It is standard procedure so I wonder what the basis of this accusation is. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. Those who receive Communion may receive either in the hand or on the tongue, and the decision should be that of the individual receiving, not of the person distributing Communion. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Receiving communion in the hand was the common practice of the Church in both East and West for the first 800 years of Christianity, and it was certainly considered reverent by the Fathers. France, 6 June 1969 Fast forward to 2004, when The Congregation for Divine Worship in its new Instruction named Redemptionis Sacramentum, stated: "Although each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand the sacred host is to be administered . Jamaica, 12 March 1970 If, for some reason, the communicant is not able or willing to drink from the cup then that person should receive only under the form of bread. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. I beg to differ. Abuse. Blasphemy. Communion in the hand? Catholic Insight Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. To be honest, I dont really belong to either camp on this, and like you, I think the polarization on this issue is doing more harm than good. Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. [11] Council of Constantinople in Trullo, canon 101. Djibouti, 6 March 1970 [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. Finally, the fact that the Communion Procession is a profoundly religious action tells us something about the way in which we should participate in this procession. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion - Catholic News Agency Indonesia, 27 March 1971 Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Hence, my theory is that the wide granting of the indult exceeded its initially intended scope as continued prompting from advisors and larger-than-anticipated requests from conferences overcame the popes reluctance. In fact, each time we move forward together to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join the countless ranks of all the baptized who have gone before us, our loved ones, the canonized and uncanonized saints down through the ages, who at their time in history formed a part of this mighty stream of believers. We would also do well to teach, as the Fathers do, that reverence is not only about proper reception of the Eucharist, but also about living the kind of life to which the Eucharist commits us. Q. And some who do have lost their strength or nerve. First, Cyril: Coming up to receive, therefore, do not approach with your wrists extended or your fingers splayed, but making your left hand a throne for the right (for it is about to receive a King) and cupping your palm, so receive the Body of Christ; and answer: "Amen." [20] Here is what Theodore says: I am from India. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. 2. The recent survey asking Catholics about Holy Communion indicates that 70% DO NOT BELIEVE that Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus. What some call discipleship, others evangelizationnew or whatever, or some speak of discernment and application of spiritual gifts. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. The rationale for Communion on the hands being an ancient practice is from St. Cyril of Jerusalem. South Africa, 1971 [] It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. However, since it is a permission, it does not generate an absolute right, and the pastors can rescind the permission, either generally or in particular circumstances if objective motives exist for doing so. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. 7. 6. It may well be the case that the sudden change in practice after Vatican II decreased devotion towards the Eucharist and belief in the true presence, and it may well be the case that there were bad actors who in fact desired this result. Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. But as time passed it became the practice to receive Communion directly on the tongue in order to assure that the Host was received reverently. Over and over again the prayers of the liturgy and the norms of the General Instruction emphasize this fundamental concept of the unity of the baptized, stressing that when we come together to participate in the Eucharistic celebration we come, not as individuals, but as united members of Christ's Body. I have come to realize in the last few weeks how many of my Roman Rite brethren are actually understanding the Eucharist in a heretical way. R. E. Heine FotC 21 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1982). Has done Fr. The problem is a lack of intentionality across the board, starting with the laity. My overarching point in all this (as someone who receives comfortably in both manners) is that I dont think common concerns with reception in the hand have been treated with adequate seriousness by many its defenders. Finally, to the end that their coming to this heavenly table may be completely worthy and fruitful, the faithful should be instructed on its benefits and effects, for both the individual and society, so that their familial relationship to the Father who gives us our daily bread, may reflect the highest reverence for him, nurture love, and lead to a living bond with Christ, in whose flesh and blood we share. And why so? Today, both manners of receiving Communion are worthy and licit. