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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 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. Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. Jeffrey T. Wickes FotC 130 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015). Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. 4. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. 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. As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. 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. Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering
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 []. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Jamaica, 12 March 1970 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. Some scholars claim that this part of the Mystical Catechesis is not originally from St. Cyril but a later interpolation into the text. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. 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. 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). A priest who is not directly responsible for the care of souls should be even more respectful of local practice. This helps explain why this line of thought isnt gaining much traction except on the right fringe. For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. 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. 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. Sacrilege is at an all-time high, yet use of the Sacrament of Confession is at an all-time low. [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). Scotland, 7 July 1977 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 think proponents of tongue/kneeling will get a better hearing if they uphold all aspects of Communion. 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. Japan, 27 June 1970 Zambia, 11 March 1974 It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. Djibouti, 6 March 1970 To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me." 2. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Communion in the hand is allowed in the United States by decision of the American Bishops. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. On the other hand, this mode of communion is not anywhere associated with lay involvement or accessibility, nor is it thought to de-emphasize the role of the priest. And why so? 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). Whether to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue are liturgical disciplines, not dogmas. Per The Baltimore Catechism: And some who do have lost their strength or nerve. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. From the point of view of liturgical law, the relevant documents are the following. Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? 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? 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. 96). So it is not just tiresome traditionalists who worry about particles. June 29, 2021 |
Do we accept an experience of the Real Presence only when the externals and the lingo of 1950 are seen and heard? [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. Ireland, 4 September 1976 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). Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. 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. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. His blood now flows through our veins. 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. Q: When the bishop in a diocese allows the faithful to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue, can a priest, who objects on the grounds of conscience, refuse to give the faithful holy Communion in the hand? With regard to the first precept, Origen of Alexandria cautions, You who are accustomed to take part in divine mysteries know, when you receive the body of the Lord, how you protect it with all caution and veneration lest any small part fall from it, lest anything of the consecrated gift be lost. 86). 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. [] 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. From a hygienic point of view, the hand carries a huge amount of bacteria. So the authors claim that he is exactly Vatican II is doubtful. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. It preserves us from mortal sin by exciting us to greater fervor and strengthening us against temptation. The congregation returned to this issue in the instructionImmensae Caritatis,January 29, 1973: AAS 65 (1973) 264-271; Notitiae 9 (1973) 157-164: Part 4. 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 Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue . 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. [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24. 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! For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. 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. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. Today, both manners of receiving Communion are worthy and licit. The Council was a start, but we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked in silly and divisive banter. If one is left-handed this is reversed. 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. W.R., Goa, India. 91). [16] Liturgical evidence from Rome is always sparser than one would like, but Eusebius preserves a mention of communion in the hand in a letter written from Dionysius of Alexandria to Sixtus I, bishop of Rome,[17] and in a letter of Cornelius, bishop of Rome. Communion in the hand is no more hygienic than Communion in the mouth. 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. [9] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Catechetical Homilies 6. 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. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. So whats missing? The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? Dear Patrick, This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. Can you direct me to where you obtained this list? North Africa,October 15 1969 Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ's prayer for us "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21). We should rejoice in that. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. 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. 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. Sure, Ill go along with that. 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. 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. 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. 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 Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. 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. 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. 2. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. [23] John Chrysostom, hom. We have no nets to cast deeply. 2. 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.. 915). 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 . Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. Wherefore, if any one wishes to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross, and so let him receive the communion of grace. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division. [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. 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.. Part 4. It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. [18] Moreover, an early illuminated gospel, the Rosanno Gospels, depicts the last supper as a communion line, where the disciples receive in cupped hands while bowed. 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. 1996, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 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. Your email address will not be published. are on the side of Lucifer. For it is a deed fraught with destruction to take the tongue which serve such awesome mysteries, which has become purpled with a blood so precious, which has become a sword of gold and to change its course to abuse, insolence and ribald jests. One could have perfect adoration of Real Presence in humble posture and, at least in theory, miss the point of Communion. 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. 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. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. . All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. COVID-19 Additional Questions for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Finance FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Personnel FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Remote Learning FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 International Students FAQ for Catholic Schools, Forming a New Prayer and Intercessory Team at Your Parish, Resources for Existing Intercessory Prayer Teams, Mooney Real Estate Holding Company and Parish Incorporations, Stewards for Tomorrow/Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Foundation. [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. The same Instruction contained a reminder that the laws of the Church and the writings of the Fathers give ample witness of a supreme reverence and utmost caution toward the Eucharist and that this must continue. It must be presumed that a priest has sufficient formation in moral principles so as to exclude an erroneous conscience in such matters. 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. 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. 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. 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.. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Elizabeth Klein For this alone is the eating referred to by our Lord ( John 6:58 ). I dont mean how did it come about. 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 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. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. Confess it and move on. 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. 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. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . 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. 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. (Original Latin text here, see pp. 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. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. United States, 17 June 1977 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. It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). 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. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. in Eph 3, trans. St. 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. Bolivia, October 15 1969 In fact, however, this hymn is prayer, the corporate thanksgiving prayer of the members of Christ's Body, united with one another. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the, The Abandoned: Toward a Christocentric Phenomenology of Prayer, The Conclusion of Karl Rahner's Dissertation on the Origin of the Church from the Side Wound of the Crucified Christ. 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. [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. 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. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. When one receives from the chalice, the same proclamation is made by the person distributing Communion and the Communicant again responds, "Amen." In each of the Eucharistic Prayers, though the petition is worded in slightly different ways, God is asked to send his Holy Spirit to make us one body, one spirit in Christ; the General Instruction admonishes the faithful that "they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing" (no. But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. 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). 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. The Communion Procession is an action of the Body of Christ. The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice
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], To receive the Sacrament which is given, a person stretches out his right hand, and under it he places the left hand.