Has the practice of Communion in the hand really strengthened and clarified ourfaith?

[GloriaPatri4]

Has the practice of Communion in the hand really strengthened and clarified our faith in the Real Presence?
**

**

Communion in the Hand

Rethinking Communion in the Hand

The Pope . . . and Mother Teresa of Calcutta

It is well known that the Holy Father is not a promoter of Communion in the hand. In his native Poland, the practice is still illicit, as indeed it is at the level of the universal Church. It was also illicit until very recently in the Vatican Basilica. And he has even refused to do it in countries where the practice has been granted by the Holy See.

The most remarkable example of this last is the time when the wife of the President of France, Madame Giscard d’Estaing approached the Pope for Holy Communion with hands outstretched. He ignored those hands and placed the Sacred Host into her (astonished) mouth. (Actually, she need not have been astonished; explicit instructions had been given that the Pope would not give Communion in the hand.)

The Missionaries of Charity have no qualms about touching Christ in the guise of the poor, lifting him out of the gutters, and cleaning his maggot infested wounds. They choose, however, not to touch him in his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. All of Mother Teresa’s sisters are united both in their many hours of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and in their manner of reception of Holy Communion: on the tongue.

Mother Teresa herself evidently regards the practice in a somewhat negative light: I will tell you a secret, since we have just a thousand close friends together, and also because we have the Missionaries of Charity with us, whom the Holy Spirit has sent into the world that the secrets of many hearts might be revealed. Not very long ago I said Mass and preached for their Mother, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and after breakfast we spent quite a long time talking in a little room. Suddenly, I found myself asking her-I don’t know why-“Mother, what do you think is the worst problem in the world today?” She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat, and so on. Without pausing a second she said, "Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.

read article in its entirety
http://www.catholic-pages.com/mass/inhand.asp

 

[Genesis315]

I voted other. I would definitely say it has not strengthened our belief in the Real Presence, but I also wouldn’t necessarily say receiving in the hand is the cause of the weakening of it. It might be more of a result. I’ll stick to the tongue when there is a paten, but when ther is none I’d rather have Jesus in my hands than falling on the floor.

 

[Brendan]

I really can’t see how it has increase faith.

Though, in all fairness, His Holiness at one time gave Communion in the Hand.

He stopped when it was found out that occasionally, misguided persons were keeping the Eucharist recieved from his hands as a souvenir.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Has the practice of Communion in the hand really strengthened and clarified our faith in the Real Presence?

Article is a bit old, 1997.

I do not think that the practice of communion in the hand was done to strengthen nor clarify anything. So I really do not see why the question is being asked.

As for Mother Teresa, so what? I will say it again, saints are not infallible in anything that they have said.

I for one, could do without it but when I am at a Mass sometimes I take in the hand sometimes I take it on the tongue.

I think there are bigger issues to look at than this one, after all this one has been approved of by the Church.

 

[Cherub]

I do not receive the Eucharist in my hand, and I find it regrettable that it is even permitted. Remember: just because a thing can happen, doesn’t mean it should.

 

[Exporter]

The Practice of Communion in the Hand has NOT strengthened the faith of anyone. What it has done is to make taking Communion just like buying an icecream cone - a common occurance.

Why they did allow this - I dont know. I do know it is irreverant!

 

[dezembrum]

I can’t see how it would. I used to do this, right after I converted (2002). After having concerns about myself committing sacrilege (the first parish I belonged to made their own bread, which produced a lot of crumbs), and then starting to attend a Traditional Mass, I’ve become more and more opposed to the idea of Communion in the hand. The whole idea of receiving on the tongue was that the priest alone had hands consecrated to touch the Host - I beleive the traditional practice after ordination was to kiss the hands of the priest so highly was the priesthood esteemed. Plus, more and more people have less belief in the Real Presence, and think of Mass as a “meal” instead of a Sacrifice. Of course it is both, but it’s amazing to look at say the St. Joseph’s Daily Missal from the '50’s and then one from after Vatican II - the idea of Sacrifice has been swept under the rug. Instead Mass is a “memorial” and a “banquet.” - Which it is, but it is also the unbloody representation of Calvary.

Ok, that was a long way of saying: No, I don’t like Communion in the hand.

