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] Here is what Theodore says: Aaron, this describes what the countries are to do where Communion in the hand was being practiced. 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. Over and over again the prayers of the liturgy and the norms of the General Instruction emphasize this fundamental concept of the unity of the baptized, stressing that when we come together to participate in the Eucharistic celebration we come, not as individuals, but as united members of Christ's Body. Per The Baltimore Catechism: The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. 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. If our reader had said that he believed that Communion in the hand was more prone to dangers of accidents and profanation, I would accept the argument. 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. Uruguay,October 15 1969 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. How to Take Communion in the Catholic Church: 10 Steps - wikiHow It is still the practice of millions of committed Latin-rite Catholics all over the world and of many Eastern Churches who administer the Eucharist under both species on the tongue. 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. 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. When we move in procession, particularly the procession to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, we are a sign, a symbol of that pilgrim Church "on the way.". 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. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling - Vatican.va 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). I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? Paraguay, 27 September 1971 To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life 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. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 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? 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. In North Africa (including Egypt) the practice is mentioned by Tertullian,[1] Cyprian,[2] Augustine,[3] Cyril of Alexandria,[4] and John Climacus. A passage from St. Cyril of Jerusalem is used to persuade Catholics that Communion in the hand is an ancient practice legitimately restored after Vatican II. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. It is adoration of Christ, meal of fellowship, union with other communicants (hence the Church wants us to sing during reception), sharing in Christs self-sacrifice, mystical union with angels & saints, sharing even now in the heavenly banquet, having the life of the Risen Christ in oneself, a call to charity and works of justice and making real on earth the peace foreshadowed in Communion, etc. Pray Tell here documents two statements of the Congregation for Divine Worship issued under Pope Paul VI. Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). 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. 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. 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. I am just wondering what the reason or reasons were for allowing reception of Communion in the hand to begin with? 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. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. I dont mean how did it come about. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. Bolivia, October 15 1969 Guidelines for the Reception of Communion | USCCB What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive? For example, Augustine writes, Someone might say that the Eucharist should not be received daily. Q. Zambia, 11 March 1974 Battered Gargoyles & The Human Future - Rod Dreher's Diary John Paul II and Mother Theresa on Communion in the Hand Finally, to the end that their coming to this heavenly table may be completely worthy and fruitful, the faithful should be instructed on its benefits and effects, for both the individual and society, so that their familial relationship to the Father who gives us our daily bread, may reflect the highest reverence for him, nurture love, and lead to a living bond with Christ, in whose flesh and blood we share.. But as time passed it became the practice to receive Communion directly on the tongue in order to assure that the Host was received reverently. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . What is Communion? It's Meaning and Symbolism Explained - Bible Study Tools 895. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. 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. What a Priest Might Do If He Wants to Avoid It. That the conference had voted twice but failed to approve the practice and then only won the third vote by gathering absentee votes which is the article claims was unlawful? Cdl. McElroy doubles down on heresy, pushes Communion for 'sexually 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. 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. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. 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. 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. A Pastoral Guide to Receiving Communion - Crisis Magazine Sacrilege is at an all-time high, yet use of the Sacrament of Confession is at an all-time low. It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. 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. 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. The oldest reference to the Eucharist in the New Testament occurs in chapters 11 and 12 of the First Letter to the Corinthians, which has no reference to receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. 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 []. After receiving Communion our bodies become holy chalices. What Everyone Should Know About How To Receive Holy 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. Is it okay to recieve Communion in the hand? - Catholic Online By this symbolic action, their denial would be clear to all. They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. These practices have wide evidence of use and in some ways never died out completely. I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. Early Christian Communion in the Hand | Church Life Journal [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. It preserves us from mortal sin by exciting us to greater fervor and strengthening us against temptation. Our bishops have argued that Communion in the hand is the proper way for the faithful to respond to our Lord's invitation: "All of you, take and eat this." What the bishops overlook is the fact . Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. [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. Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 2. 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. South Africa, 1971 [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. 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). 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. 843 1; cf. Chad, 18 September 1969 First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? Cyril of Jerusalem [c. 313-386], Catechetical Lectures, 23:21-22) Several more but no room here. 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. 86). 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). 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. Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. A situation that, in the US certainly, was not necessarily governed by external uniformity (given the varieties of ethnic piety and cultural practices). 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. Timothy O'Malley on the meaning of Eucharistic coherence in the life of the Church. On this point, I will leave you with a beautiful exhortation from the Golden Tongue: Think of what you receive in your hand and never lift it to strike another and never disgrace with the sin of assault the hand that has been honored with so great a gift. New Zealand, 24 April 1974 These guidelines replace the guidelines approved by the Administrative Committee of the NCCB in November 1986. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. This is the reason why you say after him: Amen.[21]. 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! Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. 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. 96). While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Receiving the Host in the Hand | Franciscan Media If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. Library : Holy Communion in the Hand? | Catholic Culture Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. The debate was interrupted by lunch. More people have received Communion in the past century. I am a daily witness at the Basilique du Sacr-Cur de Montmartre (Paris).. Later that year approval was given to Luxembourg, Scandinavia (Scandia), North Africa, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Monaco (see Notitiae v. 7 (1970), no. [18] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.43.18. Can you direct me to where you obtained this list? It is simply reading too much into this practice, and it is not correct to support something one favors by denigrating another practice. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. 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. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. It is now August 2020 and I can say that you have been proven wrong.