Follow me!">
Cardinals Thorne (Peru) and Caffarra (Bologna) have banned Communion in the hand, citing reasons of abuse and disrespect. Our bishops have argued that Communion in the hand is the proper way for the faithful to respond to our Lord's invitation: "All of you, take and eat this." What the bishops overlook is the fact . 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. Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS) TOP 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. Finally, the fact that the Communion Procession is a profoundly religious action tells us something about the way in which we should participate in this procession. 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. 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. Communion on Tongue vs. Hand? The Most Important Thing to Know: Hold For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. [27] John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instruction, 12.15-16, trans. Documentation: Approval of Communion in the Hand under - PrayTellBlog 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. divine life. Bishops who have been permitted to introduce the new rite of communion are asked to send a report to the congregation, six months hence, on the outcome. 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. The left hand is extended, with the right hand under the left in support (left handed persons may wish to . Ive updated the post. Catechesis has been virtually non-existent or flat-out heretical for the last 50 years. It is clear that this mode of reception was considered reverent and was to be carried out in a reverent manner. As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. You should thus draw near with great awe and love, according to the greatness of that which is given: with awe, because of the greatness of (its) honour; and with love, because of (its) grace. Q. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. That rhetorical flow and its further implicit objections (i.e., take care lest XYZ) *could* be a setup for a generous grant of indults, but given the overall negative tone I dont think it accidental or inconsequential that the prospect of permission is only mentioned in these cases where contrary practice already prevails. 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. Finally, to the end that their coming to this heavenly table may be completely worthy and fruitful, the faithful should be instructed on its benefits and effects, for both the individual and society, so that their familial relationship to the Father who gives us our daily bread, may reflect the highest reverence for him, nurture love, and lead to a living bond with Christ, in whose flesh and blood we share. 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. However, since it is a permission, it does not generate an absolute right, and the pastors can rescind the permission, either generally or in particular circumstances if objective motives exist for doing so. Unless there is a sense of discipleship rooted in baptism. 5.21, trans. On reverence for the Eucharist and belief in the Real Presence among Catholic laity has greatly declined I dont think this has ever been proven. 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. 4. I do make the point that reverence, while important, is not the only or most important aspect of Communion. We owe the Lord as much attention to detail. Upper Volta and Niger, 20 February 1970 "You're talking to someone who has only owned a smartphone for a yearI resisted," he said. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Holy Communion - New Advent Look how military inspectors demand very high standards of care when inspecting barracks for cleanliness. The recent survey asking Catholics about Holy Communion indicates that 70% DO NOT BELIEVE that Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus. 6. 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. The following norms must therefore be respected. For real reception of the Blessed Eucharist it is required that the sacred species be received into the stomach. The communicant may choose whether to receive the Body of Christ in the hand or on the tongue. Dear Patrick, To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me." 2. 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. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. 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 fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. The Communion Procession is an action of the Body of Christ. [24] Trans. I dont read any statement with canonical force saying that only those countries may apply for an indult. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Catholics want to know if it is allowed for their bishops and priests to require Communion be received only on in the hand instead of on the tongue. Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the Eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to. What some call discipleship, others evangelizationnew or whatever, or some speak of discernment and application of spiritual gifts. 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. [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. Their attitude of reverence must measure up to what they are doing. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. Communion in the hand is legitimate only where permitted, and it remains in the realm of a permission. 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. Whatever one thinks about the practice today and its reemergence after Vatican II, it is important that our conversation be grounded in an accurate picture of the history of this practice. Fire consumed the offering Reverence can be good if it opens us to God & neighbor and makes us more loving. 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. For this alone is the eating referred to by our Lord ( John 6:58 ). The way we communicate the Gospel message is almost as important as the Gospel itself. 1. 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. Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/truth-about-communion-in-hand-while.html#.Wpa2wdIUnGg. 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. 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. From a hygienic point of view, the hand carries a huge amount of bacteria. 5. Councils establish principles (and rarely go into specific points) and then leave it to a commission to carry out the detailed work after the Council. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. 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. To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection. The Council of Saragossa, 380, excommunicated anyone who dared continue to receive Holy Communion in the hand. A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. Has the Holy Eucharist any other effect? We would also do well to teach, as the Fathers do, that reverence is not only about proper reception of the Eucharist, but also about living the kind of life to which the Eucharist commits us. Gross Alexander NPNF 13, ed. The bishop, however, might sometimes deal with the religious priest through his superior in these matters. After stipulating the historical practice of Communion in the hand, Memoriale Domini: defends the development of discipline that led to Communion on the tongue 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. Leo P. McCauley FotC 64 (Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC, 2000 [1970]). (Original Latin text here, see pp. He said that he had checked with the then Apostolic Delegation and had been assured that the pope was giving the boy a rosary. vehementer hortatur retention of current practice while invoking the common good of the Church. [17] See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.9.4. [5] John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28. . Jamaica, 12 March 1970 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.. I dont mean how did it come about. 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 Catholics: As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. 