7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by Satan to destroy the Church (ok, probably not that). 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.. Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by . 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. It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. [20] Cyril of Jerusalem, myst. 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. What is Communion? It's Meaning and Symbolism Explained - Bible Study Tools This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. In this he shows a great fear, and since the hand that is stretched out holds a higher rank, it is the one that is extended for receiving the body of the King, and the other hand bears and brings its sister hand, while not thinking that it is playing the role of a servant, as it is equal with it in honour, on account of the bread of the King, which is also borne by it. After stipulating the historical practice of Communion in the hand, Memoriale Domini: defends the development of discipline that led to Communion on the tongue Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). 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. [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. Dear Patrick, I think that settles it. 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.. It is simply reading too much into this practice, and it is not correct to support something one favors by denigrating another practice. The liturgical renewal of St. Pius X which promoted the frequent reception of Communion were still quite young. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer Amen. 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. There is so much to Communion. Aaron, 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. cites vote tallies to defend a claim that a large majority (longe plurimos) of bishops not only oppose introducing Communion in the hand but consider it tum sensui tum spirituali cultui [] offensioni How should this evidence be brought to bear on the modern conversation? Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? These need to be taken seriously if one wants to effectively engage in these discussions with the likes of Cardinal Sarah and others. Im not aware of that limitation and would like to see proper documentation. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. In North Africa (including Egypt) the practice is mentioned by Tertullian,[1] Cyprian,[2] Augustine,[3] Cyril of Alexandria,[4] and John Climacus. Think of what you receive in your hand and keep it clean of all greed and theft. Excelling, therefore, every sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by the participation of divine grace. 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. 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 . [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. 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. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . W.R., Goa, India. 160). Required fields are marked *. Is the Catholic Church ever going to bring back communion wine? A perception such as this is a dreadfully inaccurate and impoverished understanding of what is a significant religious action. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? - AOD When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. North Africa,October 15 1969 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. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . Q. When receiving Communion in the hand can be sinful - LifeSite Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. John Paul II and Mother Theresa on Communion in the Hand This means that Jesus has no eyes but our eyes, no feet . With regard to the second, we have many early witnesses including Paul (see 1 Cor 11:27) and the Didache (seechapter 14). 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. 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. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. In order to be properly disposed to . That said, there are dimensions to this discussion that I think are both valuable and havent been given much screen time overall. Germany, 6 June 1969 James Shapiro, a literature prof at Columbia, says the situation is catastrophic: One reason was the way of the world. What if we were passionate about all that? Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university. For one who eats unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation (1 Cor 11:29). [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. Phillip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889). Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. [21] Theodore of Mopsuestia, catech. The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice In defending his push to give Communion to grave sinners, McElroy reiterated his belief that conscience has the "privileged place" over doctrine in decision-making and suggested that it can . 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 therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to. 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. A quick example will be found . If one is left-handed this is reversed. Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. 1. The new manner of giving communion must not be imposed in a way that would exclude the traditional practice. Later that year approval was given to Luxembourg, Scandinavia (Scandia), North Africa, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Monaco (see Notitiae v. 7 (1970), no. 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]. http://www.kathpedia.com/index.php?title=Handkommunion. Paul W. Harkins ACW 31 (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1963). 13.3, trans. 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 . 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. 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 condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. Zambia, 11 March 1974 [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). If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Jamaica, 12 March 1970 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. For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. All rights reserved. 915). 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 way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. The Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. 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. 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. 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. Who holds the wind in the palm of his hand? Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. Pandemic will affect Communion rituals for U.S. Christians 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 []. Pakistan, 29 October 1976 It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. There is also evidence that this was a contested subject (i.e., about what sins prevent someone from receiving), as it would continue to be throughout the history of the Church. It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. After receiving Communion our bodies become holy chalices. For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their 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.. Part 4. [9] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Catechetical Homilies 6. 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. Bishops Cannot Mandate Communion on the Hand or Forbid Communion on the 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. [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. 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. [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. I am a daily witness at the Basilique du Sacr-Cur de Montmartre (Paris).. The causes are myriad and often interconnected. The legitimacy of Communion in the hand is not in question. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. 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. 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. If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . Alternatively, it is permissible to adopt a simpler procedure, namely, allowing the faithful themselves to take the host from the ciborium or paten. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. 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. Receiving Holy Communion | EWTN Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. Luxembourg, October 15 1969 Bolivia, October 15 1969 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. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Holy Communion - New Advent 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. 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. This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. 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). Do we accept an experience of the Real Presence only when the externals and the lingo of 1950 are seen and heard? The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. 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. 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. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. But is the impression they give generally correct? 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. 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. Featured Image: Rossano Gospels, Last Supper, 6th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing. I am just wondering what the reason or reasons were for allowing reception of Communion in the hand to begin with? Maybe this is due to decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments. How to Properly Receive Communion on the Hands - catholiclegion Nor did the Vatican interpret it that way, near as I can tell. 3. 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. For this alone is the eating referred to by our Lord ( John 6:58 ). On the one hand, I think this evidence precludes describing communion in the hand as intrinsically irreverent. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering The True Story of Communion in the Hand Revealed - OnePeterFive Communion on the Tongue Is an Apostolic Tradition Scandinavia,October 15 1969 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. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? More people have received Communion in the past century. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. are on the side of Lucifer. [2] Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 14, On the Lapsed 16 and 26,and Letter 55.9. And why so? 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. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. The guidelines recommend against serving Communion until gatherings of more than 50 people are allowed. 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. My simple point is that the individual ways our Church evolves over history have a significant impact on its life thereafter, often in ways we dont expect. Fire consumed the offering The General Instruction of the Roman Missal takes this hymn very seriously, mandating that it should begin at the Communion of the priest and extend until the last person has received Communion. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? II], 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. Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me." 2. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. One could have perfect adoration of Real Presence in humble posture and, at least in theory, miss the point of Communion. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. Others claim that in the context of the discourse St. Cyril was referring to the clergy and not to the faithful. 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. 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. Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. 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. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. 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. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. 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].

7 rules for receiving communion in the hand 2023