Errata

Some time ago a friend asked me if what his parish does with the Agnus Dei is allowed, and I answered incorrectly.  My usual approach is that if someone does something I'm not familiar with, and I'm not absolutely sure it's wrong, I presume it to be licit.  For instance, if a priest starts using a Eucharistic Prayer at Mass that sounds unfamiliar to you, maybe it's one of the Reconciliation Prayers (bet you didn't know there're something like ten approved EPs).

This question in particular was whether it was allowed to replace one or more instances of the phrase "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" with some other invocation.  This didn't feel right to me, but I suggested yes, it might be technically permitted, explaining it by means of "tropes."  This article knocks that down using information that I knew.  It also has some pretty neat info and history about the Agnus Dei.

By the way, (and this applies to you especially if you are part of or the leader of a church choir [don't be paranoid, but do your homework and check]) don't just assume that just because a song is in a hymnal marketed to Catholic parishes that everything in it is correct.  Those things don't come from anyone with any authority in the Church.  In fact, some of the more popular ones come from people who don't really like the Church's teaching or liturgy and want to change it into something they like better.  How did they become so ubiquitous, then?  Good question.

Comments

[Matt]

I hate to say "I told you so," but I am.

"I may not know much about art, but I know what I like!"

[Neil]

where is the best place to look such things up? Is there a definitive list of approved Angus Dei's, or are they scattered through out? and do notre dame students count as children? Are there multiple acceptable forms of the lay responses also, as where I usually have heard "His Church," I hear some say "God's Church," and was wondering if someone found a creative way to make the mass more gender neutral.
As long as I'm asking mass questions, do you know if it's acceptable for the priest to come from behind the altar and give the congregation some peace handshakes? Speaking of unfortunate liturgical practices, at our fine institution the whole crowd kneels for the lenten pennitential rite yet stands for the whole Eucharistic prayer as instructed by the same fellow I hear the gender neutral responses from. However I rejoice that the fellow with the dangly earrings leaves his bongo drums at home during lent.

[Matt]

The normative document governing the liturgy is the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM--or as my dyslexia makes it GRIM). The current official English translation is available at: http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/current/GIRM.pdf
ANY deviation from the norms prescribed therein is considered an illicit liturgical abuse—not that anyone except the most conservative priests, bishops, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (headed by Card. Arinze), and the Pope care to try and do anything about it. Basically, if you don’t have a “good” priest, and the diocesan bishop doesn’t care to do anything about it (or is an outright advocate of it—cf. Card. Mahoney) you are SOL.

You can always talk to your priest(s), but they are trained on this extensively, and damn well know the content of the prescribed rubrics. Their actions are open and deliberate dissent from the teaching, practice, and tradition of the Universal Church, so chances are you will gain ZERO ground in trying to convince them of their errors. First maybe ask about Church teaching on such “controversial” topics such as: abortion, euthanasia, birth control, premarital sex, homosexuality and homosexual acts, female ordination etcetera. If the responses are anything different than what is outlined in the Magisterium—just walk away.

Maybe say a prayer of thanksgiving for having known so many good and holy priests at the CSC—and maybe a prayer for the conversion of sinners.