 

[BulldogCath]

Great post and follow up-why does it seem that only us Catholics are so willing to throw away tradition and worse yet past teachings by Saints and alike when other faiths cling to theirs and revere it? We are more in tune with our own American history than we are with our own church and it is God we are going to be answering to -as we will all be judged, and not some President

Has the practice of Communion in the hand really strengthened and clarified our faith in the Real Presence?

---

Communion in the Hand

Rethinking Communion in the Hand

The Pope . . . and Mother Teresa of Calcutta

It is well known that the Holy Father is not a promoter of Communion in the hand. In his native Poland, the practice is still illicit, as indeed it is at the level of the universal Church. It was also illicit until very recently in the Vatican Basilica. And he has even refused to do it in countries where the practice has been granted by the Holy See.

The most remarkable example of this last is the time when the wife of the President of France, Madame Giscard d’Estaing approached the Pope for Holy Communion with hands outstretched. He ignored those hands and placed the Sacred Host into her (astonished) mouth. (Actually, she need not have been astonished; explicit instructions had been given that the Pope would not give Communion in the hand.)

The Missionaries of Charity have no qualms about touching Christ in the guise of the poor, lifting him out of the gutters, and cleaning his maggot infested wounds. They choose, however, not to touch him in his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. All of Mother Teresa’s sisters are united both in their many hours of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and in their manner of reception of Holy Communion: on the tongue.

Mother Teresa herself evidently regards the practice in a somewhat negative light: I will tell you a secret, since we have just a thousand close friends together, and also because we have the Missionaries of Charity with us, whom the Holy Spirit has sent into the world that the secrets of many hearts might be revealed. Not very long ago I said Mass and preached for their Mother, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and after breakfast we spent quite a long time talking in a little room. Suddenly, I found myself asking her-I don’t know why-“Mother, what do you think is the worst problem in the world today?” She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat, and so on. Without pausing a second she said, "Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.

read article in its entirety
http://www.catholic-pages.com/mass/inhand.asp

 

[pnewton]

I voted yes because Communion has always been a strengthening of my faith, regardless of how it is received. But then I tried to answer the question, not the agenda behind the question.

 

[Kielbasi]

**Its neither strengthened nor weakened **the belief, so the correct answer is “no”.

But the communion-in-the-hand procedure is here to stay, as communion-on-the-tongue is a bit awkward for many of the EM’s to handle easily.

A 5’1" EM trying to give communion on the tongue to a 6’5" communicant is just plain awkward.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

pnewton:

I voted yes because Communion has always been a strengthening of my faith, regardless of how it is received. But then I tried to answer the question, not the agenda behind the question.

Dear pnewton,

I don’t wish to miscontrue your post like I did yesterday.
Respectfully what agenda are you referring to?

 

[pnewton]

GloriaPatri4:

Dear pnewton,

I don’t wish to miscontrue your post like I did yesterday.
Respectfully what agenda are you referring to?

Words like “really” are unneccessary and will increase the likelyhood of “no” votes. If one was really interested in a more objective vote it might be constructed by putting the two possibilities, communion in hand and on the tongue, opposed to each other and then the neutral choices like “I do not know” or “neither.”

Also the intial post is discouraging to communion in hand.

On a historical note, I could point out that in the 16th century when communion was received on the tongue, a huge break from the Church occured resulting in the discarding among millions of Christians of the belief in the real presence.

Those that wish to doubt will find an excuse to doubt. They always have and always will. Having something convenient to blame like a change in disciplne is copping out on our need for catechisis. And trying to continually tie problems in our church to the manner of communion reception (there have been **many **threads on this) is just plain silly.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

Brendan:

I really can’t see how it has increase faith.

Though, in all fairness, His Holiness at one time gave Communion in the Hand.

He stopped when it was found out that occasionally, misguided persons were keeping the Eucharist recieved from his hands as a souvenir.

It seems from reading other threads on this issue there are a lot of misguided people out there keeping the Eucharist and it’s not because they received it from the Holy Father. At my parish I have heard EMsHC speak of people carrying the consecrated hosts off. I don’t even want to imagine what may be happening to our Lord’s body when it’s carried away. If I ever saw that happen I would definitely say something. I’ve read about satanic cults desecrating consecrated hosts. I’ve seen consecrated hosts left on the floor in the pew or left in the missal holder which I consumed myself. I don’t think these abuses would happen as often if people were receiving on the tongue.

