Communion on the tongue at Spanish Masses

[HomeschoolDad]

I went to a Spanish Mass today, which is not my usual time to go to Mass, but it was my only realistic way to attend Mass today (had to cook for Father’s Day), and I have a very basic understanding of the language.

I noticed that probably 90% of the people received on the tongue. Is there a cultural reason for this, or does it indicate a more traditional approach to Eucharistic reverence?

I did not receive, as I only receive from a priest or deacon, and it would have been very obvious, and possibly insulting, if I had maneuvered to the other side of the church to receive from the Anglo priest. Given that I was possibly the only Anglo there (at least my appearance could cause one to surmise this), this could have been received badly, so in the interests of harmony and not causing scandal, I chose not to receive.

 

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

When I’ve attended mass in Spanish, it seemed like the usual mix of communion in the hand/communion on the tongue. Maybe there was a higher ratio of recent immigrants from a country in which communion on the tongue is more common, I dunno.

 

[LoveMercyGrace]

interesting…now I will check into Spanish Mass in my area. maybe even attend one!
I always prefer to receive on the tongue…in my parish I believe I’m one of very few, or maybe the only one !

 

[HomeschoolDad]

interesting…now I will check into Spanish Mass in my area. maybe even attend one!
I always prefer to receive on the tongue…in my parish I believe I’m one of very few, or maybe the only one !

I usually do not attend Spanish Masses, because even though I have a basic understanding of the language (possibly my second-best language, where listening comprehension is involved, aside from English), I am not part of the culture, not part of the heritage, and I feel as though I am a guest at “someone else’s Mass”. But I have always been made to feel welcome, and I am grateful for this, even though my Anglo features make it obvious I am not Hispanic. I am told that “blending in” in Argentina would be easier.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

I am not part of the culture, not part of the heritage, and I feel as though I am a guest at “someone else’s Mass”.

I really don’t understand the desire to “blend in” at Mass. The Mass doesn’t suddenly become a “private” event because the majority of the faithful in attendance is of a particular ethnicity or the liturgy is celebrated in a foreign language. It’s the Mass. Everyone is welcome to attend.

As an Asian person (born in Asia of 100% Asian parents) who grew up in the US and now lives in France, I am, in a sense, a “stranger” at every Mass I attend. If I were to let that make me uncomfortable, attending any Mass within 78 miles (125 km) of my home would be a struggle.

 

[Phemie]

HomeschoolDad:

I am not part of the culture, not part of the heritage, and I feel as though I am a guest at “someone else’s Mass”.

I really don’t understand the desire to “blend in” at Mass. The Mass doesn’t suddenly become a “private” event because the majority of the faithful in attendance is of a particular ethnicity or the liturgy is celebrated in a foreign language. It’s the Mass. Everyone is welcome to attend.

As an Asian person (born in Asia of 100% Asian parents) who grew up in the US and now lives in France, I am, in a sense, a “stranger” at every Mass I attend. If I were to let that make me uncomfortable, attending any Mass within 78 miles (125 km) of my home would be a struggle.

I attended Mass in Holland while on holidays. I don’t know a single word of Dutch but I didn’t feel like a guest at someone else’s Mass. Granted I blended in with the rest of the congregation so didn’t feel out of place that way.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I noticed that probably 90% of the people received on the tongue. Is there a cultural reason for this, or does it indicate a more traditional approach to Eucharistic reverence?

It happens at the Spanish Masses I go to as well. I just told the person in the other thread who was asking what to do to fit in at a Spanish Mass to follow the lead of other people in receiving Communion because often they all receive on the tongue. Of course somebody chimed in arguing that he still should be able to receive in the hand, but if the idea is to blend in with the crowd and almost all of them are receiving on the tongue then why be the odd duck unless there is a physical reason to receive in the hand?