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? In the light of the above, we can come to the heart of the matter as to whether a priest may invoke the question of conscience in order to refuse to distribute Communion in the hand. Madagascar 2 March 1970 It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better-prepared groups and in favorable settings. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the, The Abandoned: Toward a Christocentric Phenomenology of Prayer, The Conclusion of Karl Rahner's Dissertation on the Origin of the Church from the Side Wound of the Crucified Christ. New Zealand, 24 April 1974 Its just BREAD!!. There is a twofold purpose here: that none will find in the new rite anything disturbing to personal devotion toward the Eucharist; that this sacrament, the source and cause of unity by its very nature, will not become an occasion of discord between members of the faithful. The congregation returned to this issue in the instructionImmensae Caritatis,January 29, 1973: AAS 65 (1973) 264-271; Notitiae 9 (1973) 157-164: Part 4. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution.". LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Catholics want to know if it is allowed for their bishops and priests to require Communion be received only on in the hand instead of on the tongue. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling - Vatican.va The General Instruction asks each country's Conference of Bishops to determine the posture to be used for the reception of Communion and the act of reverence to be made by each person as he or she receives Communion. Luxembourg, October 15 1969 With regard to the first precept, Origen of Alexandria cautions, You who are accustomed to take part in divine mysteries know, when you receive the body of the Lord, how you protect it with all caution and veneration lest any small part fall from it, lest anything of the consecrated gift be lost. Do we accept an experience of the Real Presence only when the externals and the lingo of 1950 are seen and heard? However, while this text is undoubtedly ancient evidence of the existence of Communion in the hand, it is, like many patristic texts, fraught with interpretative conundrums. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. For whatever reason, reception on the hand does not appear to convey the same level of reverence in the public consciousness as reception on the tongue. The Pope grants that throughout the territory of your conference, each bishop may, according to his prudent judgment and conscience, authorize in his diocese the introduction of the new rite for giving communion. 48 (Sept/Oct), pg 361. 843 1; cf. 13.3, trans. The guidelines, which are to be included in missalettes and other participation aids published in the United States, seek to remind all those who may attend Catholic liturgies of the present discipline of the Church with regard to the sharing of Eucharistic Communion. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. Uruguay,October 15 1969 The debate was interrupted by lunch. Your email address will not be published. It is now August 2020 and I can say that you have been proven wrong. 47), and says of the Communion Chant that "its purpose [is] to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unity of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the 'communitarian' character of the procession to receive the Eucharist" (no. http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/truth-about-communion-in-hand-while.html#.Wpa2wdIUnGg. Personally, I think that when a priest with the care of souls holds the view that Communion on the tongue is preferable to the alternative practice, then the best thing he can do is inform the faithful of the bishops permission. Henry Percival and ed. 4. My country is not on this list but holy communion is the norm. By this symbolic action, their denial would be clear to all. Documentation: Approval of Communion in the Hand under - PrayTellBlog Christ himself at the Last Supper pleaded with his Father: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us" (John 17:11, 21).Baptism has joined us to Christ and to one another as the vine and its branches. The custom of placing the Sacred Particle in the mouth, rather than in the hand of the communicant, dates in Rome from the sixth, and in Gaul from the ninth century (Van der Stappen, IV, 227; cf. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. But there is more to the story. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ's prayer for us "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21). The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. The left hand is extended, with the right hand under the left in support (left handed persons may wish to . And to demonstrate reverence and. This formula should not be altered, as it is a proclamation which calls for a response of faith on the part of the one who receives. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family. Liturgical Press | School of Theology Seminary | Saint John's Abbey | Comments Policy | Contact Us This catechesis must succeed in excluding any suggestion that in the mind of the Church there is a lessening of faith in the eucharistic presence and in excluding as well any danger or hint of danger of profaning the Eucharist. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. The following norms must therefore be respected. Scandinavia,October 15 1969 ADOM :: Communion: in the hand or the tongue So whats missing? Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another. I think that settles it. What if we were passionate about all that? I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. Is it okay to recieve Communion in the hand? - Catholic Online My three hypotheses were less well researched opinions on my part, theyre not (that last one was a joke on Cdl Sarahs comments, sorry if that wasnt clear), but simply launchpoints in an honest discussion on the impact of Pope Pauls Indult, and the circumstances surrounding it, whether or not they hold any real merit. But is the impression they give generally correct? 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. I think proponents of tongue/kneeling will get a better hearing if they uphold all aspects of Communion. Scotland, 7 July 1977 [20] Cyril of Jerusalem, myst. St. [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? Thanks for this, Dennis. We have no nets to cast deeply. October 13, 2022. . It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. This action by Christ's body, the Church assembled for the Eucharist, is manifested and supported by the Communion Chant, a hymn in praise of Christ sung by the united voices of those who believe in him and share his life. For example, although Communion in the hand is generally permitted at the Vatican, in recent years ministers administrating Communion at large at papal Masses have been enjoined to distribute Communion only on the tongue. 160). As to the way to carry out the new rite: one possible model is the traditional usage, which expresses the ministerial functions, by having the priest or deacon place the host in the hand of the communicant . In the case of communion under both kinds by way of intinction, it is never permitted to place on the hand of the communicant the host that has been dipped in the Lords blood.. 4. In each of the Eucharistic Prayers, though the petition is worded in slightly different ways, God is asked to send his Holy Spirit to make us one body, one spirit in Christ; the General Instruction admonishes the faithful that "they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing" (no. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Holy Communion - New Advent Indeed, it can be dangerous for contagion. O Solomon, the thing which the Lord of your father Why? On the other hand, this mode of communion is not anywhere associated with lay involvement or accessibility, nor is it thought to de-emphasize the role of the priest. The practice of communion on the tongue with the use of patens in the West, and in both kinds on a spoon with a drop cloth in the East, moreover, are natural developments from the concern of the Early Church to prevent Eucharistic mishaps. What Everyone Should Know About How To Receive Holy Communion That rhetorical flow and its further implicit objections (i.e., take care lest XYZ) *could* be a setup for a generous grant of indults, but given the overall negative tone I dont think it accidental or inconsequential that the prospect of permission is only mentioned in these cases where contrary practice already prevails. At the same time he has taken into account the reasons given to support your request and the outcome of the vote taken on this matter. I happen to accept the role of darkness within the Church, but it strikes me as being perpetrated all too often by those who style themselves the most faithful or loyal to God. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. Bolivia, October 15 1969 The large numbers of faithful and the general hustle and bustle at the moment of communion make it quite easy for a host to fall to the ground. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. Sure, Ill go along with that. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. It is still the practice of millions of committed Latin-rite Catholics all over the world and of many Eastern Churches who administer the Eucharist under both species on the tongue. "You're talking to someone who has only owned a smartphone for a yearI resisted," he said. A letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship to presidents of bishops conferences on May 29, 1969: AAS 61 (1969) 546-547; Notitiae 5 (1969) 351-353: In reply to the request of your conference of bishops regarding permission to give communion by placing the host on the hand of the faithful, I wish to communicate the following. They probably never foresaw its subsequent, and occasionally chaotic, development in some parts of the Church. Battered Gargoyles & The Human Future - Rod Dreher's Diary Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. Aaron, Ever since the InstructionMemoriale Dominithree years ago, some of the conferences of bishops have been requesting the Apostolic See for the faculty to allow ministers distributing communion to place the eucharistic bread in the hand of the faithful. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. But to us our Lord has given both . [16] Liturgical evidence from Rome is always sparser than one would like, but Eusebius preserves a mention of communion in the hand in a letter written from Dionysius of Alexandria to Sixtus I, bishop of Rome,[17] and in a letter of Cornelius, bishop of Rome. