Can a priest refuse to give Communion on the tongue?

[Candle2009]

A priest in my town will not give Communion on the tongue and will make you wait in line until you put out your hands to receive Christ. My family receives Christ on the tongue and we feel a little un-humble when we receive him in our hands. Are we wrong?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

No. The priest is wrong to refuse to give you Communion on the tongue. Communion on the tongue is the universal norm in the Latin church. When Communion in the hand is allowed in a particular area, ordinarily it is the choice of the communicant whether to receive on the tongue or in the hand. If this priest is not at your regular parish though, I recommend against making an issue of it. Just go to a deacon or EMHC, if one is distributing Communion, so that you may receive on the tongue. If the priest is at your parish, I recommend making an appointment with him and showing him the document Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion, which states:

Holy Communion under the form of bread is offered to the communicant with the words “The body of Christ.” The communicant may choose whether to receive the body of Christ in the hand or on the tongue. When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “When you approach, take care not to do so with your hand stretched out and your fingers open or apart, but rather place your left hand as a throne beneath your right, as befits one who is about to receive the King. Then receive him, taking care that nothing is lost” (41, emphasis added).

If the priest continues to refuse you Communion on the tongue, I then recommend writing to the bishop.