Henry Percival and ed. My sense is that if theres something demonic in all this it is the Galatians moment in which many Catholics find themselves, especially those on the traditional side. So it is not just tiresome traditionalists who worry about particles. 7. The cultural backing. 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. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing. in Eph 3, trans. Fire and Spirit, contrary to nature vehementer hortatur retention of current practice while invoking the common good of the Church. What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. 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. But we doyes, verily. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). Receiving Holy Communion | EWTN Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. 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. Communion in the hand is allowed in the United States by decision of the American Bishops. 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. These views are sometimes strongly held. Receiving Communion - Prayer & Spiritual Life - Greek Orthodox 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. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). The rationale for Communion on the hands being an ancient practice is from St. Cyril of Jerusalem. New Zealand, 24 April 1974 895. 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 . Per The Baltimore Catechism: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? The missal of 1570 eliminated almost all sequences and moved the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar to the beginning of the Order of Mass though the Council of Trent never said a word about either. 96). Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. 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. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. For this reason, since the question of Communion in the hand is not a question of faith as such, and it has been approved by the legitimate authority, I do not believe that a priest can invoke conscience as a motive for refusing to apply a legitimate law. [27] John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instruction, 12.15-16, trans. Part 4. Objecting to Communion in the Hand | EWTN [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. R. E. Heine FotC 21 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1982). A priest who is not directly responsible for the care of souls should be even more respectful of local practice. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. 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. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. 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. A. And of course Pope Paul VI was adamant that all the reforms carried out under him were faithful to the Second Vatican Council. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. 3. 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.. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. 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. 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. A letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship to presidents of bishops conferences on May 29, 1969: AAS 61 (1969) 546-547; Notitiae 5 (1969) 351-353: 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. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. These need to be taken seriously if one wants to effectively engage in these discussions with the likes of Cardinal Sarah and others. On the one hand, I think this evidence precludes describing communion in the hand as intrinsically irreverent. It must be presumed that a priest has sufficient formation in moral principles so as to exclude an erroneous conscience in such matters. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. In the United States, the body of Bishops has determined that "[t]he norm is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling"and that a bow is the act of reverence made by those receiving (no. 6. Then he saw that it was futile. St. When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. My overarching point in all this (as someone who receives comfortably in both manners) is that I dont think common concerns with reception in the hand have been treated with adequate seriousness by many its defenders. What if we were passionate about all that? The traditional and preferred method is the reception of the Host on the tongue: Step forward and kneel at the Communion rail or station (if you stand, make a sign of reverencesuch as a bow or genuflection or Sign of the Crossbefore receiving the Host and take care not to disrupt the Communion line). 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. Paraguay, 27 September 1971 Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. Rather maddeningly, it is the Anglicans who in the West have retained the practice as described by St. Cyril, while contemporary Latin-rite Catholics tend to consume the Host as if it were a potato chip., From the historical point of view, we can say that there is strong evidence that the practice existed in early centuries in some areas of the Church. Ive updated the post. Chad, 18 September 1969 I beg to differ. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . 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. To lessen our evil inclinations. On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. 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. 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. When one receives from the chalice, the same proclamation is made by the person distributing Communion and the Communicant again responds, "Amen." 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. Communion on Tongue vs. Hand? The Most Important Thing to Know: Hold 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. For you believe, and correctly, that you are answerable if anything falls from there by neglect.[25]. 1. Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. All of us should receive with great reverence and respect. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. 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. It seems appropriate to conclude this reflection on the Communion Procession and the reception of Communion with a quotation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. Cyril of Jerusalem and Theodore of Mopsuestia liken the practice to that of receiving a king, and both of them note the method of reception was in joined hands (also described in other sources as hands in the form of a cross). They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on another thread that this ongoing discussion is frivolous and is only causing needless division. [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. I am just wondering what the reason or reasons were for allowing reception of Communion in the hand to begin with? [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. The communicant replies, Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed, in the hand, the choice lying with the communicant. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. 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. 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. The new manner of giving communion must not be imposed in a way that would exclude the traditional practice. Others claim that in the context of the discourse St. Cyril was referring to the clergy and not to the faithful. Pope Benedict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. If Communion is given only under the species of bread, the Priest raises the host slightly and shows it to each, saying, The Body of Christ. 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. Instead this option must increase in them a consciousness of the dignity of the members of Christs Mystical Body, into which they are incorporated by baptism and by the grace of the Eucharist. Alternatively, it is permissible to adopt a simpler procedure, namely, allowing the faithful themselves to take the host from the ciborium or paten. Dear Patrick, 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. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. 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). October 13, 2022. Church Life Journal Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. St. Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. All rights reserved. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. 160). 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! 2. The divine coal is a common image of the Eucharist in Syrian theology. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. Still, while not the direction eventually taken, I believe restriction to be the more natural reading of the Vaticans intent at that moment in time. . [2] Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 14, On the Lapsed 16 and 26,and Letter 55.9. 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. 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. The author claims that Communion in the hand could only be authorized in countries where it was an established practice but doesnt give a citation. On the part of both the minister and the recipient, whenever the host is placed in the hand of a communicant there must be careful concern and caution, especially about particles that might fall from the hosts. 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. 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. It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. 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. 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. 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. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass | USCCB 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. The communicant should audibly respond, "Amen," indicating by that response his or her belief that this small wafer of bread, the wine in this chalice are in reality the body and blood of Christ the Lord. For example, there is ample evidence that the exchange of peace between the people was practiced well into the Middle Ages in several European countries. After receiving Communion our bodies become holy chalices. Just look at what making donating money an indulgence-eligible corporal work of mercy resulted in during the Renaissance. 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. Pandemic will affect Communion rituals for U.S. Christians 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. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." If he is a religious priest, what actions can a legitimate superior take as regards the member who denies Communion in the hand? Japan, 27 June 1970 CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Holy Communion - New Advent What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? 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.

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