Question: There is the present practice of the celebrant and servers sitting for a period of thanksgiving after Holy Communion, instead of kneeling, which latter was the custom before. Some priests say this posture of sitting is obligatory for all. Is this true? Answer: The General instruction of the Roman Missal, #56 proposes the option of silent prayer after Communion. In that time of silence everyone "praises God in his heart and prays", General Instruction, 23. In the Rite of Mass, the rubric says that the celebrant "may return to the chair" for this time of silent prayer. The Ceremonial of Bishops, 166, says that "all are to be seated" at this time. Therefore, the celebrant, deacon, concelebrants and servers sit while offering their own silent prayer after Communion. While this applies to all in the sanctuary, I do not think it at all obliges the faithful present at Mass to sit.
This rule applies only to personal prayer after Communion. During the Communion of the faithful, the celebrant should insist that servers and anyone else in the sanctuary kneel or stand at their places out of respect for the blessed Eucharist. In some places, even concelebrants who are not distributing the Eucharist remain standing at their seats until the purification of the vessels begins. Those in the sanctuary should only sit when the celebrant sits. After silent prayer (and/or a thanksgiving hymn or music) he stands and the book bearer attends him at the chair for the Prayer after Communion.
However, the celebrant may choose to say the Prayer after Communion and give the blessing and dismissal at the altar directly after distribution of Communion. In this case he may prefer to remain at the altar, standing for the time of silent prayer after Communion, rather than walking to the chair and then back again to the altar. Servers preferably should kneel or stand while the celebrant remains praying silently at the altar. There would be ground for scandal if anyone were to attempt to force all the faithful to sit immediately after Communion. The people are free to kneel. The pastoral goal is to encourage personal prayer of thanksgiving. A prudent pastor may encourage his people to kneel during and after the time of Communion, even as he should respect their right to sit if he goes to the chair and sits for his own thanksgiving.
