7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

By this symbolic action, their denial would be clear to all. It is always helpful to review instructions for receiving Communion. 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. 6. 6. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). From these documents, we can deduce the following points. What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how 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). Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. To be a pledge of everlasting life. A. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. St. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). Q. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. 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. In comparing the indult list provided in this post with the brief history of Fr. http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/truth-about-communion-in-hand-while.html#.Wpa2wdIUnGg. Fr. 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. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. 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. Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. Today, both manners of receiving Communion are worthy and licit. His blood now flows through our veins. 86). 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. 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. Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? enough bread and wine are made ready for the communication of the faithful at each Mass.45 As a general rule, Holy Communion is given from hosts . [18] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.43.18. They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. In 1980 St. John Paul II wrote in the apostolic letterDominicae Cenae: In some countries, the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been introduced. What if we were passionate about all that? So it is not just tiresome traditionalists who worry about particles. What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. The causes are myriad and often interconnected. 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. Required fields are marked *. Part 4. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. Its just BREAD!!. 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. awr. 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. 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. 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. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. Has done [3] Augustine, Answer to Petilian 2.23.53and Against Parmenian 2.7.13. [4] Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John 6.1 and 12.1. 91). 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. Liturgical Press | School of Theology Seminary | Saint John's Abbey | Comments Policy | Contact Us Those who receive Communion may receive either in the hand or on the tongue, and the decision should be that of the individual receiving, not of the person distributing Communion. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. 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. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. Scandinavia,October 15 1969 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:16-17). (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. For the first few centuries of the Church, receiving Communion in the hand was a common practice. Germany, 6 June 1969 We have no nets to cast deeply. Jeffrey T. Wickes FotC 130 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015). 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. 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. Ive updated the post. Aaron, this describes what the countries are to do where Communion in the hand was being practiced. The Council was a start, but we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked in silly and divisive banter. Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? 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? The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. Malaysia and Singapore, 3 October 1977, * * * * *. 2. Chad, 18 September 1969 Mingle and flow into the palms of his disciples![22]. 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. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. can. 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 []. 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. The following norms must therefore be respected. A: The answer to this question is somewhat complex. Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. 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! Monaco, 31 October 1969 It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. 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. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Yet even here, the experts sometimes forgot the unrepeatable reality of original circumstances so that restoration is never quite the same. They would find many more areas we all need to work on than just their main focus. 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. I beg to differ. W.R., Goa, India. If one is receiving in the hand the following is normative: upon approaching the minister of the Host extend the hands in the middle of the chest. In North Africa (including Egypt) the practice is mentioned by Tertullian,[1] Cyprian,[2] Augustine,[3] Cyril of Alexandria,[4] and John Climacus. 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.. The Netherlands, 18 September 1969 But to us our Lord has given both . Confess it and move on. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life 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 Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. 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. Greg., Dial., I, III, c. iii). 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. With regard to the second, we have many early witnesses including Paul (see 1 Cor 11:27) and the Didache (seechapter 14). (I dont direct this at you, I mean it to everyone on all sides.). 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. 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. [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. 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. These practices have wide evidence of use and in some ways never died out completely. 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. 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. 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? There is a twofold purpose here: that none will find in the new rite anything disturbing to personal devotion toward the Eucharist; that this sacrament, the source, and cause of unity by its very nature, will not become an occasion of discord between members of the faithful. He said that he had checked with the then Apostolic Delegation and had been assured that the pope was giving the boy a rosary. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. 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 . 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. 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. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. Canada, 12 February 1970 For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. It preserves us from mortal sin by exciting us to greater fervor and strengthening us against temptation. 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. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 3). So then after having carefully hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest you lose any portion thereof; for whatever you lose, is evidently a loss to you as it were from one of your own members. The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. These need to be taken seriously if one wants to effectively engage in these discussions with the likes of Cardinal Sarah and others. They partake not of Him that is in them, they perceive Him not. Bishops who have been permitted to introduce the new rite of communion are asked to send a report to the congregation, six months hence, on the outcome. Fire came down and consumed the sacrifices of Elijah It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. Paraguay, 27 September 1971 Sacrilege is at an all-time high, yet use of the Sacrament of Confession is at an all-time low. 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. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer Amen. 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. Jamaica, 12 March 1970 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. Q. 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. And to demonstrate reverence and. 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 . I think proponents of tongue/kneeling will get a better hearing if they uphold all aspects of Communion. Uruguay,October 15 1969 On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. 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. Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. 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. 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 people administering the sacrament are asked to use hand sanitizer immediately before. 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. 6. (Original Latin text here, see pp. 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. [27] John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instruction, 12.15-16, trans. 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 guidelines recommend against serving Communion until gatherings of more than 50 people are allowed. 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. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. 895. 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. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. Now we feel our affluence threatened, and the Gospel gives no comfort on that front. 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. 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 as any danger or hint of danger of profaning the Eucharist. To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. 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. 1996, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24. If one is left-handed this is reversed. 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. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. 1. 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. 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. [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul. June 29, 2021 | July 2, 2020 ( LifeSiteNews) Many bishops around the world are attempting to compel Catholics, who are in the right dispositions to approach the Holy Eucharist, to receive Our Lord in the. 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.. (or: Which Heresy Will You Give Up for Lent? 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. There is so much to Communion. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. Djibouti, 6 March 1970 It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His 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. England and Wales, 6 March 1976 For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. 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. What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? 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. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering Whatever one thinks about the practice today and its reemergence after Vatican II, it is important that our conversation be grounded in an accurate picture of the history of this practice. 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. France, 6 June 1969 Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. 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. Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. 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. Surveys from CARA and Pew reflect this, though I admittedly doubted them until I attended mass with a fellow Catholic at church that predominantly received on the tongue and my friend jeering remarked, why dont they receive in the hand like normal people? 5.21, trans. 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. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by Satan to destroy the Church (ok, probably not that). Another will say the opposite; he says, On the contrary, if the wound of sin and the attack of the disease is in fact so great that such medicines need to be postponed, one ought to be removed from the altar by the authority of the bishop in order to do penance, and one ought to be reconciled by the same authority. For this is what it is to receive unworthily: if one receives at that time when he ought to be doing penance. 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. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. 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. 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]. 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. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? awr. In light of some genuinely moving testimonies on the merits of reception in the hand, we cannot ignore that reverence for the Eucharist and belief in the Real Presence among Catholic laity has greatly declined since around the time in which this practice reenterred the Roman Rite after a millennium of absence. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. O Solomon, the thing which the Lord of your father Finally, the fact that the Communion Procession is a profoundly religious action tells us something about the way in which we should participate in this procession. The left hand is extended, with the right hand under the left in support (left handed persons may wish to . And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. For one who eats unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation (1 Cor 11:29). 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. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. 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. For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. 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. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division.

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