warnings of receiving holy communion in hand
he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, Each and every priest in the Roman Rite had to follow them with unyielding precision. Before the Second Vatican Council, there is no historic record of bishops, priests or laity petitioning anyone for the introduction of Communion in the hand. Naturally, liberal clergy in other countries (including ours) concluded that if this rebellion could be legalized in Holland, it could be legalized anywhere. It appears that many have forgotten that Our Lord is "present whole and entire in the smallest portion of the Holy Eucharist" (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 22 ). Communion in the hand to a trusting, vulnerable people was a campaign of calculated half-truths that didnt tell the whole story. And all those pre-Vatican II barriers that prevented desecration are indispensable to the life of the Church and the holiness of the Faithful. And in instructions of this nature, lack of precision gives rise to wide interpretation, and wide interpretation gives rise to the establishment of an abuse under the appearance of fidelity to Church regulations. worshiped him. They were not just silly scruples, but showed the Church believed with certainty that at Mass, the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, and that no pains were too great to make sure that Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was treated with all the reverence and homage that His Majesty deserves. Pray the Act of Contrition and the . for what our fathers taught us and obvious contempt for the Blessed Sacrament Itself. The Council of Trent (1545-1565), This method [on the tongue] must be retained. Controversy surrounds the claim that Communion in the hand was practiced in the early Church. Repeating instructions given by St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) to newly baptized catechumens, the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship stated that the faithful should extend both hands making with "the left hand a throne for the right hand, which . Father Edward Schillebeeckx, an influential liberal theologian at Vatican II, admitted that placing deliberate ambiguity in the Council documents was a key strategy of the progressives. In the Old Mass, Catholics receive communion by kneeling down and receive the Holy Eucharist in tongue. During this time of COVID and the restrictions that come with it, some bishops and parishes are requiring Catholics to accept Communion on the hand, rather than on the tongue. Adding EV Charger (100A) in secondary panel (100A) fed off main (200A). Communion on the hand may seem less reverent than communion on the tongue, especially to the more traditionally minded Catholics; it is not a sacrilege. I write this not to stir up controversy, but to provide a context against which individuals may decide how best to receive Jesus Precious Body and Blood, especially in our current culture. , James W. Demers said, Of those responsible for the lack of beauty in the Church, no one is more culpable than todays lay ministers. Communion on the tongue remains the usual and common form of administering Holy Communion. There are some that claim that it was practiced up until the 6th Century and even cite a passage of St. Cyril to substantiate this assertion. What do hollow blue circles with a dot mean on the World Map. Basil the Great, doctor of the Church (AD 330379), would teach: The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution (e.g., the laity could touch the Host to distribute it secretly). OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be They must find the courage for opposing this novel practice by remembering that even Pope Paul VI, despite his weaknesses, correctly predicted that Communion in the hand would lead to irreverence and profanation of the Eucharist, and a gradual erosion of correct doctrine and we have seen this prophecy come to pass. Similarly, the Synod of Rouen (AD 650) decreed: "Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywoman . This was obviously a liturgical abuse, which put its roots down in those countries where there were already doctrinal problems regarding the Holy Eucharist: Belgium, Holland, France, and Germany. The terms lay minister and Eucharistic minister have been used rather loosely up until this point, because this is the terminology often found in parish bulletins. COVID-19 Additional Questions for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Finance FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Personnel FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 Remote Learning FAQ for Catholic Schools, COVID-19 International Students FAQ for Catholic Schools, Forming a New Prayer and Intercessory Team at Your Parish, Resources for Existing Intercessory Prayer Teams, Mooney Real Estate Holding Company and Parish Incorporations, Stewards for Tomorrow/Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Foundation. They must find the courage for opposing this novel practice by remembering that even Pope Paul VI, despite his weaknesses, correctly predicted that Communion in the hand would lead to irreverence and profanation of the Eucharist, and a gradual erosion of correct doctrine and we have seen this prophecy come to pass. Though Ecumenism will not be treated within this article (see The Problem with Modern Ecumenism, Catholic Family News March 1995 Issue), suffice it to say that this novel ecumenical spirit which Deitrich von Hildebrand called ECUMANIA became rampant during and after Vatican II. The latter receive the host in one hand and raise it to the mouth by the fingers of the other. The Protestants' establishment of Communion in the hand was their way of showing their rejection of belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, rejection of the Sacramental Priesthood in short, to show their rejection of Catholicism altogether. The Eucharist, which is also called the Holy Communion, Mass, the Lord's Supper or the Divine Liturgy, is a sacrament