How to Properly Receive Communion on the Hands - catholiclegion What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. However, cases of a deplorable lack of respect towards the Eucharistic species have been reported, cases which are imputable not only to the individuals guilty of such behavior but also to the pastors of the church who have not been vigilant enough regarding the attitude of the faithful towards the Eucharist. But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. PDF Instructions on Receiving Holy Communion with Proper Reverence What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? All of us should receive with great reverence and respect. 1. 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. This is the reason why you say after him: Amen.[21]. We have no nets to cast deeply. 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. Dear Patrick, The communicant replies, Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed, in the hand, the choice lying with the communicant. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. Yet even here, the experts sometimes forgot the unrepeatable reality of original circumstances so that restoration is never quite the same. 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 question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. Timothy O'Malley, Copyright 2023 The rationale for Communion on the hands being an ancient practice is from St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church: Receiving Communion Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. II], Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. 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. 5. 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. (Original Latin text here, see pp. awr. 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 We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. Many pathogens are transmitted through the hands. 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. Communion in the hand is no more hygienic than Communion in the mouth. 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. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better-prepared groups and in favorable settings. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. Maybe this is due to decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments. 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. Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. And to demonstrate reverence and. 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. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. 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. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. [18] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.43.18. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. divine life. 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. It was designed: 1. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. 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. 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. In fact, each time we move forward together to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join the countless ranks of all the baptized who have gone before us, our loved ones, the canonized and uncanonized saints down through the ages, who at their time in history formed a part of this mighty stream of believers. This is the quote that is always used: " make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. It is clear that this mode of reception was considered reverent and was to be carried out in a reverent manner. 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. North Africa,October 15 1969 St. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 4). 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. Part 4. The new manner of giving communion must not be imposed in a way that would exclude the traditional practice. It was proved that belief in the Real Presence is abysmal. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. 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. These views are sometimes strongly held. 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. [2] 2 Accept Communion in a state of grace. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. 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.. Im not aware of that limitation and would like to see proper documentation. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. 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. 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. If we follow the example of the Fathers, we will prioritize practices that prevent the dropping of the Eucharist and catechizing communicants not to receive in a state of mortal sin. Bishops allowing introduction of the new way of receiving communion are requested to send to this Congregation after six months a report on the result of its concession.. 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. 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]. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. Receiving Holy Communion | EWTN [6] In Syria (what we now call Turkey and surrounding regions) it is witnessed by Basil the Great,[7] John Chrysostom,[8] Theodore of Mopsuestia,[9] John Damascene[10] and the Council of Constantinople in Trullo (also called the Quinisext council). Communion on the Tongue is an Apostolic Tradition, and - Catholic365 It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. His blood now flows through our veins. 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. Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. 91). 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. 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: The new manner of giving communion must not be imposed in a way that would exclude the traditional practice. 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. They partake not of Him that is in them, they perceive Him not. Cdl. McElroy doubles down on heresy, pushes Communion for 'sexually England and Wales, 6 March 1976 God has come to live in us. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. Theres no simple solution to this issue. 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. All of us are only grasping a hint of it. More people have received Communion in the past century. But there is more to the story. He said that he had checked with the then Apostolic Delegation and had been assured that the pope was giving the boy a rosary. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. 284-287 is to be followed.. 6, trans. 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). Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. 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). [T]hose who restrict communicants to receive Holy Communion only in the hands are acting against the norms, as are those who refuse to Christ's faithful [the right] to receive Communion in the hand in dioceses that enjoy this indult. 86). Thanks for this, Dennis. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. Therefore I stand by what I wrote in the original: In this context I think it is fair to say that the present practice of Communion in the hand is not a simple restoration of a historical custom but rather introduced a new practice in new circumstances which, while it has some historical justification, is essentially motivated by current pastoral concerns in some parts of the world.. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. However, when they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that the faithful make appropriate reverence, according to the norms established, before receiving the Sacrament. R. E. Heine FotC 21 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1982). First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. 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. [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). Space doesn't allow all the details, but the propaganda in the 1970s that was used to sell Communion in the hand to a trusting, vulnerable people was a campaign of calculated half-truths that didn't tell the whole story. The elements were placed in the hands (not in the mouth) of each communicant by the clergy who were present, or, according to Justin, by the deacons alone, amid singing of psalms by the congregation (Psalm 34), with the words: The body of Christ; The blood of Christ, the cup of life; to each of which the recipient responded Amen. (eminent Church historian Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church: Ante-Nicene Christianity: A.D. 100-325 [Vol. The [Seraph] did not hold it, and [Isaiah] did not eat it But is the impression they give generally correct? Q. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? How to Take Communion in the Catholic Church: 10 Steps - wikiHow 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 am from India. Some may choose to receive the Lord on the tongue while others choose to receive in the hand. It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to. 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. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. How to Receive the Eucharist | Catholic Answers 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. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) Required fields are marked *. 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 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. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His 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. 4. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. Receiving communion in the hand was the common practice of the Church in both East and West for the first 800 years of Christianity, and it was certainly considered reverent by the Fathers. Above all it is necessary to have the introduction of the rite preceded by an effective catechesis, so that the people will clearly understand the meaning of receiving in the hand and will practice it with the reverence owed to the sacrament. 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. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. 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. 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. 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 suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. Hard to believe that Catechesis has never been better if that fundamental is misunderstood. [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. Henry Percival and ed. Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney published an excellent paper on the topic of conscience and authority which can be found at:https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=7833or, in a slightly briefer form athttps://zenit.org/articles/bishop-fisher-on-conscience-and-authority/. United States, 17 June 1977 Ever since the InstructionMemoriale Dominithree years ago, some of the conferences of bishops have been requesting the Apostolic See for the faculty to allow ministers distributing communion to place the eucharistic bread in the hand of the faithful. It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. [20] Cyril of Jerusalem, myst. 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. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. For whatever reason, reception on the hand does not appear to convey the same level of reverence in the public consciousness as reception on the tongue. So whats missing? (or: Which Heresy Will You Give Up for Lent? Or is there more context that is missing? 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. 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. Because those vessels are made so for our sakes. [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. 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. I think the Holy Spirit was nudging people closer to the problem, which was already in evidence decades before the Council. 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. The way we communicate the Gospel message is almost as important as the Gospel itself. 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. How should this evidence be brought to bear on the modern conversation? Later that year approval was given to Luxembourg, Scandinavia (Scandia), North Africa, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Monaco (see Notitiae v. 7 (1970), no. 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. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. 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. 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. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. 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 . Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling - Vatican.va Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 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. No wonder so many people there have given up on Christianity. The legitimacy of Communion in the hand is not in question. 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). 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! The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 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. The communicant may choose whether to receive the Body of Christ in the hand or on the tongue. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). Receiving the Host in the Hand | Franciscan Media June 29, 2021 | It is now August 2020 and I can say that you have been proven wrong. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. 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. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. The bishop, however, might sometimes deal with the religious priest through his superior in these matters. The problem is a lack of intentionality across the board, starting with the laity. Timothy O'Malley on the meaning of Eucharistic coherence in the life of the Church. Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? 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. Church Life Journal In fact, however, this hymn is prayer, the corporate thanksgiving prayer of the members of Christ's Body, united with one another. The Holy See has made it abundantly clear that both manners of reception of Communion - on the tongue and in the hand - are permitted, that Communion should be received reverently, and that the manner of reception should not become an occasion of division in the church. Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. 161. [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24. Communion should not be received on the run, as you're walking back to your place; it should be consumed before you leave the area below the altar. For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. In comparing the indult list provided in this post with the brief history of Fr. 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:

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