Ah, I didn’t realize you’re new to the faith. In that case, you should see this as an opportunity to practice obedience. It’s not always easy to do that but as Catholics but I’d kindly suggest that practicing really helps.Joe_5859:
Yes, obedience is a great virtue. I’m likely to be receiving my First Communion in the hand too when I get baptized (originally Easter Vigil, now postponed to Pentecost, might be postponed further), if the ban on COTT is still in place.
But if the bishop did not mandate it by his episcopal or priestly authority, is it really obedience going on? Wouldn’t it be a personal request from him simply as a Catholic just like us, since he is not really exercising his episcopal authority?
(Maybe others gonna say why does it matter, you scrupulous again, just obey and case closed, dont make simple things complicated.)
Because the faithful are questioning if certain bishops feel that they are “more catholic” than the pope?
Because the Church is the center of faith. Faith does not capitulate to panic or fear. If obligations are being lifted for the alarmists and the trully vulnerable, should service to the faithful be denied? Tragedy is a fact of life, the Church presses forward… especially when it is needed more than ever.
Because some are questioning safety precautions in light of an unprecedented situation and suggesting that bishops are somehow less than faithful as a result.gracepoole:
Because the faithful are questioning if certain bishops feel that they are “more catholic” than the pope?
The Church has a responsibility to both the faith and physical safety of all Catholics. The faith of Catholics is not jeopardized by a temporary suspension of COTT since the Church permits COTH. I can see no reason not to accept COTH unless one thinks a) the bishops don’t have the necessary authority to make this temporary change, or b) COTH is illicit (in violation of Church teaching), or c) both.gracepoole:
Because the Church is the center of faith. Faith does not capitulate to panic or fear. If obligations are being lifted for the alarmists and the trully vulnerable, should service to the faithful be denied? Tragedy is a fact of life, the Church presses forward… especially when it is needed more than ever.
Indeed. Any law that cannot be temporarily abrogated in exceptional circumstances, is an unjust law. The law is made to serve Mankind, not Mankind serve the law.
You know, I don’t disagree with that. However, for the first time a month ago my priest missed a little and hit my tongue. I didn’t care, but the point is that when I stood before him two weeks ago after the announcement, I accepted in the hand. I could see right away he was grateful, even though I must have seemed forlorn. I am just going to deal with it for now.
I get that, it could happen to be passed when receiving on the tongue if he accidentally touches your tongue or lip but he could just as easily touch your hand and pass germs to the next person. Think of how many things your hands touch from the time you walk in the Church door until going up to communion.
Perhaps not for those who receive on the hand, but for those who receive on the tongue it often is normally yes.
For most people it is this way (apart from a few exceptions for left handers of course) because if we were to shake someone’s hand we would do it with the right hand and if we had to loose a hand it wouldn’t be the right one we’d choose to lose. As Our Lord even will put the sheep on his right and goats on his left (Matthew 25:31-46) and he will sit at the fathers right hand (Mark 16:19) hence to receive the king of the universe in the left hand on such a large scale is not ideal.
That’s great, and yet somehow I have a strange feeling that if St Francis Bishop had ordered this he would’ve not obeyed the Bishop in this matter, aswell as many others Saints. I suppose we will only know on judgment day, but yes I think this is a test, but perhaps just the opposite test to what people think it is. The test is perhaps, who will cave in, after all its so tempting, we all want to receive and so will we be prepared to do such a think in order to receive? will we give in or make the ultimate and painful sacrifice of having to make a spiritual communion? That’s perhaps the test.
