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. 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. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better prepared groups and in favorable settings. Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering 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. 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. 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. 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. 2. A. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. 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. 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. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. Your email address will not be published. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. The debate was interrupted by lunch. 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. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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. 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. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Communion in the hand is allowed in the United States by decision of the American Bishops. 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 []. Dear Patrick, A quick example will be found . The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? Im skeptical of the claim that collecting absentee ballots for bishops conference votes is unlawful. Then he saw that it was futile. 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.. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable. 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. Theres no simple solution to this issue. Madagascar 2 March 1970 However, he should not refuse to administer Communion to those faithful desirous of availing themselves of a legitimate authorization. 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. It was designed: 1. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. The legitimacy of Communion in the hand is not in question. 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). 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. 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. Communion in the hand was officially permitted in the United States in 1977, following an indult that is, special permission given by the Congregation for Divine Sacraments in 1969. It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. What a Priest Might Do If He Wants to Avoid It. 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. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? 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. Ive updated the post. 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. All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. But we doyes, verily. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. There are many devout Catholics who find this practice helpful. 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 . Space doesn't allow all the details, but the propaganda in the 1970s that was used to sell Communion in the hand to a trusting, vulnerable people was a campaign of calculated half-truths that didn't tell the whole story. 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! 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. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. 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. 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. [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. In the context of the reception of Communion, this means a cognizance of both Church history and contemporary cultural nuances. St. 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). It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. 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. 1. Fire and Spirit, contrary to nature Do we have faith in the efficacy of the sacraments or not? 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. 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. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Elizabeth Klein The oldest reference to the Eucharist in the New Testament occurs in chapters 11 and 12 of the First Letter to the Corinthians, which has no reference to receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. Receiving communion in the hand was the common practice of the Church in both East and West for the first 800 years of Christianity, and it was certainly considered reverent by the Fathers. First, Chrysostom in one of his Homilies on Ephesians: What, do you not see the holy vessels so thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? Communion on the tongue remains the usual and common form of administering Holy Communion. A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. 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. 4. 284-287 is to be followed.. The sad fact that in recent years hosts consecrated by a Pope have been offered for sale on the Internet further motivates this precautionary measure. Pakistan, 29 October 1976 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. 5.21, trans. I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. Click herefor a handout that can be placed in your bulletin for your parishioner. 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. So Indian Bishop conference have not got any Indult for communion in hand? The communicant may choose whether to receive the Body of Christ in the hand or on the tongue. 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 . (Original Latin text here, see pp. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. 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). We should rejoice in that. 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. 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. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. 6. And to demonstrate reverence and. But to us our Lord has given both . This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. 3. I quite deliberately eschewed entering the historical argument as it would have digressed from the main point of that article. I honestly get sick of it too. II], Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. 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. Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. The cultural backing. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. St. Aaron, 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. [11] In East Syria (what we would now call the Middle East) we have evidence from Ephrem the Syrian[12] and Narsai. Thanks for this, Dennis. 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. The restorers of the rite probably had the beautiful simplicity and symbolism of the medieval rite in mind but did not take the changed circumstances sufficiently into account. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). Scotland, 7 July 1977 FYI, the announcement that approval for Communion in the Hand was given (in 1969) to Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, and Chad appeared in Notitiae in v. 6 (1969), no. Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. [27] John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instruction, 12.15-16, trans. [11] Council of Constantinople in Trullo, canon 101. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. 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. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. Bolivia, October 15 1969 I used the wordnecessarilyas an equivalent to in and of itself. There is no inherent reason why Communion in the hand is less reverent. Timothy O'Malley, Copyright 2023 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. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. 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. 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. North Africa,October 15 1969 Per The Baltimore Catechism: 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. Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. I am from India. 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. For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. This action by Christ's body, the Church assembled for the Eucharist, is manifested and supported by the Communion Chant, a hymn in praise of Christ sung by the united voices of those who believe in him and share his life. 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. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? 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. The bishop, however, might sometimes deal with the religious priest through his superior in these matters. Later that year approval was given to Luxembourg, Scandinavia (Scandia), North Africa, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Monaco (see Notitiae v. 7 (1970), no. 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. What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive? Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. It is clear that this mode of reception was considered reverent and was to be carried out in a reverent manner. If he is a religious priest, what actions can a legitimate superior take as regards the member who denies Communion in the hand? in Eph 3, trans. From a hygienic point of view, the hand carries a huge amount of bacteria. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. Come see, 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 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. In order to be properly disposed to . 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. We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. Mingle and flow into the palms of his disciples![22]. The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. On the other hand, if the sins are not so great that a person should be judged to deserve excommunication, he ought not to withdraw from the daily medicine of the Lords body.[26]. [2] 2 Accept Communion in a state of grace. It is standard procedure so I wonder what the basis of this accusation is. Among Catholics, there is a sincere difference of opinion with respect to the opportunity of this practice, as to its possible spiritual benefits or detriments. 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. Fr. Henry Percival and ed. 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. Germany, 6 June 1969 Malaysia and Singapore, 3 October 1977, * * * * *. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing. Alphonse Mingana (Gorgias Press: Piscataway, NJ, 2009 [1933]). It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) 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. [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. Bishop Athanasius Schneider argued along the same lines at the end of February. Some scholars claim that this part of the Mystical Catechesis is not originally from St. Cyril but a later interpolation into the text. [2] Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 14, On the Lapsed 16 and 26,and Letter 55.9. O Solomon, the thing which the Lord of your father 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. 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. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute. But is the impression they give generally correct? I think that settles it. For example, Augustine writes, Someone might say that the Eucharist should not be received daily. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. [] 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. [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. The General Instruction asks each country's Conference of Bishops to determine the posture to be used for the reception of Communion and the act of reverence to be made by each person as he or she receives Communion. All rights reserved. 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. The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice Paraguay, 27 September 1971 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 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. Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the following: 160. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. 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. Chad, 18 September 1969 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. 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. After stipulating the historical practice of Communion in the hand, Memoriale Domini: defends the development of discipline that led to Communion on the tongue Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. Other way round, it was in the hand and changed to the tongue circa 900 in the west. 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. Now we feel our affluence threatened, and the Gospel gives no comfort on that front. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. Some advocates of communion on the tongue, at least online, seem guilty of thinking that (however much more virtuous than I they probably are in their lives). 895. It is always helpful to review instructions for receiving Communion. Featured Image: Rossano Gospels, Last Supper, 6th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. We should weigh very well the matters in which we appeal to conscience. http://www.kathpedia.com/index.php?title=Handkommunion. The divine coal is a common image of the Eucharist in Syrian theology. Timothy O'Malley on the meaning of Eucharistic coherence in the life of the Church. I beg to differ. Zambia, 11 March 1974 This is more a question of moral theology than of liturgy. 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. 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.