And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. Our worship ought to create common unity under Christ, not destroy it. Ireland, 4 September 1976 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. A Pastoral Guide to Receiving Communion - Crisis Magazine We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. So then after having carefully hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest you lose any portion thereof; for whatever you lose, is evidently a loss to you as it were from one of your own members. This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. A situation that, in the US certainly, was not necessarily governed by external uniformity (given the varieties of ethnic piety and cultural practices). When receiving Communion in the hand can be sinful - LifeSite If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. [21] Theodore of Mopsuestia, catech. 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. Communion on the Tongue is an Apostolic Tradition, and - Catholic365 The [Seraph] did not hold it, and [Isaiah] did not eat it The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue . 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. For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. Pope Benedict was asked why he chose to distribute Communion only to those kneeling and on the tongue and he responded, because it highlights "the truth of the real presence [of Christ] in the Eucharist, helps the devotion . How to Properly Receive Communion on the Hands - catholiclegion St. England and Wales, 6 March 1976 To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church. 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. 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. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. 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. 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 person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." Paul VI had a measure of it in 1974, and we hav emostly missed the wisdom of Evangelii Nuntiandi. are on the side of Lucifer. I guess my point is that regardless of our internal reverence (or lack thereof), the way we verbally and literally communicate our faith to others, especially our children, is still very important. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? Some may choose to receive the Lord on the tongue while others choose to receive in the hand. My simple point is that the individual ways our Church evolves over history have a significant impact on its life thereafter, often in ways we dont expect. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. 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. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? - AOD There are many devout Catholics who find this practice helpful. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. 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. 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 . The people administering the sacrament are asked to use hand sanitizer immediately before. 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. Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. 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. (I dont direct this at you, I mean it to everyone on all sides.). For one who eats unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation (1 Cor 11:29). New Zealand, 24 April 1974 That said, there are dimensions to this discussion that I think are both valuable and havent been given much screen time overall. 895. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? Is the Catholic Church ever going to bring back communion wine? From this brief historical survey, however, we know that this need not be the case, and we can look to the Fathers for a pious example as we seek to foster reverence towards the Eucharist in the liturgy today. This blog is not associated with Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. Henry Percival and ed. cites vote tallies to defend a claim that a large majority (longe plurimos) of bishops not only oppose introducing Communion in the hand but consider it tum sensui tum spirituali cultui [] offensioni You should thus draw near with great awe and love, according to the greatness of that which is given: with awe, because of the greatness of (its) honour; and with love, because of (its) grace. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . W.R., Goa, India. My country is not on this list but holy communion is the norm. Guidelines for the Reception of Communion | USCCB A: The answer to this question is somewhat complex. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, InstructionImmensae caritatis, on facilitating reception of Communion in certain circumstances, 29 January 1973: AAS 65 (1973) 264-271; Not 9 (1973) 157-164. . I think the Holy Spirit was nudging people closer to the problem, which was already in evidence decades before the Council. Excelling, therefore, every sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by the participation of divine grace. At the same time, it is not justified to claim that Communion in the hand is necessarily less reverent or inevitably leads to abuses. Yugoslavia, 1971 So when received unworthily, it is not only useless, but it is harmful to oneself (a lifestyle of sin continues), our neighbors (increase of violence, arson, looting, murders), and society in general (take a look at the condition of our country), and is extremely offensive to God (hence the wide-spread suffering). I make no judgment about who is guilty of this- I dont know most of the people by far and am in no position to judge. Even if we presume the authenticity of the text we still do not know how long the practice lasted, whether leavened or unleavened bread was used and whether the practice was exclusive to the Church of Jerusalem. Instruction on the Manner of Distributing Holy Communion Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. 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. Today, both manners of receiving Communion are worthy and licit. 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. Another will say the opposite; he says, On the contrary, if the wound of sin and the attack of the disease is in fact so great that such medicines need to be postponed, one ought to be removed from the altar by the authority of the bishop in order to do penance, and one ought to be reconciled by the same authority. He said that he had checked with the then Apostolic Delegation and had been assured that the pope was giving the boy a rosary. 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. Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. For some, however, the experience of the Communion Procession is far more prosaic, analogous perhaps to standing in line in the supermarket or at the motor vehicle bureau. For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life Maybe this is due to its similarity to practices in most Protestant churches, many of which (Anglicans and Lutherans notwithstanding) fundamentally dont believe in a sacramental Communion substance. The divine coal is a common image of the Eucharist in Syrian theology. Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. There is so much to Communion. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. [13] In the far-flung regions of the empireGaul (modern-day France and Spain) we have the witness of Caesarius of Arles[14] and the council of Auxerre,[15] and in England, we have the Venerable Bede. For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. Bishops Cannot Mandate Communion on the Hand or Forbid Communion on the Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? Is it okay to recieve Communion in the hand? - Catholic Online And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. I did an internet search about the history of communion in the hand in the U.S. and the only thing I found was an article by the NLM. 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. Jamaica, 12 March 1970 A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Elizabeth Klein At Christ's invitation, extended by the priest acting in Christ's person: "Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb," the members of the community move forward to share in the sacred meal, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ which is the sign and the source of their unity. But "the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly." This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites. Maybe this is due to decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments. Madagascar 2 March 1970 2. [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. His blood now flows through our veins. When the bishops reassembled, Cardinal John Carberry of St. Louis, a determined opponent of Communion in the hand, was quick to get up to set things straight. 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. All of us should receive with great reverence and respect. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). 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. Australia, 26 September 1975 In fact, however, this hymn is prayer, the corporate thanksgiving prayer of the members of Christ's Body, united with one another. Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. Some scholars claim that this part of the Mystical Catechesis is not originally from St. Cyril but a later interpolation into the text. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. The causes are myriad and often interconnected. [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. Thanks for this, Dennis. 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. It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. Cyril of Jerusalem [c. 313-386], Catechetical Lectures, 23:21-22) Several more but no room here. If a priest has great personal difficulty due to deeply and sincerely held views regarding this practice, he can always petition the bishop for a personal exemption or a permission to not apply this permission to his parish. So whats missing? 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. PDF Instructions on Receiving Holy Communion with Proper Reverence As for decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments, it seems more likely that catechesis has never been better, more Scripture-based, and more soundly theological. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass | USCCB awr. Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:16-17). 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. I beg to differ. Q. The communicant should audibly respond, "Amen," indicating by that response his or her belief that this small wafer of bread, the wine in this chalice are in reality the body and blood of Christ the Lord. 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. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. [15] See the council of Auxerre, canon 36 (it directs women not to receive on their bare hands, but with their hand covered by a cloth). 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. In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. Per The Baltimore Catechism: I have celebrated Mass in places where there is no Communion in the hand and yet have observed some people approach the Eucharist in a slovenly and distracted manner with nary a trace of reverence in sight. In this way, the practice of Communion in the hand is different from other liturgical elements restored after centuries of disuse, such as the prayer of the faithful and the exchange of peace. (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) The Communion Procession is an action of the Body of Christ. IMHO no, contrary to what some real traddies may say. divine life. How to Receive the Eucharist | Catholic Answers The liturgical renewal of St. Pius X which promoted the frequent reception of Communion were still quite young. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. Malaysia and Singapore, 3 October 1977, * * * * *. [1] This RCIA Process is the way in which you are prepared to be formally received by the Church; this is necessary before you can take Communion.