7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

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. 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. This means that Jesus has no eyes but our eyes, no feet . The faithful should consume the host before returning to their place; the ministers part will be brought out by use of the usual formulary, The body of Christ, to which the communicant replies: Amen. Churches are closing, priests are dying off, masses young people are dropping their faith, and the Church is slowly slipping into obscurity in its own homeland. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). 1. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. 284-287 is to be followed.. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 Many pathogens are transmitted through the hands. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. This article has been selected from the ZENIT Daily Dispatch Innovative Media, Inc. ZENIT International News Agency Via della Stazione di Ottavia, 95 00165 Rome, Italywww.zenit.org, To subscribe http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html or email: english-request@zenit.org with SUBSCRIBE in the "subject" field, Provided Courtesy of: Eternal Word Television Network 5817 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL 35210www.ewtn.com, HOME - EWTNews - FAITH - TELEVISION - RADIO - LIBRARY - MULTIMEDIAWHAT'S NEW - GENERAL - RELIGIOUS CATALOGUE - PILGRIMAGES - ESPAOL, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. Henry Percival and ed. We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable. 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. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. 2. 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. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. 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. (I dont direct this at you, I mean it to everyone on all sides.). 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. My three hypotheses were less well researched opinions on my part, theyre not (that last one was a joke on Cdl Sarahs comments, sorry if that wasnt clear), but simply launchpoints in an honest discussion on the impact of Pope Pauls Indult, and the circumstances surrounding it, whether or not they hold any real merit. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? 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. This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. From a hygienic point of view, the hand carries a huge amount of bacteria. In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. The Holy Eucharist remits venial sins by disposing us to perform acts of love and contrition. To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . Do we accept an experience of the Real Presence only when the externals and the lingo of 1950 are seen and heard? 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. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. 3. 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. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. But "the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly." This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites. 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. Some may choose to receive the Lord on the tongue while others choose to receive in the hand. So Indian Bishop conference have not got any Indult for communion in hand? This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). 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. Required fields are marked *. To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me." 2. June 29, 2021 | It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. 7. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. 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/. Indeed, it can be dangerous for contagion. Battered Gargoyles & The Human Future - Rod Dreher's Diary Receiving Holy Communion | EWTN If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. Communion on the tongue remains the usual and common form of administering Holy Communion. 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 . 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. This is more a question of moral theology than of liturgy. Middle Africa, 3 February 1970 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. 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. It was designed: 1. (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) Ive updated the post. 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. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. 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. Q. 160-161; English translation here) However, while this text is undoubtedly ancient evidence of the existence of Communion in the hand, it is, like many patristic texts, fraught with interpretative conundrums. Alphonse Mingana (Gorgias Press: Piscataway, NJ, 2009 [1933]). Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. I dont read any statement with canonical force saying that only those countries may apply for an indult. To be honest, I dont really belong to either camp on this, and like you, I think the polarization on this issue is doing more harm than good. From the historical point of view, we can say that there is strong evidence that the practice existed in early centuries in some areas of the Church. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. However, when they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that the faithful make appropriate reverence, according to the norms established, before receiving the Sacrament. 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. 6. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. 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. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. Instruction on the Manner of Distributing Holy Communion 1. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. The problem of lack of reverence stems not from the manner of receiving Communion but from the lack of faith, awe, and gratitude before this great mystery. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. 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. 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). 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. Jeffrey T. Wickes FotC 130 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015). 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. First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. 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 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. If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. [] It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. 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 Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. 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. Thanks for this, Dennis. Your email address will not be published. Our procession should move with dignity; our bearing should be that of those who know they have been redeemed by Christ and are coming to receive their God! 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 . 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. If a priest has great personal difficulty due to deeply and sincerely held views regarding this practice, he can always petition the bishop for a personal exemption or a permission to not apply this permission to his parish. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. 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. 96). 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. Catechesis has been virtually non-existent or flat-out heretical for the last 50 years. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. 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. 3. With regard to the second, we have many early witnesses including Paul (see 1 Cor 11:27) and the Didache (seechapter 14). Malaysia and Singapore, 3 October 1977, * * * * *. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling - Vatican.va Receiving Communion - Prayer & Spiritual Life - Greek Orthodox Why? Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Church Life Journal 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 But to us our Lord has given both . So it is not just tiresome traditionalists who worry about particles. Featured Image: Rossano Gospels, Last Supper, 6th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. It is clear that this mode of reception was considered reverent and was to be carried out in a reverent manner. In this way, the practice of Communion in the hand is different from other liturgical elements restored after centuries of disuse, such as the prayer of the faithful and the exchange of peace. James Shapiro, a literature prof at Columbia, says the situation is catastrophic: One reason was the way of the world. Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. [1] This RCIA Process is the way in which you are prepared to be formally received by the Church; this is necessary before you can take Communion. John Paul II and Mother Theresa on Communion in the Hand 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. What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. 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. Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church: Receiving Communion This norm is supported by an Instruction by the Holy See regarding the Eucharist: "In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that 'sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them'(Code of Canon Law, can. I have come to realize in the last few weeks how many of my Roman Rite brethren are actually understanding the Eucharist in a heretical way. 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. 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. 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: 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. Bishops Cannot Mandate Communion on the Hand or Forbid Communion on the LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Catholics want to know if it is allowed for their bishops and priests to require Communion be received only on in the hand instead of on the tongue. A quick example will be found . Madagascar 2 March 1970 What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive?

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7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

7 rules for receiving communion in the hand