Mass Confusion: The Do's & Don'ts of Catholic Worship, Second Edition, Expanded [Paperback]

James Akin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

No Catholic can be unaware of the crisis in Catholic liturgy. Even priests are often bewildered by the contradictory information put out by liturgical "experts." This one-of-a-kind book cuts through the confusion because it makes liturgical issues understandable for the laity. "Mass Confusion" empowers priests and laity alike to deal with the "liturgical elite." It explains what the Church does and doesn't allow in the liturgy. It gives you answers to your questions on hundreds of liturgical issues, distilled from a mountain of liturgical documents. It silences personal "interpretation" of the Church's liturgical law. And it documents your right to have Mass celebrated as the Church intended. Best of all, it provides this information in a clear and concise way.

"Priests are pulled to the 'left' and to the 'right' by groups with different agendas. This book cuts through the agendas and helps us steer a course toward a liturgy that is valid, licit, joyful, and focused on God rather than on the 'community.'" -Mitch Pacwa, S.J., author of "Father, Forgive Me, For I Am Frustrated"

"James Akin has assembled texts that govern the Church's life of worship and has done so in 'user-friendly' style. We should hope and pray that this effort to end 'Mass Confusion' will bring about genuine 'Mass Appeal.'" -Very Reverend Peter M.J. Stravinskas, S.T.D., Editor for The Catholic Response

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[T]his book is essential reading for any faithful Catholic who wishes to vindicate his right to true and proper worship." -- Charles Wilson, Executive Director, St. Joseph Foundation

From the Publisher

Written by Jimmy Akin--a leading religion writer, Catholic apologist, and contributing editor to "This Rock" magazine--"Mass Confusion" is a well-respected source of clear, concise answers about today's most common questions concerning the liturgy (especially liturgical abuses).
In this book, you'll discover the answers to these commonly asked questions:

-What are the proper times to stand, sit, or kneel?
-Are we supposed to hold hands at the Our Father?
-How much liberty does the priest have with the words of the Mass?
-Where does the tabernacle go, and should there even be one?
-What about altar girls--not to mention dancing girls?
-Can the priest refuse to give you Communion on the tongue?
-Can Communion be given to Protestants at weddings and funerals?
-May lay people stand around the altar during the Consecration?

These and many other questions are clearly and authoritatively answered for you--once and for all--in the pages of "Mass Confusion."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Catholic Answers; Enlarged 2nd edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888992050
• ISBN-13: 978-1888992052
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jimmy Akin was born in Texas and grew up nominally Protestant. At age 20 he experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, Jimmy started an intensive study of the Bible, but the more he immersed himself in Scripture, the more he found it to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he was compelled in conscience to enter the Catholic Church, which he did in 1992. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in the book Surprised By Truth.

Akin is a Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a member on the Catholic Answers Speakers Bureau, a weekly guest on the global radio program, Catholic Answers Live, a contributing editor for Catholic Answers Magazine, and the author of numerous publications, including the books Mass Confusion, The Salvation Controversy, The Fathers Know Best, and Mass Revision.

His personal blog is www.jimmyakin.org.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best overview of liturgy available for laity., August 18, 1999

By 

Edward Peters - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mass Confusion: The Do's & Don'ts of Catholic Worship, Second Edition, Expanded (Paperback)

James Akin has brought order out of the confusion that marks so much of Catholic worship these days. Akin is not a liturgist, but he is very effective teacher, which means that he can explain the Do's and Dont's of the Mass in ways most convenient for lay readers. This is an easy book to read, completely faithful to the various reforms the way they were meant to be applied. It is, in brief, the No. 1 book I can (and do) recommend to thoughtful Catholics with questions on liturgical life. I did a fuller review of Akin's work for the National Catholic Register, 23-29 August 1998, p. 8. I know the publishing house as well, "Catholic Answers, Inc." here in San Diego, and I know that it has recently replenished its own supplies of Akin's text, so it should be available

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for priests who are butchering the Liturgy!, July 3, 2001

By 

Kevin G. Whitty "Kevin Whitty" (Oak Park, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mass Confusion: The Do's & Don'ts of Catholic Worship, Second Edition, Expanded (Paperback)

This book, along with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's "Spirit of the Liturgy" should be manditory reading for all Roman Catholic priests.

After 20 years absence from holy mother Church, I was amazed to see all of the "changes" in the mass; changes like omitting the Profession of Faith on Sundays, omitting the Lavabo, standing (as opposed to kneeling) during the Eucharistic Prayer, not wearing a chasuble or wearing the stole over the chasuble, holding hands during the Our Father, and so on. Was I ever surprised to learn that these were NOT accepted changes, but liturgical abuses by renegade priests!

This book addresses all of these abuses and much, much more. Mister Akin does a superb job of giving references for his statements on each individual abuse, whether he is quoting the GIRM (General Instructions of the Roman Missal), the Lectionary, or any other authoritative Church document pertaining to the Mass. He even gives a list of these at the beginning of the book, and most of them are easily available on the web. That makes this book an excellent study guide on the do's and don'ts of Catholic worship.

Some might consider this material as nothing but strict conformism, but not so. All of the symbolism in the Liturgy has meaning. The Catholic Mass does what it symbolizes, and it symbolizes what it does, so the symbolism must be performed properly.

Read this book and see how good a job your priest is doing. "The faithful have a right to a true Liturgy ..." says the Inaestimabile Donum, and it is time we started holding our priests to this!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, December 17, 2002

By 

Marcel LeJeune "Author of "Set Free to Lo... (College Station, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mass Confusion: The Do's & Don'ts of Catholic Worship, Second Edition, Expanded (Paperback)

Akin has given Catholics just what many wanted, an easily-accessible source of liturgical norms. He uses the official Church documents and rubrics to explain the do's and don'ts of the Latin-rite liturgy. With many "innovations" and changes to the liturgy that we see today, this book helps wade through the opinions to get down to the official word and final say in the matter. This book isn't for everyone. It has one goal to tell you what should and shouldn't be done in the liturgy. It doesn't answer the "why's" or tell us where the problems came from. There are other books that do that well.

A warning: Don't think that you are now the Liturgical Lone Ranger just because you have read this book. Too many pastors will continue to do their own thing regardless of the Church's rules - so be discerning in how you use it and keep praying.