I just assumed it was cultural since many of the people at the Masses I go to are not natives of USA and have moved here from Mexico and various other Latin American countries. So I figured they receive the way they received in their original country. I know from attending Mass in other countries that many other countries have people still receiving on the tongue for the most part.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I really don’t understand the desire to “blend in” at Mass.

Speaking as one who goes fairly regularly to Spanish Masses where I am the only gringa there, it can be a little uncomfortable at first especially given the politics in USA regarding illegal immigrants the last few years. (The churches are very aware of this issue and have flyers and bulletin announcements and such advertising help for people with their immigration status - I’ve also noticed that the Spanish national church here puts very little info about service times and so forth on its web page, you kind of have to know where to look for the information, which makes me wonder a bit if they’re trying to be a little under the radar.) You definitely want to “fit in” at the daily Mass and look like you know what you’re doing and aren’t there to spy on people or otherwise cause a problem. I have now been to one of the churches so often that people are used to me and even say hello but it took a while to get to that point.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Thanks for bringing this up. I hadn’t considered that angle. Come to think of it I experienced similar problems because I arrived in France just before the start of the war in Iraq and became some sort of symbol of everything that was wrong with the world. It was a delicate time.

It’s a shame such things sometimes impinge upon being at Mass.

 

[twf]

I don’t understand the mentality either. For me Protestant churches are more likely to be culturally homogenous. My experience of Catholicism has always been very multicultural.

I live in Vancouver. We have a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Asian Canadian population. In my municipality, 30% of the population is Chinese-Canadian… that doesn’t include Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, Indians, etc. In any local Catholic parish I can think of, whites are always a very obvious minority. So as a white guy, I do stand out in a sea of black Asian hair. The most vibrant parishes tend to have lots of Filipinos!

 

[babochka]

LoveMercyGrace:

interesting…now I will check into Spanish Mass in my area. maybe even attend one!
I always prefer to receive on the tongue…in my parish I believe I’m one of very few, or maybe the only one !

I usually do not attend Spanish Masses, because even though I have a basic understanding of the language (possibly my second-best language, where listening comprehension is involved, aside from English), I am not part of the culture, not part of the heritage, and I feel as though I am a guest at “someone else’s Mass”. But I have always been made to feel welcome, and I am grateful for this, even though my Anglo features make it obvious I am not Hispanic. I am told that “blending in” in Argentina would be easier.

I recently attended Mass in Spanish for two weeks (not in the US). I didn’t notice so much what other people did, but there was no awkwardness or hesitation when my family received on the tongue. (I wish that I could piously state that I was too focused on my own upcoming reception of Holy Communion, but the reality is I was focused on reminding my children how to receive in the Latin Rite and explaining to my four-year-old that she could not receive because we had not had a chance to talk to the priest first.)I did notice that many people did not receive.

As far as feeling as a guest at somebody else’s Mass, I understand the emotion completely, but one of the beautiful things about being Catholic is that the Church is our home and we belong, no matter where we are. I first experienced this as a teenager at Notre Dame in Paris. I came as a tourist with a non-Catholic tour group, but I realized that I was a pilgrim. I have tried to never let go of that knowledge. I say this as someone who struggles with shyness and social awkwardness, so the knowledge does not always overcome the emotion, but I still know it to be true.

 

[tafan2]

Beyond a doubt, more people at Spanish masses receive on the tongue. A lot more. Especially if you were to compare to places like the midwestern US, where it seems to me anyone who received on the tongue (at an English mass) is fairly rare.

As to feeling as a guest at someone else’s mass, I suppose I have just been fortunate to attend mass in lots of countries when I was younger, so I never feel like an outsider. I will say, it seems to me that one is normally very welcomed at Spanish masses in this country.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

What I did notice is that many people did not receive.

Yes, this is true, especially for Sunday Mass.

I always feel a bit awkward going up to receive when so many do not, even though I confess about every 2 weeks and I always have my confession date in mind just in case the priest would ask me if I have been to confession.