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. 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. awr. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. As to the way to carry out the new rite: one possible model is the traditional usage, which expresses the ministerial functions, by having the priest or deacon place the host in the hand of the communicant . 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? awr. Cyril of Jerusalem [c. 313-386], Catechetical Lectures, 23:21-22) Several more but no room here. Communion in the hand vs. Communion on the tongue | Crux The Proper Way to Receive Holy Communion - Shrub Oak, NY (I dont direct this at you, I mean it to everyone on all sides.). 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. 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. June 29, 2021 | Later that year approval was given to Luxembourg, Scandinavia (Scandia), North Africa, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Monaco (see Notitiae v. 7 (1970), no. A Pastoral Guide to Receiving Communion - Crisis Magazine 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. 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. 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. Uruguay,October 15 1969 For example, Augustine writes, Someone might say that the Eucharist should not be received daily. 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. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes the whole of it. The Eucharist may not be received while a person has mortal sin in their soul. As I read above article, I didnt found name of my country India in the list of countries which have Indult for communion in hand. What a Priest Might Do If He Wants to Avoid It. However, it was a brief exchange with ones immediate neighbors and at a time when men and women occupied separate aisles in the church. Thanks for this, Dennis. It is also difficult to ensure that the person who receives Communion effectively consumes the host. Guidelines for the Reception of Communion | USCCB It is not solely the result of some weird medieval form of reverence. Paul VI had a measure of it in 1974, and we hav emostly missed the wisdom of Evangelii Nuntiandi. 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. Particularly in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring careful attention. We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. The Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. On the one hand, I think this evidence precludes describing communion in the hand as intrinsically irreverent. 915). 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.". 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. 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. In comparing the indult list provided in this post with the brief history of Fr. [5] In Jerusalem, we have the mystagogical catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (or perhaps of his successor, John). [15] See the council of Auxerre, canon 36 (it directs women not to receive on their bare hands, but with their hand covered by a cloth). Because those vessels are made so for our sakes. 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. Copyright PrayTellBlog.com His blood now flows through our veins. Obviously, for better or worse, the NLM has an agenda. For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. For the first few centuries of the Church, receiving Communion in the hand was a common practice. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer Amen. Now we feel our affluence threatened, and the Gospel gives no comfort on that front. (Catholic Encyclopedia: Genuflexion) Monaco, 31 October 1969 Whatever procedure is adopted, care must be taken not to allow particles of the eucharistic bread to fall or be scattered. 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. Part 4. Does anyone have an explanation for why France, Germany, and the Low Countries were not quickly regularized once the opportunity was available? 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. 2. 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. 5. Scandinavia,October 15 1969 [2] 2 Accept Communion in a state of grace. Zambia, 11 March 1974 What is the proper way of receiving Communion in the hand? - AOD [21] Theodore of Mopsuestia, catech. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Biting, tearing, casting aspersions on the faith of other Catholics: this is a damnable situation in the Church. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. R. E. Heine FotC 21 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1982). [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. There is so much to Communion. 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. 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. Early Christian Communion in the Hand | Church Life Journal can. I have come to realize in the last few weeks how many of my Roman Rite brethren are actually understanding the Eucharist in a heretical way. My three hypotheses were less well researched opinions on my part, theyre not (that last one was a joke on Cdl Sarahs comments, sorry if that wasnt clear), but simply launchpoints in an honest discussion on the impact of Pope Pauls Indult, and the circumstances surrounding it, whether or not they hold any real merit. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Elizabeth Klein 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 fact, each time we move forward together to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join the countless ranks of all the baptized who have gone before us, our loved ones, the canonized and uncanonized saints down through the ages, who at their time in history formed a part of this mighty stream of believers. The Netherlands, 18 September 1969 However, this is likely to lead to many embarrassing instances for the faithful who approach communion unaware of the situation. On the part of both the minister and the recipient, whenever the host is placed in the hand of a communicant there must be careful concern and caution, especially about particles that might fall from the hosts. 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.". When we receive Communion, we become members of Christ's Body, the Church. [8] John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Baptismal Instruction 12.1516, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God 6.36, and On the Priesthood 3.4. 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. Do we have faith in the efficacy of the sacraments or not? When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. 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. 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. Indeed, it can be dangerous for contagion. However, when they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that the faithful make appropriate reverence, according to the norms established, before receiving the Sacrament. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer 'Amen'. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971 II], 2. This helps explain why this line of thought isnt gaining much traction except on the right fringe. I am just wondering what the reason or reasons were for allowing reception of Communion in the hand to begin with? 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. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. 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. 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. By this symbolic action, their denial would be clear to all. 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. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. Alternatively, it is permissible to adopt a simpler procedure, namely, allowing the faithful themselves to take the host from the ciborium or paten. But there is more to the story.
Three Things About Elsie Spoilers,
Milton Keynes Council Recycling Centre Booking,
Tropic Skincare Rubbish,
Phillips Funeral Service Holdenville, Ok,
Michael Mcteigue Obituary,
Articles OTHER
Follow me!
