Answer

Whenever you find yourself in this situation, I suggest that you ask—politely—to be provided with a copy of the authoritative document from which the person is getting her information. If she cannot do this, she should at least be able to provide the name of the document, the section or paragraph from which the directive is stated, and the source from which the document came (e.g., National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy, the pope). In this way, you can verify whether or not the document has any authority. If you are unsure of its authority, you can contact the apologetics department at Catholic Answers for assistance.