Thanks for this, Dennis. 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 True Story of Communion in the Hand Revealed - OnePeterFive 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. How to Receive the Eucharist | Catholic Answers 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. 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. Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass | USCCB All of us are only grasping a hint of it. Then he saw that it was futile. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. 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. I guess my point is that regardless of our internal reverence (or lack thereof), the way we verbally and literally communicate our faith to others, especially our children, is still very important. 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. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. 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 wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. 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. 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. I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. Is it okay to recieve Communion in the hand? - Catholic Online 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. Receiving Holy Communion | EWTN Church Life Journal awr. And some who do have lost their strength or nerve. They would find many more areas we all need to work on than just their main focus. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Communion should not be received on the run, as you're walking back to your place; it should be consumed before you leave the area below the altar. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 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. Receiving the Host in the Hand | Franciscan Media [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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. 160). The debate was interrupted by lunch. 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. So whats missing? Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. 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. awr. 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. New Zealand, 24 April 1974 In this context, I think it is fair to say that the present practice of Communion in the hand is not a simple restoration of a historical custom but rather introduced a new practice in new circumstances which, while it has some historical justification, is essentially motivated by current pastoral concerns in some parts of the world. To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church. While we have the option of receiving holy Communion either on the tongue or on the hand, we must always be mindful of receiving our Lord respectfully. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. However, since it is a permission, it does not generate an absolute right, and the pastors can rescind the permission, either generally or in particular circumstances if objective motives exist for doing so. 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. [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). 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. His blood now flows through our veins. Australia, 26 September 1975 But we doyes, verily. They partake not of Him that is in them, they perceive Him not. [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. 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. 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). 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: Objecting to Communion in the Hand | EWTN A quick example will be found . I am a daily witness at the Basilique du Sacr-Cur de Montmartre (Paris).. Under the moral aspect will be considered, in reference to Holy Communion: necessity; subject; dispositions. [21] Theodore of Mopsuestia, catech. As to the way to carry out the new rite: one possible model is the traditional usage, which expresses the ministerial functions, by having the priest or deacon place the host in the hand of the communicant. 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. 6, trans. Scotland, 7 July 1977 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. Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. 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.. 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. South Africa, 1971 Germany, 6 June 1969 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. Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). A parish priest, or the rector of a sanctuary, might have objective reasons for not applying the permission if there is any danger of profanation or lack of respect. The most ancient practice of distributing Holy Communion was, with all probability, to give Communion to the faithful in the palm of the hand. October 13, 2022. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. Fire and Spirit, contrary to nature Who holds the wind in the palm of his hand? 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.. Mingle and flow into the palms of his disciples![22]. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. Liturgical Press | School of Theology Seminary | Saint John's Abbey | Comments Policy | Contact Us There is so much to Communion. So the authors claim that he is exactly Vatican II is doubtful. Catholics use birth control, get divorced and fornicate at the same rate as society in general, with the sin of using birth control rarely confessed. The Pope grants that throughout the territory of your conference, each bishop may, according to his prudent judgment and conscience, authorize in his diocese the introduction of the new rite for giving communion. If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . From this brief historical survey, however, we know that this need not be the case, and we can look to the Fathers for a pious example as we seek to foster reverence towards the Eucharist in the liturgy today. Uruguay,October 15 1969 [2] Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 14, On the Lapsed 16 and 26,and Letter 55.9. 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. 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. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. 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). For example, Augustine writes, Someone might say that the Eucharist should not be received daily. I quite deliberately eschewed entering the historical argument as it would have digressed from the main point of that article. 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. Phillip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889). 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. Sacrilege is at an all-time high, yet use of the Sacrament of Confession is at an all-time low. But to us our Lord has given both . . If we follow the example of the Fathers, we will prioritize practices that prevent the dropping of the Eucharist and catechizing communicants not to receive in a state of mortal sin. 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. Permission for administering Communion in the hand was granted by the Holy See to the United States on June 17, 1977 and has since become almost the universal norm in the Ordinary Form. 96). As to the way to carry out the new rite: one possible model is the traditional usage, which expresses the ministerial functions, by having the priest or deacon place the host in the hand of the communicant . in Eph 3, trans. 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. I dont think reception in the hand is destroying the Church like what some prominent leaders in the Church have implied, but this practice has still had wide ranging [and not entirely positive] ramifications in the Church over the last half century, far beyond the obvious choice of the individual communicant. 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. The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. We should weigh very well the matters in which we appeal to conscience. Think of what you receive in your hand and keep it clean of all greed and theft. 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. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. Your email address will not be published. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. For the first few centuries of the Church, receiving Communion in the hand was a common practice. Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. [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). 48 (Sept/Oct), pg 361. Back issue of Notitiae are accessible via the new website of the Congregation for Divine Worship at: http://www.cultodivino.va/content/cultodivino/it/rivista-notitiae/indici-annate.html. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. Debunking the myth that today's Communion in the hand - LifeSite [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. I dont read any statement with canonical force saying that only those countries may apply for an indult. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. 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. This helps explain why this line of thought isnt gaining much traction except on the right fringe. 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? 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. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. How to Take Communion in the Catholic Church: 10 Steps - wikiHow All of us should receive with great reverence and respect. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. Communion on the tongue is recommended and considered the most consonant way to receive the Eucharist, while Communion on the hand is permitted, provided that certain precautions are observed, such as checking to see if any fragments of the Host remain on the palm of the hand. 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. The Truth About Communion in the Hand | The Fatima Center To lessen our evil inclinations. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer 'Amen'. First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? 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. 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. 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. Communion in the hand is no more hygienic than Communion in the mouth. Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from youSt. Never receive Holy Communion in the hand when your hands are impeded; e.g., carrying a cane or some other walking-assistance device, carrying a child in your arms, carrying a purse, have a tissue or handkerchief in your hand, have a cast on your hand, etc. A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. 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. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . 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. 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). PDF Instructions on Receiving Holy Communion with Proper Reverence Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. When one receives from the chalice, the same proclamation is made by the person distributing Communion and the Communicant again responds, "Amen." The manner of receiving holy Communion - Catholic News Agency Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. 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. The divine coal is a common image of the Eucharist in Syrian theology. It is a matter of particular seriousness that in places where the new practice is lawfully permitted every one of the faithful has the option of receiving communion on the tongue and even when other persons are receiving communion in the hand. vehementer hortatur retention of current practice while invoking the common good of the Church.
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