A parish priest, or the rector of a sanctuary, might have objective reasons for not applying the permission if there is any danger of profanation or lack of respect. Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. But there is more to the story. 895. The legitimacy of Communion in the hand is not in question. 843 1; cf. It also rules out arguing for an intrinsic link between a rejection of the true presence and communion in the handthe Fathers, on the whole, speak of Christs presence in the Eucharist in highly realistic terms and also received on the hand. Required fields are marked *. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. 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. He said that he had checked with the then Apostolic Delegation and had been assured that the pope was giving the boy a rosary. South Africa, 1971 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. Aaron, this describes what the countries are to do where Communion in the hand was being practiced. The causes are myriad and often interconnected. United States, 17 June 1977 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. Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. The infamous coffee cup masses Dorothy Day describes in her book may have had good intentions behind them, but the way they appeared to trivialize the Holy Sacrifice of the mass lent no dignity to the then new Pauline mass. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. The Truth About Communion in the Hand | The Fatima Center Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. 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. For the first few centuries of the Church, receiving Communion in the hand was a common practice. All of us are only grasping a hint of it. 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). England and Wales, 6 March 1976 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. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? I am just wondering what the reason or reasons were for allowing reception of Communion in the hand to begin with? As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. St. 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. How to Receive the Eucharist | Catholic Answers On reverence for the Eucharist and belief in the Real Presence among Catholic laity has greatly declined I dont think this has ever been proven. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. The same Instruction contained a reminder that the laws of the Church and the writings of the Fathers give ample witness of a supreme reverence and utmost caution toward the Eucharist and that this must continue. Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. The Council was a start, but we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked in silly and divisive banter. FYI, the announcement that approval for Communion in the Hand was given (in 1969) to Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, and Chad appeared in Notitiae in v. 6 (1969), no. To be a pledge of everlasting life. 13.3, trans. Other way round, it was in the hand and changed to the tongue circa 900 in the west. Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 Uruguay,October 15 1969 Cyril of Jerusalem and Theodore of Mopsuestia liken the practice to that of receiving a king, and both of them note the method of reception was in joined hands (also described in other sources as hands in the form of a cross). These practices have wide evidence of use and in some ways never died out completely. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. 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). 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. 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. Care must also be taken that the communicants have clean hands and that their comportment is becoming and in keeping with the practices of the different peoples. Your email address will not be published. Whatever one thinks about the practice today and its reemergence after Vatican II, it is important that our conversation be grounded in an accurate picture of the history of this practice. The option must not turn out to be the occasion for regarding it as ordinary bread or as just another religious article., I feel this is a underrated point in recent discussions on the reception of Holy Communion, both here on PT and elsewhere. [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. 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. Eccl., VII, ix). 3. This blog is not associated with Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. 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. (or: Which Heresy Will You Give Up for Lent? Communion in the hand was officially permitted in the United States in 1977, following an indult that is, special permission given by the Congregation for Divine Sacraments in 1969. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. IMHO no, contrary to what some real traddies may say. What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. 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. 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. 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.. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. 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. Pandemic will affect Communion rituals for U.S. Christians It also happens, on occasion, that the free choice of those who prefer to continue the practice of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is not taken into account in those places where the distribution of Communion in the hand has been authorized. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. The Netherlands, 18 September 1969 It is a matter of particular seriousness that in places where the new practice is lawfully permitted every one of the faithful have the option of receiving communion on the tongue and even when other persons are receiving communion in the hand. To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. Featured Image: Rossano Gospels, Last Supper, 6th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? - AOD We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. We have no nets to cast deeply. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. 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], To receive the Sacrament which is given, a person stretches out his right hand, and under it he places the left hand. The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice awr. 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. 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. But such as, instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift, and by these receive the immaculate communion, we by no means allow to come, as preferring inanimate and inferior matter to the image of God.[24]. 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. Hard to believe that Catechesis has never been better if that fundamental is misunderstood. 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. 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. This is in no way meant to refer to those who, receiving the Lord Jesus in the hand, do so with profound reverence and devotion, in those countries where this practice has been authorized.. 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. It is now August 2020 and I can say that you have been proven wrong. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. Q. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. These considerations can perhaps help balance our perspective (whether in favor or against the practice of communion in the hand), and alert us to the fact that reverence is a complex phenomenon that, of course, does involve postures of the body, but most importantly, the attitude of the heart. 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 . But to us our Lord has given both . Rather maddeningly, it is the Anglicans who in the West have retained the practice as described by St. Cyril, while contemporary Latin-rite Catholics tend to consume the Host as if it were a potato chip., 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. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? I dont think reception in the hand is destroying the Church like what some prominent leaders in the Church have implied, but this practice has still had wide ranging [and not entirely positive] ramifications in the Church over the last half century, far beyond the obvious choice of the individual communicant. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. For example, there is ample evidence that the exchange of peace between the people was practiced well into the Middle Ages in several European countries. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ's faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing" (Redemptionis Sacramentum, no. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. Just look at what making donating money an indulgence-eligible corporal work of mercy resulted in during the Renaissance. 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. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. It is a matter of particular seriousness that in places where the new practice is lawfully permitted every one of the faithful has the option of receiving communion on the tongue and even when other persons are receiving communion in the hand. 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. 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. Holt Orders cannot sustain the Church, no matter how much traditionalists preach priests are of the utmost importance. What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? 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. Receiving the host in one's hand has been an option in the United States since the bishops authorized this in May 1977 and the Holy See confirmed it. Nor did the Vatican interpret it that way, near as I can tell. Whether to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue are liturgical disciplines, not dogmas. It seems appropriate to conclude this reflection on the Communion Procession and the reception of Communion with a quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. The debate was interrupted by lunch. [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. It is standard procedure so I wonder what the basis of this accusation is. Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. The list obviously is not complete, for this article says that Germany and France both received permission from the Holy See on the same day in 1969: (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) 4. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive? 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. 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. I think proponents of tongue/kneeling will get a better hearing if they uphold all aspects of Communion. [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. Receiving Communion - Prayer & Spiritual Life - Greek Orthodox 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. When the priest gives it he says: The body of Christ. He teaches you by this word not to look at that which is visible, but to picture in your mind the nature of this oblation, which, by the coming of the Holy Spirit, is the body of Christ. 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. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? enough bread and wine are made ready for the communication of the faithful at each Mass.45 As a general rule, Holy Communion is given from hosts . The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass | USCCB