VATICAN CITY — A proposed crackdown on some practices during Roman Catholic Masses such as dancing, using altar girls or serving wine as well as wafers at communion has reportedly split top Vatican officials.
An Italian Catholic affairs monthly, Jesus, has released what it says are excerpts of a draft document under consideration at the Vatican.
The proposed document is now undergoing review by various cardinals and other officials charged with safeguarding Church orthodoxy, a Vatican official said Tuesday.
The Rome daily Il Messaggero reported that the crackdown, as laid out in the draft document, has been branded as too severe by some of those who have studied it.
The document grew out of an encyclical by Pope John Paul II earlier this year in which he cracked down on what he considered serious abuses regarding communion.
According to Jesus magazine, the draft discourages the use of altar girls and denounces practices such as applauding or dance performances during Mass.
Forging ahead with a ban on dancing could be delicate. The pope himself has presided over several ceremonies, both during his trips abroad, as well as in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican featuring dancing as well as singing.
Copyright ©2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
