Cardinal Sarah: return to Communion directly on the tongue while kneeling

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ONE alleged quote from Cyril, from the disputed Catechesis mystagogica. MANY other quotes from Fathers about Communion on the tongue.
 
If you receive standing on the tongue, after bowing or genuflecting, when do you say Amen? (Sorry for the dumb question but I’m trying to sort out the logistics in my mind — I haven’t actually been taught how to receive on the tongue and I don’t want to stare at people who receive on the tongue)
 
Priest: Body of Christ.

Person: Amen. Then it is placed on the tongue.
 
Thomas Aquinas (13th century) who in his Summa Theologica, Volume III, Q. 82, Art. 13 states: “Secondly, because the priest is the appointed intermediary between God and the people, hence as it belongs to him to offer the people’s gifts to God, so it belongs to him to deliver the consecrated gifts to the people. Thirdly, because out of reverence towards this sacrament, nothing touches it but what is consecrated, hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this sacrament. Hence it is not lawful for anyone to touch it, except from necessity, for instance if it were to fall upon the ground, or else in some other case of urgency.”

“To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained, one which indicates an active participation in the ministry of the Eucharist” (Dominicae Cenae, 11)

Council of Rouen - 650AD - "Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layman or laywomen but only in their mouths."

Jesus dipped the bread into wine and gave it to Judas. Don’t try this at home, it can get pretty messy.
 
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Ah ok thanks. One time I intended in my mind to receive on the tongue, but then my hands inadvertently and automatically went out as if to receive on the hand and it just became and embarrassing and awkward situation for me and the priest. It was actually a minor trauma…
 
This is often used as an argument in favor. Reading the entire text leads to questions of its authenticity.
 
Hey, if you’re not satisfied with a quote from a saint on the practice… then just go with the Church on it…Communion-in-the-hand is approved by the Holy See as an option for the United States, and for many other countries…authorized by soon-to-be Saint Pope Paul VI.
 
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The hands of a Deacon are not consecrated, yet he is and always has been an Ordinary minister of the chalice.
 
KMG said:
ONE alleged quote from Cyril, from the disputed Catechesis mystagogica. MANY other quotes from Fathers about Communion on the tongue.
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The U.S. bishops, in their Vatican-approved norms on the distribution and reception of Holy Communion, invoke the oft-cited remarks of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 368):

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. (see “Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America” 41)

You may dispute it, but the Bishops do not…
 
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I heard the Auxiliary Bishop talk recently where he made a case for his preference for Communion to be place on the tongue… he spends a lot of time talking about this external posture question.

What I find most interesting about this video is that the Auxiliary Bishop makes a point to say that Priests weren’t allowed to touch the Eucharist with the left hand… .only the right. If that isn’t an unhealthy obsession with rubric and form, I don’t know what is.
 
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godisgood77 said:
The U.S. bishops, in their Vatican-approved norms on the distribution and reception of Holy Communion, invoke the oft-cited remarks of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 368):

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. (see “Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America” 41)

You may dispute it, but the Bishops do not…
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What St Cyril described is not what’s done today in the U.S.

The part that’s missing is that the communicant never actually picked up the Host (or portion, since pre-made hosts didn’t yet exist); but instead lifted up the hand and bowed the head simultaneously then consumed the Body directly from the palm of the hand. The fingers weren’t used. It’s the same way that priests consume Communion in (some of) the Byzantine traditions today.

Again here, I need to add that since the Church allows this form, I accept that. I just want to explain that what we think of as receiving in the hand today is not the same thing as what St Cyril described (allegedly or accurately ascribed to him makes no difference).
 
Fair enough Father, thanks.

I do think, considering that the US bishops used Cyril’s quote as a basis for the disciple of receiving in the hand, that there is disagreement on your comments among prelates. The point is moot though, as you point out, as the Church allows the receiving in the hand.

… after several posts, I find it disappointing that we spend our time on such a low minded topic… postures and rubrics do nothing to determine our sanctity
 
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FrDavid96 said:
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godisgood77:
The U.S. bishops, in their Vatican-approved norms on the distribution and reception of Holy Communion, invoke the oft-cited remarks of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 368):

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. (see “Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America” 41)

You may dispute it, but the Bishops do not…
Click to expand...
What St Cyril described is not what’s done today in the U.S.

The part that’s missing is that the communicant never actually picked up the Host (or portion, since pre-made hosts didn’t yet exist); but instead lifted up the hand and bowed the head simultaneously then consumed the Body directly from the palm of the hand. The fingers weren’t used. It’s the same way that priests consume Communion in (some of) the Byzantine traditions today.

Again here, I need to add that since the Church allows this form, I accept that. I just want to explain that what we think of as receiving in the hand today is not the same thing as what St Cyril described (allegedly or accurately ascribed to him makes no difference).
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Interestingly, this is the practice in the Anglican church.

I still feel sore, as a recent convert then, because I was reprimanded when I was so caught up in the moment and absentmindedly went back to the Anglican practice one Sunday at (Catholic) Mass.
 
godisgood77 said:
Fair enough Father, thanks.

I do think, considering that the US bishops used Cyril’s quote as a basis for the disciple of receiving in the hand, that there is disagreement on your comments among prelates. The point is moot though, as you point out, as the Church allows the receiving in the hand.

… after several posts, I find it disappointing that we spend our time on such a low minded topic… postures and rubrics do nothing to determine our sanctity
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I don’t really think there’s much disagreement among prelates on this. More a matter of different perspectives.

And the US bishops did not use this “as a basis” for justifying Communion in the hand. They merely used it as a way of describing the method to be used–the idea of placing one hand over the other.

It’s also clear that they reverse the hands (and they admit as much). They’ve always said that one should put the left hand over the right (opposite of the ancient text) so as to be able to pick-up the Host with the fingers of the right hand.

I just want to caution you not to read too much into the ancient text. If you want to argue in favor of Communion in the hand, pick a stronger argument.
 
@FrDavid96 Fr. David, I’m scrupulously paranoid that by receiving on the tongue, I’m going to accidentally drop the Host on the floor. For those of us who have never been taught the way of receiving on the tongue, what practical considerations should we take so that the Host is securely placed in the tongue/mouth? I’ve read that we should tilt our head back a bit…(also, are we supposed to make eye contact with the priest or should we look elsewhere while receiving?)
 
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