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. Bishops Cannot Mandate Communion on the Hand or Forbid Communion on the Paul W. Harkins ACW 31 (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1963). It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to. The faithful should consume the host before returning to their place; the ministers part will be brought out by use of the usual formulary, The body of Christ, to which the communicant replies: Amen. It is simply reading too much into this practice, and it is not correct to support something one favors by denigrating another practice. Canada, 12 February 1970 The option offered to the faithful of receiving the Eucharistic bread in their hand and putting it into their own mouth must not turn out to be the occasion for regarding it as ordinary bread or as just another religious article. COVID-19 Additional Questions for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Finance FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Personnel FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Remote Learning FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 International Students FAQ for Catholic Schools, Forming a New Prayer and Intercessory Team at Your Parish, Resources for Existing Intercessory Prayer Teams, Mooney Real Estate Holding Company and Parish Incorporations, Stewards for Tomorrow/Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Foundation. During the debate by the conference in the 1970s, a bishop said that he had seen a recent photo of Paul VI giving Communion in the hand to a little boy. [T]hose who restrict communicants to receive Holy Communion only in the hands are acting against the norms, as are those who refuse to Christ's faithful [the right] to receive Communion in the hand in dioceses that enjoy this indult. The usage of communion in the hand must be accompanied by relevant instruction or catechesis on Catholic teaching regarding Christs real and permanent presence under the eucharistic elements and the proper reverence toward this sacrament. But we doyes, verily. For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. The communicant replies, Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed, in the hand, the choice lying with the communicant. Part 4. Communion in the hand is no more hygienic than Communion in the mouth. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. For this is what it is to receive unworthily: if one receives at that time when he ought to be doing penance. The Truth About Communion in the Hand | The Fatima Center The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. Others claim that in the context of the discourse St. Cyril was referring to the clergy and not to the faithful. In the United States, the body of Bishops has determined that "[t]he norm is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling"and that a bow is the act of reverence made by those receiving (no. If one is receiving in the hand the following is normative: upon approaching the minister of the Host extend the hands in the middle of the chest. On the part of both the minister and the recipient, whenever the host is placed in the hand of a communicant there must be careful concern and caution, especially about particles that might fall from the hosts. There is so much to Communion. The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. Todd, yes, the Church as a whole is growing thanks to the great efforts of missionaries in Africa and Asia (many are now coming back here), and yes, more people are receiving the Sacraments now than ever. Consider that you not only receive this gift in your hand, but that you also bring it up to your mouth, and keep your tongue clean of all disgraceful and outrageous words, blasphemy, perjury and all other sins of this sort. I quite deliberately eschewed entering the historical argument as it would have digressed from the main point of that article. No wonder so many people there have given up on Christianity. United States, 17 June 1977 The liturgical renewal of St. Pius X which promoted the frequent reception of Communion were still quite young. Because, he says, one should choose the days on which one lives with more purity and self-control in order to approach so great a sacrament worthily. When the communion is distributed under both kinds, it is never permitted to place in the hands of the communicants hosts which have first been placed in the Blood of the Lord. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? For it is a deed fraught with destruction to take the tongue which serve such awesome mysteries, which has become purpled with a blood so precious, which has become a sword of gold and to change its course to abuse, insolence and ribald jests. Eccl., VII, ix). (Original Latin text here, see pp. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. Still, while not the direction eventually taken, I believe restriction to be the more natural reading of the Vaticans intent at that moment in time. The Proper Way to Receive Holy Communion - Shrub Oak, NY If our reader had said that he believed that Communion in the hand was more prone to dangers of accidents and profanation, I would accept the argument. Their decisions should be sent to Rome to receive the necessary confirmation, []. The document does not have numbered paragraphs to cite, but youll find it a few paragraphs after the tabulation of votes collected from bishops. There are many devout Catholics who find this practice helpful. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. vehementer hortatur retention of current practice while invoking the common good of the Church. Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. The option offered to the faithful of receiving the Eucharistic bread in their hand and putting it into their own mouth must not turn out to be the occasion for regarding it as ordinary bread or as just another religious article. For you hear the words, the Body of Christ and respond Amen. Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true (St. Augustine, Sermon 272: PL 38, 1247).
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