Vatican official suggests reconsidering Communion in the hand

[rpp]

Interesting developments.

Vatican official suggests reconsidering Communion in the hand

Vatican, Feb. 1, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship has called for reconsideration of the practice of Communion in the hand.


In the preface to a new Italian-language book on the Eucharist, written by a bishop from Kazakhstan and released in January by the Vatican's official publishing house, Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don suggests that the reception of Communion in the hand has contributed to a general sense of "carelessness" about the Eucharist, as well as some flagrant abuses. The archbishop makes his remarks in the preface to Dominus Est, by Bishop Athanasisus Schneider.


The practice of receiving Communion in the hand was not mandated by Vatican II, nor was it introduced in response to calls from the laity, Archbishop Ranjith writes. Instead, he argues, an established practice of piety-- receiving the Eucharist kneeling, on the tongue-- was changed "improperly and hurriedly," and became widespread even before it was formally approved by the Vatican.

Full article.

[benedictgal]

Now, I have a new favorite prelate. Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don is the ideal compliment to Francis Cardinal Arinze because these two wise officials are the John the Baptists of the Liturgy.

Remember, St. John the Baptist told many people things they didn't want to hear and reminded them of where the proper focus should be. The good archbishop and cardinal are doing the same thing.

Furthermore, as an EMHC, I have seen a few people, mostly children, walk away with Jesus in their hands and not consume right away. Even when I wasn't serving, this happened in my line of sight and I followed the child to the pew. He didn't know what to do with the Sacred Species and I learned that he may not even have been Catholic. I took the Sacred Host (after some persuasion) and consumed the Sacred Species myself.

Now, I used to receive Holy Communion in the hand until I rediscovered that receiving on the tongue can also be a very humbling experience because parents feed infants directly in the mouth. As the Father's children, he feeds us in the mouth, giving us the very Flesh of His Son as our sustenance.

[Jenny Z]

I hope this goes somewhere...

[Guitar]

Without wishing to denigrate anyone who receives in the hand in any way , me, personally, I'd be happy to see a reconsideration. Communion in the hand came in when I was somewhere about the age of 10 but I've never received in the hand. I'm the only person in a parish of a few thousand that doesn't ... but I never saw any need to change and my father made sure we knew that the change was not compulsory.

Reverent reception in the hand relies on good catechesis and there doesn't seem to be much of that around these days. Again, I stress that I know many who receive in the hand correctly and reverently (my acolyte spouse being one of them) but it seems to me that (even aside from considerations regarding particles left on hands) reception in the hand makes careless handling of the host possible - whether or not the recipient intends abuse or is just poorly instructed - whereas receiving on the tongue makes mishandling nearly impossible. Sure, someone can still spit out a host or do something ghastly like that - , that's a deliberate action you can't do much to prevent - but otherwise the possibility of mishandling is pretty much eliminated. I know we can't look into the state of people's hearts, but even if someone who mishandles a host is genuinely not guilty of any sin, it is still better that it doesn't happen and so FW my HO is worth, I'd be pleased to see reception on the tongue being encouraged again.

[joeybaggz]

I hope this goes nowhere.

Now, not to be Scrooge, I would like to see Benedict bring back the Latin Mass for those who wish to attend in a parish where a priest is competent to say it. I think it can coexist with the current rite quite nicely. And in the traditional Latin Mass, communion would be received on one's knees, and on the tongue. Traditional way - Problem solved.

I like receiving my Lord in my hand, reverently of course, and I agree that there is a dearth of good catechesis, but maybe we need to improve the catechesis, not just throw things out that are currently 'enjoyed' by a great many of the laity.

[NewUlm1976_2000]

I do not think this will go anywhere. I do not believe there will be a whole-scale return to receiving on the tongue. There is nothing wrong with receiving in the hand and that is the status quo wherever I go. Nobody is pushing for a change back to just the tongue.

[joeybaggz]

Oh, and as a pre Vatican II altar boy who held the paten under many a tongue, I saw a lot of carelessness with communion on the tongue.

[Guitar]

Originally Posted by joeybaggz

Oh, and as a pre Vatican II altar boy who held the paten under many a tongue, I saw a lot of carelessness with communion on the tongue.

I don't disagree, I'm sure it must have happened. I don't think that negates the point. To me, there is still a "due diligence" kind of difference between the two "systems".

[Joannm]

I really don't think returning to communion on the tongue will change the average person's attitude or reverence toward communion. Also, it is really more sanitary to give communion in the hand. I can't tell you how many times my fingers get licked, even though I am very careful to try not to touch their tongue. Even priests tell me this. I think some people will stop coming to communion so that they won't get germs, just like many people in our parish have stopped receiving from the cup because of germs. It may sound silly, but this is what many people are thinking. Also, it is much easier to drop the host when putting it on someone's tongue than in their hand.

[Mary1973]

I remember being taught that only the priest was allowed to touch the host and we could never, ever touch it. We had a priest who was sickly and he dropped a host at the communion rail. A gentleman quickly moved the kneeling cushions so the priest could pick up the host. And it was forbidded to chew the host.

I'm not saying this is right or wrong but it certainly conveyed the idea that it was truly Jesus who we were receiving.

[Br. Rich SFO]

Originally Posted by joeybaggz

I hope this goes nowhere.

Now, not to be Scrooge, I would like to see Benedict bring back the Latin Mass for those who wish to attend in a parish where a priest is competent to say it. I think it can coexist with the current rite quite nicely. And in the traditional Latin Mass, communion would be received on one's knees, and on the tongue. Traditional way - Problem solved.

I like receiving my Lord in my hand, reverently of course, and I agree that there is a dearth of good catechesis, but maybe we need to improve the catechesis, not just throw things out that are currently 'enjoyed' by a great many of the laity.

I think Pope Benedict did that. Anyway I would welcome the review also. Maybe just mandate the altar rail re-installation and go back to the way we received 25-30 years ago. Kneeling at the altar rail, but could receive either way.

[snowfly]

I sincerely hope it goes back to the way it was for me as a child, so much reverence, and I do hope they bring back the Altar rails.

[dandn5000]

Originally Posted by Br. Rich SFO

I think Pope Benedict did that. Anyway I would welcome the review also. Maybe just mandate the altar rail re-installation and go back to the way we received 25-30 years ago. Kneeling at the altar rail, but could receive either way.

I think pushing a mandate to get altar rails back in churches might be a little much. As I'm sure you know, many churches either removed theirs for whatever reason or, if they were built post-Vatican II, weren't built with them in the first place, and weren't built to be rail-friendly. Especially for smaller, poorer parishes, this might be way out of their price range to get rails put in.

I don't too much mind pushing receiving on the tongue(I prefer hand, but when I serve I receive by the tongue) too much, but just hold back on the rails, at least for a while.

[Eilish Maura]

We run the risk of appearing to be more reverent without getting a change of heart.

[Wolseley]

Originally Posted by Jenny Z

I hope this goes somewhere...

It will, but not (in the United States, at least) until the American bishops who are members of the Pepsi Generation have gone to their rewards.

We have to be patient.