7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life 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. Indonesia, 27 March 1971 October 13, 2022. I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. Your fire, O, Our Lord we have eaten in your offering 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). Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. What some call discipleship, others evangelizationnew or whatever, or some speak of discernment and application of spiritual gifts. Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. [26] Augustine, Letter 54.3.4, trans. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. Greg., Dial., I, III, c. iii). When one receives from the chalice, the same proclamation is made by the person distributing Communion and the Communicant again responds, "Amen." 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. cites vote tallies to defend a claim that a large majority (longe plurimos) of bishops not only oppose introducing Communion in the hand but consider it tum sensui tum spirituali cultui [] offensioni More people have received Communion in the past century. 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? Churches are closing, priests are dying off, masses young people are dropping their faith, and the Church is slowly slipping into obscurity in its own homeland. A. Phillip Schaff and Henry Wace in NPNF Second Series, 14 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900). [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. So Indian Bishop conference have not got any Indult for communion in hand? Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. 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 . Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? But such as, instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift, and by these receive the immaculate communion, we by no means allow to come, as preferring inanimate and inferior matter to the image of God.[24]. 91). 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. 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. Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from youSt. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. 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. The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling. 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. IMHO no, contrary to what some real traddies may say. I dont read any statement with canonical force saying that only those countries may apply for an indult. We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. 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. 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. Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, InstructionImmensae caritatis, on facilitating reception of Communion in certain circumstances, 29 January 1973: AAS 65 (1973) 264-271; Not 9 (1973) 157-164. 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 . 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. divine life. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. For you hear the words, the Body of Christ and respond Amen. Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true (St. Augustine, Sermon 272: PL 38, 1247). 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. It is advisable, therefore, that the rite be introduced gradually and in the beginning within small, better-prepared groups and in favorable settings. ODonaghues post, I note with interest that the countries in which Communion in the hand is alleged to have been most prevalent either did not apply for or at any rate receive an indult in these first 8 years of results. The symptoms are myriadI certainly would assent to much of what you cite. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His For some, however, the experience of the Communion Procession is far more prosaic, analogous perhaps to standing in line in the supermarket or at the motor vehicle bureau. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 I suspect that Christ can cope with particles that get dropped but the care we show, or the lack of care, is what counts. Its just BREAD!!. Timothy O'Malley, Copyright 2023 [24] Trans. 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. To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church. 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. If he is a religious priest, what actions can a legitimate superior take as regards the member who denies Communion in the hand? Has done [12] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10 and Hymns on Virginity 33.7. Yugoslavia, 1971 Your email address will not be published. In this he shows a great fear, and since the hand that is stretched out holds a higher rank, it is the one that is extended for receiving the body of the King, and the other hand bears and brings its sister hand, while not thinking that it is playing the role of a servant, as it is equal with it in honour, on account of the bread of the King, which is also borne by it. For this is what it is to receive unworthily: if one receives at that time when he ought to be doing penance. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing. For Catholics: As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. 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. 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. We are the Body of Christ, moving forward to receive the Christ who makes us one with himself and with one another. This means that Jesus has no eyes but our eyes, no feet . 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? It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. Wherefore, if any one wishes to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross, and so let him receive the communion of grace. They partake not of Him that is in them, they perceive Him not. We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. 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. 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. 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. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. We should weigh very well the matters in which we appeal to conscience. 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. This was the law of the Church for almost 14 centuries, and is still the general norm today. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. What a Priest Might Do If He Wants to Avoid It. In the light of the above, we can come to the heart of the matter as to whether a priest may invoke the question of conscience in order to refuse to distribute Communion in the hand. 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. (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) 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. 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). 6. So it is not just tiresome traditionalists who worry about particles. For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. This is more a question of moral theology than of liturgy. Why? What if we were passionate about all that? [3] Augustine, Answer to Petilian 2.23.53and Against Parmenian 2.7.13. Ruff, I think we both agree that internal reverence is the most important aspect of this discussion (and therefore the ways each manner serves that) and I know many reverent people who do both. 7. I mean WHAT SPECIFIC REASONS were given for requesting it in the first place? Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . Fire consumed the offering But back in the West, where most of us at PT are from, the Church is struggling. 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. 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.. 3. Copyright PrayTellBlog.com It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. My simple point is that the individual ways our Church evolves over history have a significant impact on its life thereafter, often in ways we dont expect. Phillip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889). As seen above, the U.S. bishops were not among the first to permit Communion in the hand. Personally, I think that when a priest with the care of souls holds the view that Communion on the tongue is preferable to the alternative practice, then the best thing he can do is inform the faithful of the bishops permission. The Communion Procession is an action of the Body of Christ. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. What's at Stake in the Debates Swirling Around Eucharistic Coherence. The rite of communion in the hand must not be put into practice indiscriminately. 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. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. 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. On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of Communion. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? Chad, 18 September 1969 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. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 4). For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. 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. A: The answer to this question is somewhat complex. Who holds the wind in the palm of his hand? June 29, 2021 | Scandinavia,October 15 1969 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). When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. Church Life Journal 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. It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. 6. It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. Canada, 12 February 1970 And some who do have lost their strength or nerve. Roland Teske (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001). Uruguay,October 15 1969 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. 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/. The communicant may choose whether to receive the Body of Christ in the hand or on the tongue. 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. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." Aaron, 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. 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. 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. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. After stipulating the historical practice of Communion in the hand, Memoriale Domini: defends the development of discipline that led to Communion on the tongue 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? This is the reason why you say after him: Amen.[21]. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. 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.. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ's faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing" (Redemptionis Sacramentum, no. 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. What if our way of calling our fellow Christians to a higher way were based on loving example and not polemics? 1396: In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. At the same time, it is not justified to claim that Communion in the hand is necessarily less reverent or inevitably leads to abuses. [9] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Catechetical Homilies 6. But whatever the case, it is the Pope who decides to authorize it for countries, and it is indisputable that he did so. [21] Theodore of Mopsuestia, catech. The Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. Finally, ensuring the application of liturgical law is above all the responsibility of the bishop and only indirectly the religious superior. 1996, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. [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. 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. [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). Many of us would treat your claims skeptically as unsupported rumor and gossip. To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection. 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. As for decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments, it seems more likely that catechesis has never been better, more Scripture-based, and more soundly theological. Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. We have no nets to cast deeply. Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable.. I beg to differ. 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. 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. 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. "You're talking to someone who has only owned a smartphone for a yearI resisted," he said. 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. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. However, he should not refuse to administer Communion to those faithful desirous of availing themselves of a legitimate authorization. Australia, 26 September 1975 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. The debate was interrupted by lunch. 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. in Eph 3, trans. United States, 17 June 1977 This is a fundamental misunderstanding. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. 3. Scotland, 7 July 1977 [16] Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 4.24.

Oui Stockists Ireland, 5280 Burger Bar Menu Calories, Anc Newspapers Phone Number, Taunton Drug Bust, Georgia Coleslaw Recipe, Articles OTHER