Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. 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. Zambia, 11 March 1974 The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. The following norms must, therefore, be respected. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. Sure, Ill go along with that. The people administering the sacrament are asked to use hand sanitizer immediately before. Timothy O'Malley on the meaning of Eucharistic coherence in the life of the Church. 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. [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). Who holds the wind in the palm of his hand?
Hard to believe that Catechesis has never been better if that fundamental is misunderstood. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. The Council was a start, but we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked in silly and divisive banter. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. North Africa,October 15 1969 The way we communicate the Gospel message is almost as important as the Gospel itself. Dear Patrick, . Back issue of Notitiae are accessible via the new website of the Congregation for Divine Worship at: http://www.cultodivino.va/content/cultodivino/it/rivista-notitiae/indici-annate.html. The debate was interrupted by lunch. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. The bishop, however, might sometimes deal with the religious priest through his superior in these matters. Councils establish principles (and rarely go into specific points) and then leave it to a commission to carry out the detailed work after the Council. A perception such as this is a dreadfully inaccurate and impoverished understanding of what is a significant religious action. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. Jamaica, 12 March 1970 And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. awr. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. 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). Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. 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. Alphonse Mingana (Gorgias Press: Piscataway, NJ, 2009 [1933]). 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. Blog Staff and Editorial Advisory Committee, http://www.kathpedia.com/index.php?title=Handkommunion, http://www.cultodivino.va/content/cultodivino/it/rivista-notitiae/indici-annate.html, From the Wires: U.S. Catholic Priests Are Increasingly Conservative as Faithful Grow More Liberal, Yale Organ Week: Now Accepting Applications, The North American Academy of Liturgy, 2023, New Open-Access, Ecumenical Journal Powered by the University of Vienna, Is the Eucharistic Revival a Liturgical Revival (Part 2), What Did Jesus Know? can. 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.. 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. France, 6 June 1969 The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice
[8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. Receiving Communion The Sacrament of Holy Communion (also known as The Lord's Supper or Eucharist) has been precious and life-giving to Christians for 2,000 years. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. St. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. This blog is not associated with Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. 51 (Feb), pg 62). 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.". Q: When the bishop in a diocese allows the faithful to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue, can a priest, who objects on the grounds of conscience, refuse to give the faithful holy Communion in the hand? 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. 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. [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. 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. 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. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His Phillip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889). Paul W. Harkins ACW 31 (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1963). Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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. 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. Wherefore, if any one wishes to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross, and so let him receive the communion of grace. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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.. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. I mean WHAT SPECIFIC REASONS were given for requesting it in the first place? What some call discipleship, others evangelizationnew or whatever, or some speak of discernment and application of spiritual gifts. The traditional and preferred method is the reception of the Host on the tongue: Step forward and kneel at the Communion rail or station (if you stand, make a sign of reverencesuch as a bow or genuflection or Sign of the Crossbefore receiving the Host and take care not to disrupt the Communion line). Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 St. Your email address will not be published. Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. 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. Jeffrey T. Wickes FotC 130 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015). [2] Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 14, On the Lapsed 16 and 26,and Letter 55.9. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. 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. If one is left-handed this is reversed. 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. To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul. 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. The Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. 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). 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. 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. 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. Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. 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. 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. Yugoslavia, 1971 To be a pledge of everlasting life. This is the reason why you say after him: Amen.[21]. 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. Permission for administering Communion in the hand was granted by the Holy See to the following countries and regions under Pope Paul VI:[UPDATED 3-2-18], Belgium, 31 May 1969 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. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The showing of tooth and claw by some traditional-leaning Catholics is a scandal that discourages neighbors, and puts a very ugly face on the Body for others to view. 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. Its just BREAD!!. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. 95% of parishes shrinking, seminaries empty, young people disengaged: it will happen in Africa and Asia too when the culture of the secular West overwhelms the Third World. Luxembourg, October 15 1969 A. Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist: 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 . 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. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. 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. 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. New Zealand, 24 April 1974 Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. And some who do have lost their strength or nerve. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. All rights reserved. To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. in Eph 3, trans. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. Permission for administering Communion in the hand was granted by the Holy See to the United States on June 17, 1977 and has since become almost the universal norm in the Ordinary Form. 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. 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. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. 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. 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. Instead of receiving in my hand, thinking "the other way is better," and quickly gobbling up the Eucharist, I took the "popular way," as a gift: I put my left hand on top of my right . Monaco, 31 October 1969 Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 A. The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. 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. 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. 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 . The faithful must be taught that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that therefore the worship of latria or adoration belonging to God is owed to Christ present in this sacrament. I am a daily witness at the Basilique du Sacr-Cur de Montmartre (Paris).. I think that settles it. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? Just look at what making donating money an indulgence-eligible corporal work of mercy resulted in during the Renaissance. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. 284-287 is to be followed.. For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. 915). However, this is likely to lead to many embarrassing instances for the faithful who approach communion unaware of the situation. 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. As further documentation,Pray Tell provides this excerpt from the 2002General Instruction of the Roman Missal in Latin and English on the reception of Communion. 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. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Other way round, it was in the hand and changed to the tongue circa 900 in the west. 86). It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. Some may choose to receive the Lord on the tongue while others choose to receive in the hand. 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. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. 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. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. 1. The guidelines recommend against serving Communion until gatherings of more than 50 people are allowed. But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. This means that Jesus has no eyes but our eyes, no feet . 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. I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. 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. Take this from someone who receives in the hand sometimes, I would never do it if I thought it was enabling Lucifer to corrupt my soul. 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. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. The missal of 1570 eliminated almost all sequences and moved the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar to the beginning of the Order of Mass though the Council of Trent never said a word about either. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. And why so? We have no nets to cast deeply. On the one hand, I think this evidence precludes describing communion in the hand as intrinsically irreverent. [9] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Catechetical Homilies 6. Greg., Dial., I, III, c. iii). 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. 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. Paul VI had a measure of it in 1974, and we hav emostly missed the wisdom of Evangelii Nuntiandi. The problem of lack of reverence stems not from the manner of receiving Communion but from the lack of faith, awe, and gratitude before this great mystery. 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. It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. Churches are closing, priests are dying off, masses young people are dropping their faith, and the Church is slowly slipping into obscurity in its own homeland. 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. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. 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. 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. To lessen our evil inclinations. South Africa, 1971 Ruff, I think we both agree that internal reverence is the most important aspect of this discussion (and therefore the ways each manner serves that) and I know many reverent people who do both. A quick example will be found . For example, to say that Communion in the hand is a sign of spiritual maturity, or that Communion on the tongue reduces the lay faithful to infancy, is belied by centuries of lay saints who received in this manner. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). The life of Christ, the Holy Spirit, animates each of us individually, and all of us corporately and guides us together in our efforts to become one in Christ. For this reason, since the question of Communion in the hand is not a question of faith as such, and it has been approved by the legitimate authority, I do not believe that a priest can invoke conscience as a motive for refusing to apply a legitimate law.