How can I defend my young son's right to receive Communion on the tongue?

[lewlo]

I was talking with my eight-year-old son who made his first Communion a few months ago about the fact that in the past we recieved the Eucharist on the tongue. I explained that I feel it’s more reverent and humbling and he wanted to recieve Communion that way.

The problem is, our parish priest seems to have a problem with it. He’s done everything from acting confused and trying to give him a blessing to cramming the Eucharist in my son’s hands despite the fact they were folded low in front of him and his head and tongue were stuck way forward. I saw the priest in the parish office one day while I was in on other business and I told him of my son’s wishes. He wanted to know if my son understood the difference and the fact that the change was “honoring the laity.”

This weekend will be the first time he will go to Communion since I spoke with our priest. Should I just tell my son to recieve it the way our priest wants?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

lewlo:

This weekend will be the first time he will go to Communion since I spoke with our priest. Should I just tell my son to recieve it the way our priest wants?

If you feel that it is in the best interests of your son to teach him to respect the priest’s wishes on this matter, you can certainly do that but you are not required to do so. The ordinary means of receiving Communion is to receive on the tongue. Receiving in the hand is allowed in countries with a dispensation to permit the practice, such as in the United States, but is not required of anyone.

If you prefer your son to receive on the tongue and he wishes to do so, you have the right to defend your son’s preference to the priest. I recommend taking this documentation to your priest:

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” (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion 41, emphasis added).