And though it wasn't a sin for one's backside to touch the seat, it was the next worst thing. But the kneeling rules have not been rigorously enforced. In recent year, a small minority of Catholics has argued that it is appropriate only for penance or private prayer, not for the communal nature of the Mass. Last year, the U.S. bishops issued guidelines that specifically called on churches to have kneelers. In June, they will review the Vatican's new liturgical rules, which are expected to reassert the importance of kneeling during the priest's consecration of the bread and wine.
Some dioceses appear to be cracking down on standing.
At St. Margaret of York Church in Loveland, Ohio, people have been worshiping in a parish hall furnished with portable chairs and no kneelers. When the parish began planning to build a church, it faced a tough decision on whether to install kneelers. Several other churches in the area do without them. When a new church was built two years ago, it was furnished with chairs and no kneelers. Kathy McConnell, president of the pastoral council, says no one has missed kneeling.