It’s good that they come to Mass even if they are not in a position to receive.

 

[paperwight]

babochka:

What I did notice is that many people did not receive.

Yes, this is true, especially for Sunday Mass.

I always feel a bit awkward going up to receive when so many do not, even though I confess about every 2 weeks and I always have my confession date in mind just in case the priest would ask me if I have been to confession.

It’s good that they come to Mass even if they are not in a position to receive.

I was told by my son who has lived in Spain nearly 30 years that receiving Holy Communion ‘isn’t done’ in Spain if one has made love with one’s spouse the night before.

Lingering shades of Jansenism, I assume.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Tim, I would gently suggest that pretty much everybody who reads this forum is aware of the history of communion in the hand, and Vatican II, and all that. We discuss it on here very regularly. Furthermore, at TLM Masses communion is still distributed in the manner you describe, at a rail. Many of us have received in that manner.

 

[13pollitos]

Yes it is kind of cultural at least in some communities. I was taught at school to receive in the hand it my parents told me to receive in the tongue. In my husband’s town when we visit, everyone receives on the tongue, only the host is offered. That is in a rural part of Mexico. If we go to Mass in Cuernavaca when we see his aunt, it is a mix and the wine is offered. So it varies even within Mexico depending on location.

Most likely you will see a larger mix in Spanish Masses in the US based on how many are immigrants, how long they have been in the US, and what the custom is in their town/city. As someone that tends to receive on the tongue married to someone who ironically only receives in the hand (based on where he is from), you should be comfortable receiving either way at Spanish Mass. both are acceptable.

 

[Tim-112]

I’ve removed my answer to the poster at your suggestion. The way I read the question, it sounded like he was not familiar with the history. I guess that was an absurd assumption for me to make. So sorry.

To answer the question: I’m not sure what cultural influence would promote reception on the tongue. I can’t think of any culture that feeds each other by mouth - maybe birds, maybe the early Romans would feed each other grapes on the tongue. I’d say it could only be a desire to engage in Eucharistic reverence.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I really don’t understand the desire to “blend in” at Mass. The Mass doesn’t suddenly become a “private” event because the majority of the faithful in attendance is of a particular ethnicity or the liturgy is celebrated in a foreign language. It’s the Mass. Everyone is welcome to attend.

I understand that, and in no way do I feel “unwelcome”, or even uncomfortable. It’s a cultural and ethnic solidarity and homogeneity thing. Mainstream Catholic churches are a kaleidoscope of races and ethnicities, and no one gives it a second thought.

However, in some ethnically-focused parishes and worship communities, the congregation has common concerns, common problems, a common aesthetic sense, and so on. The parish or community acts an affirmation of the ethnic group which comprises it. For a time I attended an ethnic Polish parish. If one had been visibly non-Polish (I blended in), the people would have been of the mindset “what is he doing here — did he come here by mistake?”. No one would begrudge me attending Mass and receiving the sacraments, it would just be seen as a trifle odd.

 

[13pollitos]

I’ve never run into this in Spanish Masses. It could be regional, but the majority of parishes I have attended that offer Spanish Mass the Hispanic community is welcoming to everyone. Most want to be accepted into the communities they live and take it as a sign of acceptance for others to attend Mass with them.

I didn’t go to Mass in Spanish once we arrived in the US until I was an adult. There wasn’t one in the part of Alabama we landed. My only Masses in Spanish before that were in Bolivia before we moved or when visiting grandparents. So when the first Spanish Mass I went to was attended by nearly have the church of white people I felt so much joy! I found a home that was accepting of each other and focused on Jesus. It’s been a similar experience in the other places I’ve attended Spanish or even bilingual Masses.

If in other regions this is different I think it is sad.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

It probably is not so much a cultural difference as much as it is an age difference. I am an old school Catholic. I do not feel worthy to touch the Eucharist with my fingers and hands. That is the Body of Christ.