7 rules for receiving communion in the hand 7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

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. The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. Some may choose to receive the Lord on the tongue while others choose to receive in the hand. 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. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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. 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. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. Shapiro picked up an abused-looking iPhone from his desk. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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 . 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). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. [10] See John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, 4.13. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable.. It is a matter of particular seriousness that in places where the new practice is lawfully permitted every one of the faithful have the option of receiving communion on the tongue and even when other persons are receiving communion in the hand. 3. In 1980 St. John Paul II wrote in the apostolic letterDominicae Cenae: In some countries, the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been introduced. Mingle and flow into the palms of his disciples![22]. Ive updated the post. Scandinavia,October 15 1969 [3] Augustine, Answer to Petilian 2.23.53and Against Parmenian 2.7.13. Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. This norm is supported by an Instruction by the Holy See regarding the Eucharist: "In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that 'sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them'(Code of Canon Law, can. 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. [1] This RCIA Process is the way in which you are prepared to be formally received by the Church; this is necessary before you can take Communion. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. 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. 160-161; English translation here) 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. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem . 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? Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. 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. However, cases of a deplorable lack of respect towards the Eucharistic species have been reported, cases which are imputable not only to the individuals guilty of such behavior but also to the pastors of the church who have not been vigilant enough regarding the attitude of the faithful towards the Eucharist. Whether to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue are liturgical disciplines, not dogmas. 86). On the one hand, I think this evidence precludes describing communion in the hand as intrinsically irreverent. 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. Nor did the Vatican interpret it that way, near as I can tell. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His But is the impression they give generally correct? 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. 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. 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. 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. The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. And to demonstrate reverence and. He can freely share with the faithful his reasons for preferring to adhere to the traditional practice and encourage the faithful to continue doing so. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. [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 would like to remind people to indicate clearly how they wish to receive. 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. Holt Orders cannot sustain the Church, no matter how much traditionalists preach priests are of the utmost importance. [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. 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. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution.". To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Maybe this is due to its similarity to practices in most Protestant churches, many of which (Anglicans and Lutherans notwithstanding) fundamentally dont believe in a sacramental Communion substance. 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. divine life. I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. The liturgical renewal of St. Pius X which promoted the frequent reception of Communion were still quite young. 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. I think the Holy Spirit was nudging people closer to the problem, which was already in evidence decades before the Council. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . 915). While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family. 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 []. Luxembourg, October 15 1969 This helps explain why this line of thought isnt gaining much traction except on the right fringe. 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 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 [Seraph] did not hold it, and [Isaiah] did not eat it The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. Monaco, 31 October 1969 They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. If, however, Communion is given under both kinds, the rite prescribed in nos. 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. Zambia, 11 March 1974 Some scholars claim that this part of the Mystical Catechesis is not originally from St. Cyril but a later interpolation into the text. 5.21, trans. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. The problem of lack of reverence stems not from the manner of receiving Communion but from the lack of faith, awe, and gratitude before this great mystery. 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. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. We are the Body of Christ, moving forward to receive the Christ who makes us one with himself and with one another. So whats missing? [2] 2 Accept Communion in a state of grace. (or: Which Heresy Will You Give Up for Lent? The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice 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. But there is more to the story. But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. It was designed: 1. 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. But "the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly." This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites. What some call discipleship, others evangelizationnew or whatever, or some speak of discernment and application of spiritual gifts. That the conference had voted twice but failed to approve the practice and then only won the third vote by gathering absentee votes which is the article claims was unlawful? What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? 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 any danger or hint of danger of profaning the Eucharist. The US might have been little-touched by the scorched earth of world war, and perhaps our feel-good stance astride the planet delayed the decay somewhat. 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. 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. 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. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable. 4. 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. 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). 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. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? 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). Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney published an excellent paper on the topic of conscience and authority which can be found at:https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=7833or, in a slightly briefer form athttps://zenit.org/articles/bishop-fisher-on-conscience-and-authority/. Since practices vary from one church to another, we hope these guidelines help you feel more at home. 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 frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. Paraguay, 27 September 1971 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). [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. For this is what it is to receive unworthily: if one receives at that time when he ought to be doing penance. A. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer Amen. [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. 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. 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. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Paul W. Harkins ACW 31 (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1963). [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. 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. 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! I happen to accept the role of darkness within the Church, but it strikes me as being perpetrated all too often by those who style themselves the most faithful or loyal to God. 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. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. 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. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. They probably never foresaw its subsequent, and occasionally chaotic, development in some parts of the Church. The new manner of giving communion must not be imposed in a way that would exclude the traditional practice. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better-prepared groups and in favorable settings. Have reverence for the honor which God has bestowed upon it, and do not lead it down to the vileness of sin.[27]. Indonesia, 27 March 1971 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. All of us are only grasping a hint of it. With regard to the second, we have many early witnesses including Paul (see 1 Cor 11:27) and the Didache (seechapter 14). The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." ), Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. 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. Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. It should be noted that it is never permissible for a person to dip the host he or she has received into the chalice. can. As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. Per The Baltimore Catechism: 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. 4. 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. 1. 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. 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.. This is the reason why you say after him: Amen.[21]. A situation that, in the US certainly, was not necessarily governed by external uniformity (given the varieties of ethnic piety and cultural practices). 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. It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. 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. Do we accept an experience of the Real Presence only when the externals and the lingo of 1950 are seen and heard? 2. (Original Latin text here, see pp. 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). 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. These views are sometimes strongly held. It is clear that this mode of reception was considered reverent and was to be carried out in a reverent manner. 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]. [19] This list is by no means exhaustive, and it would be tedious to cite all of these references as a catalog, but let us turn to a few of them to see what the Fathers have to say about the meaning of this practice. This formula should not be altered, as it is a proclamation which calls for a response of faith on the part of the one who receives. Timothy O'Malley, Copyright 2023 This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. 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. St. No wonder so many people there have given up on Christianity. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. [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 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. For example, although Communion in the hand is generally permitted at the Vatican, in recent years ministers administrating Communion at large at papal Masses have been enjoined to distribute Communion only on the tongue. [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). 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. 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. Communion in the hand is no more hygienic than Communion in the mouth. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. A priest who is not directly responsible for the care of souls should be even more respectful of local practice. Take a step or two to the side to make way for the next communicant, then receive our Lord. After receiving Communion our bodies become holy chalices. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. If one is receiving in the hand the following is normative: upon approaching the minister of the Host extend the hands in the middle of the chest. 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. 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. II], More people have received Communion in the past century. This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. Surveys from CARA and Pew reflect this, though I admittedly doubted them until I attended mass with a fellow Catholic at church that predominantly received on the tongue and my friend jeering remarked, why dont they receive in the hand like normal people?