 

[TNT]

**Its neither strengthened nor weakened **the belief, so the correct answer is “no”.

But the communion-in-the-hand procedure is here to stay, as communion-on-the-tongue is a bit awkward for many of the EM’s to handle easily.

A 5’1" EM trying to give communion on the tongue to a 6’5" communicant is just plain awkward.

Of course, if the communicant was kneeling, “awkward” would not be an issue.
But that is another wisdom of tradition overthrown.

The entire efforts of the Vatican, in action, and episcopal selection has ONE overriding irrevocable commitment: ECUMENISM. JPII has reafirmed this more than ANY other teaching of his pontificate.
Any tradition in the Church that has even a hint of Catholic exclusive practice will be removed. In the case of this thread, it’s to demote the sacredness (Real Presence) of the species, exclusive to the Catholic Church vs prot churches.
For those who can’t latch on to why all the changes on a neverending basis, I promote that you print out the following and attach it to your home noteboard or fridge: Better yet, frame it and hang it in a conspicuous place. Then you can correctly answer the question every day.
**
Ecumenism: The destruction of Internal unity in the false hope of External unity.**
**
To destroy a religion, we must FIRST sever its identifiable traditions. Only then can a new ecumenical religion be constructed in its place.**

The preachings of our favorite novel-ist PNewton notwithstanding…

 

[Pug]

****The most remarkable example of this last is the time when the wife of the President of France, Madame Giscard d’Estaing approached the Pope for Holy Communion with hands outstretched. He ignored those hands and placed the Sacred Host into her (astonished) mouth. (Actually, she need not have been astonished; explicit instructions had been given that the Pope would not give Communion in the hand.)

The poor soul, to make a mistake and have it remembered by everyone. Surely if this happened, it should not be put in the news.

 

[pnewton]

TNT:

The preachings of our favorite novel-ist PNewton notwithstanding…

Don’t worry. if you get me preachin’, you’ll know it. As far as being a novelist, check my post and you’ll find my longest one is on the rules for four-square.

 

[Kielbasi]

The poor soul, to make a mistake and have it remembered by everyone. Surely if this happened, it should not be put in the news.

Its not even news. Its one thing to expect the laity to know the rules (which is sometimes tough enough when they are changing regularly) but to expect everyone to remember the preference of a particular priest (in this case the pope) as well is a bit much.

Anyone could have made the mistake in question

 

[TNT]

Don’t worry. if you get me preachin’, you’ll know it. As far as being a novelist, check my post and you’ll find my longest one is on the rules for four-square.
[/quote]

Just checkin the flex of your ribs. So far so good.

 

[Stone_Cold]

When only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence, I cannot see how receiving communion in the hand has strengthened or clarified our faith.

While communion in the hand is not the sole reason for this lack of faith, it is a major contributing factor. Poor catechesis, abuse of extraordinary ministers of communion, and the removal of the communion rail are other factors.

Catechesis today rarely focuses on the truths of our faith. It rather focuses on us, that all we really need to do is love each other. Nothing about infallible truth, nothing about sin, nothing about eternal punishment. It’s feel good catechesis that makes God like an elderly grandfather who would never punish anyone.

Most churches have only the celebrant distribute communion while about 10 extraordinary ministers come up from the pews. I understand the need for extraordinary ministers where there is only one priest in the parish, but I’ve seen parishes where the priest is waiting in the vestibule to shake hands after Mass while extraordinary ministers distribute communion. This does not result in a strengthening of faith.

Removing the communion rail is not just detremental because it gives the faithful the false idea that kneeling for communion is no longer allowed. It separates the nave from the sanctuary. The communion rail clearly shows the distinction between the sacramental priesthood and the priesthood of the faithful. Take away the dividing line and the distinction is blurred.

I know people who are extraordinary ministers and receive communion in the hand who have great reverence for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. However, this is the exception, not the rule.

Better catechesis, end abuse of extraordinary ministers, and restore the communion rail and you will see a rise in belief in the Real Presence and a rise in Mass attendance. The two go hand-in-hand.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

I dont know if Im a loner here, but I would never receive on the tongue if an EM was going to do it, especially if it is a woman EM.
I used to go to a place where it was only the priest and it was given on the tongue after intinction, which I think is the best way. One other problem I have is so many people dont receive under both kinds.
Is it just me?