In other words, the real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is just a Papist superstition, and that the bread is just bread and anybody can handle it. 3, Rep. Obj. "Is it a sacrilege to take communion in hand?" Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. An illustration can be given by the story of the Canadian bishops response to, rightly reaffirmed the Churchs teaching against contraception. "They agreed that done properly the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand pose a more or less equal risk. The mindless behavior of this superficially trained laity brings to the sanctuary a pomposity that is both embarrassing and saddening to watch.. 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. Naturally, liberal clergy in other countries (including ours) concluded that if this rebellion could be legalized in Holland, it could be legalized anywhere. A true Catholic renewal would either leave these gestures of reverence intact, or enhance them. Father Nicholas Nelson: The history of Communion in the hand The question has been asked for a long time since the Church has often allowed both methods of reception. It was a recognizably anti-Catholic practice rooted in disbelief in the real Presence of Christ and the priesthood. This is a powerful testimony, as much of the Churchs theology is based on the theology of St. Thomas. This ruling too, has been completely ignored, as will be all rulings providing a concession for this abuse is somewhere on the books. Similarly, the Synod of Rouen (AD 650) decreed: Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywoman only in their mouths., The Sixth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople (AD 680681) also forbade the taking of Communion in the hand by the laity, under threat of excommunication. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? He was caught and martyred on the spot. And once a fad like Extraordinary Ministers becomes widespread, and everybodys doing it simply because everybodys doing it, then who even pays attention to existing guidelines anyway? A quick example will be found in the writings of Monsignor Champlin. and defied the liturgical law of the Church, this rebellion would not only be tolerated, but eventually legalized. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - Summa Theologica, Part III, Q. 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. who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives But if the bishops seemed indifferent to this scandal, the laity were outraged. And it must be noted that at this time, the abuse was limited to a few European countries. Now we are at the point where Communion in the hand is viewed as a. way of receiving the Eucharist and the vast majority of our little children are being misinstructed to receive First Communion in the hand. They agreed that done properly the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand pose a more or less equal risk. He died taking the Eucharist to the faithful who were held either in prisons for their faith or to homes of the faithful. Pandemic will affect Communion rituals for U.S. Christians 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. Objecting to Communion in the Hand | EWTN The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . Priests, bishop reveal rashness in banning Communion on - LifeSite degree in Electrical Engineering from the, Brendan Young came to know Our Lady's Apostolate at a young age,, Christopher A. Ferrara earned his Baccalaureate and Juris Doctor degrees, David Martin gave up a promising career as a concert pianist in 1980 so, Eric Bermingham is an aerospace engineer by day and a creationist author, Father Albert Kallio, O.P. Paul relates the communion to the sacrifice of Christ and then says to examine one's self in verse 28. In the This is why the new liturgy so closely resembles a Protestant service. In the pre-Vatican II Church, when the Latin Tridentine Mass was the norm, men training to be priests were not only taught, but. 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. The only positive information concerning this Roman martyr is found in a poem composed in his honour by Pope Damasus (366384), who compares him to the deacon Saint Stephen and says that, as Stephen was stoned by a crowd, so Tarcisius, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, was attacked by a group and beaten to death. For whoever eats and drinks without By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. 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. On the other hand, there is also ample testimony from great saints like St. Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling - Vatican.va In more recent times, Church leaders have been clear on one point: Communion on the tongue is not only acceptable, but preferable, and the Church should never deny this method of reception to the faithful. This is provoking questions among the faithful. 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. @KayleeA Sorry, I did not mean to imply that you were one, but I now realize that the way I phrased that might be taken that way. How can one say it is a sacrilege to receive the Lord on our hands as children carried it in the Early Church. This is exactly what happened, and this is why we have Communion in the hand today. Though the entire essay will not be treated here, for the purpose of the subject at hand, it is necessary to point out the central aspect of it: the old paganism had deep respect for tradition, and the new post-Christian paganism has a revolutionary contempt for tradition. Now, it is Catholic teaching that the Sacrament of Holy Orders gives a man a spiritual, sacramental power, it imprints an indelible mark on his soul and makes him fundamentally different from laymen. A. Catholic renewal would either leave these gestures of reverence intact, or enhance them. It is always helpful to review instructions for receiving Communion. We cannot be certain precisely how Jesus distributed His Body to the Apostles, but it seems likely if He were to distribute the Sacrament exclusively on the tongue then a detail of such importance would be carefully recorded. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. And all those pre-Vatican II barriers that prevented desecration are indispensable to the life of the Church and the holiness of the Faithful. worshiped him. The Councils of Saragossa (AD 380) and Toledo (fifth to seventh centuries) threatened excommunication to anyone who continued receiving holy Communion by hand. Receiving communion on the hand is part of 'diabolical attack' on the Church, says Sarah by Christopher Lamb For centuries, it was the practice for Catholics to receive the host on the tongue. WorshipOr Just a Performance | Worship Warnings | 9am Full Live Next time I hear about this topic from one of those, whom I know, I'll have a better tid bit to offer them. , but within that document the bishops used the curious phrase norms for licit dissent. "Signpost" puzzle from Tatham's collection, Ubuntu won't accept my choice of password, Copy the n-largest files from a certain directory to the current one. But let a man prove himself . After Vatican II, some ecumenically-minded priests in Holland started giving Communion in the hand, in a monkey-see, monkey-do imitation of Protestant practice. These meticulous rubrics were carved in stone and were not optional. It had not yet started in the United States. Undoubtedly, there will be parishes and ministers who will distribute Communion on the tongue regardless. Now, does this mean 5 minutes or 45 minutes unduly prolonged? This ruling too, has been completely ignored, We can only pray that our Church leaders will finally come to the realization that when it comes to the Blessed Sacrament, you dont. The Faithful are told that it is an optional practice, and if they dont like it, they can receive it on the tongue. 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. And the fad and fashion that was the pride and joy of many post-Vatican II Churchmen, in the name of making the Church more relevant, was the idea of lay-involvement in the liturgy. I find it quite enlightening. Our fathers told us these things not just for the sake of handing down a venerable but groundless tradition, they have told us these things through word and example to show fidelity to the Catholic Faith and reverence toward the Blessed Sacrament. But obliterating these without apology and without convincing argument, as has been the case over the last 30 years with the introduction of the New Mass, is not the mark of genuine Catholic renewal, but resembles the New Paganism warned of by Belloc, and its arrogant contempt for tradition. 82, Art. Hence, it is not lawful for anyone else to touch It, except from necessity, for instance, if It were to fall upon the ground or else in some other case of urgency. (ST, III, Q.82, Art. condemned with the world." Worship Service April 30, 2023- Praise and Worship Service - Facebook The Truth About Communion in the Hand | The Fatima Center In The Theology of Kneeling, an excerpt from his book The Spirit of the Liturgy (2000), Cardinal Ratzinger highlights this truth: the bodily gesture itself is the bearer of the spiritual meaning when someone tries to take worship back into the purely spiritual realm and refuses to give it embodied form, the act of worship evaporates. Later, as Pope Benedict XVI, in continuity with St. John Paul II, he gave Communion to the faithful on the tongue while they knelt.
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