

Once again we see an attempt to force people into a lock-step conformity which simulates a chimeric "unity". After all, we can't let people just, sit or stand when then want, or – quod Deus avertat – kneel for Communion. We can't have people praying together in a church before or after Mass, can we? That would be double-plus-ungood.

In a spirit of fairness, there could be a legitimate issue about collective prayer before Mass (Novus Ordo), since GIRM 45 says:

Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.

That said, perhaps the bishop would better spend his authority on what goes on in sacristies before Mass. Is there silence and order? My experience over the years is that sacristies are not bastions of silence and order before Mass. Maybe that's something His Excellency should attend to in his diocese. That is certainly according to "the mind of the Church".

Again in a spirit of fairness, if I had the opportunity, I would ask a question.

In consideration of the explicitly invoked "the mind of the Church", which specific provision of the Roman Missal, the GIRM, the Code of Canon Law, or the Holy See’s 2001 Directory on Popular Piety forbids the faithful from voluntarily praying the St. Michael Prayer after the liturgical dismissal? Until such a provision is identified, the claim that suppressing a longstanding devotional practice is required by "the mind of the Church" remains empty.