accepted by almost all Christians. With regard to receiving Communion in the hand, there is a significant development from the 1985 GIRM to the 2003/2011 edition. "They agreed that done properly the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand pose a more or less equal risk. In all sixteen documents of Vatican II, there is no mention of Communion in the hand, nor was it mentioned during any of the debates during the Council. the sea, and everything in them"" (Acts 14:11-15 CSB), "What then is Apollos? His feast day is celebrated on 15 August; that day is widely observed as the Feast of the Assumption, therefore he is not mentioned in the General Roman Calendar, but only in the Roman Martyrology. "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood They have blocked me on their site for questioning and voicing out my opinion. Can a communion host be made differently according to Catholicism? This is why Nation May 19, 2020 12:41 PM EDT. parish church, and most Catholics think nothing of it proving that men can become desensitized to desecration. Since the Holy See has permitted Communion in the hand, pastors can avoid "the potential danger of hurting and undermining faith in the Real Presence" by using this moment to re-catechize the faithful on the Holy Eucharist and how to receive Jesus with proper reverence. Others maintain that it was never a Catholic custom, but if Communion in the hand was practiced in some limited way in the early Church, it was institutionalized and made widespread by the Arians as a sign of their disbelief in the Divinity of Jesus Christ. They figured that if they ignored. He explains: The dispensing of Christs Body belongs to the priest for three reasons. The priests hands are washed over the chalice after Communion time with water and wine which is reverently consumed, to insure that the slightest Particle is not susceptible to desecration. This liturgical law clarifies the Church's discipline regarding the reception of Holy Communion. Or do only ordained priests sin, and can only they, therefore, break the bread? Like most things liturgicalwords, music, postures, time, ministers, architecturethe manner of. Communion on the tongue displays a greater degree of reverence, and it is safer because it is less likely to result in the host, or a particle of the host falling to the floor. Even once they became apostles sent out into the world after having received power from on high (Acts 2), they shuddered at the idea of being revered more than any other men. I planted, And it can be argued that the risk is quite minimal. He said, We have used ambiguous phrases during the Council and we (the liberal theologians) know how we shall interpret them after., The main ambiguity which probably gave rise to todays proliferation of Extraordinary Ministers was the justification of their use if Mass would be (what was called) unduly prolonged. Second, because the priest is the appointed intermediary between God and the people, hence as it belongs to him to offer the peoples gifts to God, so it belongs to him to deliver the consecrated gifts to the people. (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). , was issued by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship that authorized the introduction of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. So, countries in which the practice had not developed were, obviously, excluded from the concession and all English-speaking countries, including the United States, fell into this category. Space doesnt 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 didnt tell the whole story. But the introduction of Communion in the hand and lay ministers of the Eucharist shows an arrogant disregard for what our fathers taught us. To do so would be a clear sign of weak and vacillating leadership. Drink from it, all of you. We are people also, just like This is exactly what happened, and this is why we have Communion in the hand today. This growth of Christian life needs to be nourished by Eucharistic communion, the bread of our pilgrimage, until the moment of death, when it is given to us as viaticum. Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? But lay-readers within the New Mass was not the only necessary step. As a result, the Pontifical Commission officially ruled that when Ordinary Ministers (bishops, priests) are present at the Eucharist, whether celebrating or not, and are in sufficient number and are not prevented from doing so by other ministries, the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are not allowed to distribute Communion either to themselves or to the Faithful.. 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. The 16th Century Protestant revolutionaries (more politely but undeservedly called Protestant reformers) re-established Communion in the hand as a means of showing two things: The Protestants establishment of Communion in the hand was their way of showing their rejection of belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, rejection of the Sacramental Priesthood in short, to show their rejection of Catholicism altogether. But, for whatever reason, this 1980 document contained no threat of penalty to any layman, priest or bishop who ignored the Popes plea. The Pope then promulgated the May 28, 1969 Instruction Memoriale Domine. the growth."" Does Catholic Church acknowledge St. Paul the Apostle as consecrated Bishop during Apostolic times? A. Catholic renewal would either leave these gestures of reverence intact, or enhance them. The debate over Communion in the hand or on the tongue has nonetheless occurred throughout Church history. All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another. Though Ecumenism will not be treated within this article (see The Problem with Modern Ecumenism. Then having partaken of the Body of Christ, approach also the cup of His blood; not extending your hands, but bending low and saying in the way of worship and reverence, Amen, be you sanctified by partaking, also of the blood of Christ. Catechetical Lecture 5.