How can I defend the Church's teaching on liturgical gestures?

How can I defend the Church's teaching on liturgical gestures?

Full Question

There will be a forum held at my parish about postures and practices at Mass, like bowing before receiving our Lord. How can I defend the Church's teaching and practice when I don't have the formal training or education? The sister facilitating the forum has a master's degree in liturgy.

Answer

Whenever you find yourself in this situation, I suggest that you ask—politely—to be provided with a copy of the authoritative document from which the person is getting her information. If she cannot do this, she should at least be able to provide the name of the document, the section or paragraph from which the directive is stated, and the source from which the document came (e.g., National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy, the pope). In this way, you can verify whether or not the document has any authority. If you are unsure of its authority, you can contact the apologetics department at Catholic Answers for assistance.

Answered by: Catholic Answers Staff