7 rules for receiving communion in the hand

6. To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Pope Benedict was asked why he chose to distribute Communion only to those kneeling and on the tongue and he responded, because it highlights "the truth of the real presence [of Christ] in the Eucharist, helps the devotion . This blog is not associated with Pray Tell: An open forum on faith in South Texas. 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. 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 . When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. It must also increase their faith in the sublime reality of the Lords body and blood, which they touch with their hand. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. All the rites which use leavened bread are reverent but not obsessive. 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. 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. Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by Satan to destroy the Church (ok, probably not that). And to demonstrate reverence and. 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. How should this evidence be brought to bear on the modern conversation? Theres no simple solution to this issue. 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. If Your Hand/Hands are Impeded . are on the side of Lucifer. As with all historical practices, one must examine the context and circumstances which are usually not repeatable. 4. 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. http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/truth-about-communion-in-hand-while.html#.Wpa2wdIUnGg. 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. This reply aged like Milk (currently January 2022). 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. When we move in procession, particularly the procession to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, we are a sign, a symbol of that pilgrim Church "on the way.". 895. 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. Eccl., VII, ix). Even if we presume the authenticity of the text we still do not know how long the practice lasted, whether leavened or unleavened bread was used and whether the practice was exclusive to the Church of Jerusalem. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 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. 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. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. 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. Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. . Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from youSt. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. The cultural backing. But we doyes, verily. . 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. Thanks for this, Dennis. To be a pledge of everlasting life. Because those vessels are made so for our sakes. Some scholars claim that this part of the Mystical Catechesis is not originally from St. Cyril but a later interpolation into the text. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? United States, 17 June 1977 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. I think that settles it. 96). The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. Not only was Communion in the hand started in disobedience, it was perpetuated by deceit. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Since the question involves human attitudes, this mode of communion is bound up with the perceptiveness and preparation of the one receiving. Featured Image: Rossano Gospels, Last Supper, 6th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. Therefore I stand by what I wrote in the original: 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.. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. A: The answer to this question is somewhat complex. [20] Cyril of Jerusalem, myst. Since Christ is really, substantially, sacramentally present but not physically, being OC over crumbs is not devotion. I am from India. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. For this is what it is to receive unworthily: if one receives at that time when he ought to be doing penance. Middle Africa, 3 February 1970 [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. Our worship ought to create common unity under Christ, not destroy it. Come see, A priest who is not directly responsible for the care of souls should be even more respectful of local practice. Over the years I have read a multitude of opinions for and against, and occasionally perceived false arguments. They should be grave and objective questions related to good and evil. Ireland, 4 September 1976 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. Over and over again the prayers of the liturgy and the norms of the General Instruction emphasize this fundamental concept of the unity of the baptized, stressing that when we come together to participate in the Eucharistic celebration we come, not as individuals, but as united members of Christ's Body. I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. From these documents, we can deduce the following points. 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. It is simply reading too much into this practice, and it is not correct to support something one favors by denigrating another practice. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. 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. Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by . Jesus wants to use our hands, which have now become His hands, to help those in need. By this symbolic action, their denial would be clear to all. I mean WHAT SPECIFIC REASONS were given for requesting it in the first place? divine life. 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. For the first few centuries of the Church, receiving Communion in the hand was a common practice. For one who eats unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation (1 Cor 11:29). [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. 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. 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. Confess it and move on. That said, there are dimensions to this discussion that I think are both valuable and havent been given much screen time overall. Yet even here, the experts sometimes forgot the unrepeatable reality of original circumstances so that restoration is never quite the same. [18] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.43.18. [13] In the far-flung regions of the empireGaul (modern-day France and Spain) we have the witness of Caesarius of Arles[14] and the council of Auxerre,[15] and in England, we have the Venerable Bede. 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. After receiving Communion our bodies become holy chalices. 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. Several readers pointed out that I made no mention of a text of St. Cyril when mentioning the historical foundations of the practice. [6] Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.13. 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 author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist.

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