As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. 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. Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division. Of note for the modern debate, both John Chrysostom and the Council of Constantinople in Trullo argue that human beings, made in the image of God and capable of communing with him, are more worthy to touch the Eucharist than vessels of gold and silver. Today, both manners of receiving Communion are worthy and licit. 1. 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. Djibouti, 6 March 1970 We have no nets to cast deeply. For this alone is the eating referred to by our Lord ( John 6:58 ). 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. Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. More people have received Communion in the past century. For Catholics: As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. 896. [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. A quick example will be found . They would find many more areas we all need to work on than just their main focus. ), Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. awr. Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. 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. Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. 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. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24. 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. Father, as to the limitation on what regions might request this indult, Memoriale Domini stipulated that Where a contrary usage, that of placing holy communion on the hand, prevails, the Holy See [] lays on those conferences the task of weighing carefully whatever special circumstances may exist there []. But to us our Lord has given both . I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. South Africa, 1971 R. E. Heine FotC 21 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1982). In the early Church, the faithful stood when receiving into their hands the consecrated particle can hardly be questioned. St. Dionysius of Alexandria [d. 265], writing to one of the popes of his time, speaks emphatically of one who has stood by the table and has extended his hand to receive the Holy Food (Eusebius [263-339], Hist. On the other hand, if the sins are not so great that a person should be judged to deserve excommunication, he ought not to withdraw from the daily medicine of the Lords body.[26]. 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. 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. Many pathogens are transmitted through the hands. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. All our lives we who believe in Christ are moving in time toward that moment when we will be taken by death from this world and enter into the joy of the Lord in the eternal Kingdom he has prepared for us. 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. And of course Pope Paul VI was adamant that all the reforms carried out under him were faithful to the Second Vatican Council. 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. [2] 2 Accept Communion in a state of grace. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. [27] John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instruction, 12.15-16, trans. And why so? What if we were passionate about all that? It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. divine life. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. 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. And to demonstrate reverence and. If he is a religious priest, what actions can a legitimate superior take as regards the member who denies Communion in the hand? This is a fundamental misunderstanding. The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. The sad fact that in recent years hosts consecrated by a Pope have been offered for sale on the Internet further motivates this precautionary measure. http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/truth-about-communion-in-hand-while.html#.Wpa2wdIUnGg. I similarly think Cardinal Sarahs frankly ridiculous comments about Lucifer are draining credibility from his cause (one that I admittedly align with sometimes), even if some of his proposals are good ones. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church. A perception such as this is a dreadfully inaccurate and impoverished understanding of what is a significant religious action. 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. Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university. 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. Just look at what making donating money an indulgence-eligible corporal work of mercy resulted in during the Renaissance. For example, Augustine writes, Someone might say that the Eucharist should not be received daily. All of us are only grasping a hint of it. Uruguay,October 15 1969 Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 348 gave this instruction to his congregation:When you approach Holy Communion, make the left hand into a throne for the right, which will receive the King. The following norms must, therefore, be respected. As a scholar of the early Church, I was surprised to learn that the practice of communion in the hand is such a hotly debated topic; it came to my attention during the early days of the pandemic, when many dioceses required communicants to receive in this way. This blog is not associated with Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. Other way round, it was in the hand and changed to the tongue circa 900 in the west. [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). What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive? 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. For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. 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 debate was interrupted by lunch. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. . 6. 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 . Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. It is simply reading too much into this practice, and it is not correct to support something one favors by denigrating another practice. The author claims that Communion in the hand could only be authorized in countries where it was an established practice but doesnt give a citation. 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 Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. In such cases, episcopal conferences should examine matters carefully and should make whatever decisions, by a secret vote and with a two-thirds majority, are needed to regulate matters. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. The liturgical assembly of the baptized that comes together for the celebration of the Eucharist is a witness to, a manifestation of, the pilgrim Church. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). 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. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. These practices have wide evidence of use and in some ways never died out completely. 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.". The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Elizabeth Klein First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? North Africa,October 15 1969 160). SACRED CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP, Letter En reponse a la demande, to presidents of those conferences of bishops petitioning the indult for communion in the hand, 29 May 1969: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 61 (1969) 546-547; Notitiae 5 (1969) 351-353. St. (I dont direct this at you, I mean it to everyone on all sides.). Confess it and move on. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable.. 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). Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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. 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. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. We should rejoice in that. There is so much to Communion. Whether to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue are liturgical disciplines, not dogmas. Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. 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. I think proponents of tongue/kneeling will get a better hearing if they uphold all aspects of Communion. If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . It must be presumed that a priest has sufficient formation in moral principles so as to exclude an erroneous conscience in such matters. Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? [4] Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John 6.1 and 12.1. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. 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). 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.
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