The Holy See has made it abundantly clear that both manners of reception of Communion on the tongue and in the hand are permitted, that Communion should be received reverently, and that the manner of reception should not become an occasion of division in the church. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. They probably never foresaw its subsequent, and occasionally chaotic, development in some parts of the Church. Alternatively, it is permissible to adopt a simpler procedure, namely, allowing the faithful themselves to take the host from the ciborium or paten. Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. Do we have faith in the efficacy of the sacraments or not? 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. Follow-up: Objecting to Communion in the Hand (10-16-2018), Pursuant to my reflections on Communion in the hand (October 2), a reader from France claimed that It is totally justified to claim that Communion in the hand is necessarily less reverent or inevitably leads to abuses. This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. The US might have been little-touched by the scorched earth of world war, and perhaps our feel-good stance astride the planet delayed the decay somewhat. Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. He can freely share with the faithful his reasons for preferring to adhere to the traditional practice and encourage the faithful to continue doing so. Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by Satan to destroy the Church (ok, probably not that). We have no nets to cast deeply. Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). They are also to be instructed not to omit after communion the sincere and appropriate thanksgiving that is in keeping with their individual capacities, state, and occupation. The restorers of the rite probably had the beautiful simplicity and symbolism of the medieval rite in mind but did not take the changed circumstances sufficiently into account. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. in Eph 3, trans. If he is a religious priest, what actions can a legitimate superior take as regards the member who denies Communion in the hand? A: The answer to this question is somewhat complex. This helps explain why this line of thought isnt gaining much traction except on the right fringe. The Holy See has made it abundantly clear that both manners of reception of Communion - on the tongue and in the hand - are permitted, that Communion should be received reverently, and that the manner of reception should not become an occasion of division in the church. My country is not on this list but holy communion is the norm. 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. 21. For one who eats unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation (1 Cor 11:29). In this he shows a great fear, and since the hand that is stretched out holds a higher rank, it is the one that is extended for receiving the body of the King, and the other hand bears and brings its sister hand, while not thinking that it is playing the role of a servant, as it is equal with it in honour, on account of the bread of the King, which is also borne by it. So whats missing? This norm is supported by an Instruction by the Holy See regarding the Eucharist: "In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that 'sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them'(Code of Canon Law, can. Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. In North Africa (including Egypt) the practice is mentioned by Tertullian,[1] Cyprian,[2] Augustine,[3] Cyril of Alexandria,[4] and John Climacus. 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. Q. IMHO no, contrary to what some real traddies may say. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 France, 6 June 1969 Indeed, it can be dangerous for contagion. I dont read any statement with canonical force saying that only those countries may apply for an indult. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. The Church understands the Communion Procession, in fact every procession in liturgy, as a sign of the pilgrim Church, the body of those who believe in Christ, on their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. 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. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. (or: Which Heresy Will You Give Up for Lent? How should this evidence be brought to bear on the modern conversation? When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. October 13, 2022. Please take responsibility for the lies, the bile, and the sinful stuff. ), Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. Or is there more context that is missing? We are the Body of Christ, moving forward to receive the Christ who makes us one with himself and with one another. 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. From the historical point of view, we can say that there is strong evidence that the practice existed in early centuries in some areas of the Church. [11] Council of Constantinople in Trullo, canon 101. In defending his push to give Communion to grave sinners, McElroy reiterated his belief that conscience has the "privileged place" over doctrine in decision-making and suggested that it can . However, when they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that the faithful make appropriate reverence, according to the norms established, before receiving the Sacrament. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. Jeffrey T. Wickes FotC 130 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015). Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney published an excellent paper on the topic of conscience and authority which can be found at:https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=7833or, in a slightly briefer form athttps://zenit.org/articles/bishop-fisher-on-conscience-and-authority/. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. These views are sometimes strongly held. There is also evidence that this was a contested subject (i.e., about what sins prevent someone from receiving), as it would continue to be throughout the history of the Church. It describes one of the purposes of the opening song of the Mass as to "foster the unity of those who have been gathered" (no. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. 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. Some of the online advocates of kneeling/tongue seem to focus only on adoration of the Real Presence and now a cardinal has said that those who receive standing in the hand most Catholics by far! Some advocates of communion on the tongue, at least online, seem guilty of thinking that (however much more virtuous than I they probably are in their lives). 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. And why so? 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 as any danger or hint of danger of profaning the Eucharist. The debate was interrupted by lunch. My sense is that if theres something demonic in all this it is the Galatians moment in which many Catholics find themselves, especially those on the traditional side. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. Fire came down and consumed the sacrifices of Elijah
If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. At the same time, it is not justified to claim that Communion in the hand is necessarily less reverent or inevitably leads to abuses. Greg., Dial., I, III, c. iii). 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. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. Pakistan, 29 October 1976 Most often when speaking of reverence, however, the Fathers emphasize two main things: 1) that every precaution should be taken lest the Eucharist fall to the ground and 2) that communicants should be from serious sin and quarrels with other Christians. These need to be taken seriously if one wants to effectively engage in these discussions with the likes of Cardinal Sarah and others. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. Chad, 18 September 1969 Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. Space doesn't allow all the details, but the propaganda in the 1970s that was used to sell Communion in the hand to a trusting, vulnerable people was a campaign of calculated half-truths that didn't tell the whole story. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. 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. One said: When [the practice was] introduced in the U.S. Cyril of Jerusalem was quoted make your hands a throne for the King, take and eat.Is anyone denying the quote?, Concerning Communion in the hand, please consult the Mystical Catechesis of St. Cyril of Jerusalem for a description of the practice around A.D. 345. 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.. All rights reserved. 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. 6. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable.. However, cases of a deplorable lack of respect towards the Eucharistic species have been reported, cases which are imputable not only to the individuals guilty of such behavior but also to the pastors of the church who have not been vigilant enough regarding the attitude of the faithful towards the Eucharist. Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. What a Priest Might Do If He Wants to Avoid It. It is difficult for some of us to embrace this emphasis on Mass as the action of a community rather than an individual act of my own faith and piety, but it is important that we make every effort to do so. Basil the Great, 330-379 stated, "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution." This statement may very well have been made in response to St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 348. So they reintroduced the practice of Communion in the hand (it had been originally introduced as a widespread practice by the Arian heretics of the Fourth Century to deny that Jesus is God). In an even more elevated tone, Ephrem the Syrian, in a stunning passage, invites the Christian communicant to feel awe at what is placed in his or her hand, since even the Seraph did not take the divine coal with his hand, nor did the prophet Isaiah eat it (see: Isa 6:6). 91). It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. I think youre right that, without an explicitly limiting clause, there is no canonically binding restriction to those countries, and that the subsequent granting of dispensation ultimately belied such restriction.
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