How to chew the Eucharist?

[pianistclare]

Since there are no rules, you are not better one way or the other.

Especially since not all Hosts dissolve. If you wait for that, you could be sitting in church for an hour or two after Mass.

Agreed. Everyone around here stands. If I were to kneel, I’d never be able to get back up and I would cause quite the scene. I do receive on the tongue. I’m almost the only one who does in our congregation. No one cares. Once in a while I encounter an EMHC who gets rattled, but that’s their problem.
I know of no place around here that has an altar rail.

 

[babochka]

As to the posture, it depends where you are, what ritual Church and rite it is, and if the Roman rite, which form of the Mass. I can only speak for the Roman rite of the Latin Church (not for the Byzantines, Maronites, etc.).

Byzantines receive standing and in the mouth by spoon. In my somewhat limited experience with Chaldeans and Maronites, they receive by intinction, standing and on the tongue.

In the Latin Church, receiving on the tongue and kneeling generally go together, as do receiving on the hand and standing, so I’ll treat those as one question.

In the Latin parishes that I occasionally attend, it is quite common to see people receiving standing and on the tongue, which is the way I receive when I attend Mass at a Latin Rite parish. Standing does not necessarily go along with receiving in the hand.

 

[babochka]

No, kneeling is still the universal norm, to stand requires dispensation (is that the correct word?) from Rome, the same way as with receiving in the hand.

Would you please quote your source for this information? I have never heard this before.

 

[Aramis]

Would you please quote your source for this information? I have never heard this before.

Large chunks are in Redemptionis Sacramentum, ¶88-94.

The rest can be found by following the references therein.

 

[POJIUJH]

If you listen to the totality of the comments by the Cardinal Prefect Emeritus, you will hear that while Kneeling is “traditional, and preferred” the Episcopal Conferences may choose Standing or Kneeling as a preferred local norm. Standing or Kneeling are both options in the universal law.

They are both options for Bishops, but not universal options for the laity. For instance, in some countries such as Greece (if I remember right) standing isn’t allowed. Receiving in the hand also isn’t permitted, but these things go hand in hand (mind the pun).

I don’t understand the use of the word “norm” when talking about local Diocese now. If it was to be a preferred norm to stand, then to kneel would be allowed, but not preferred. This seems strange as it is really the other way around. With regards to the regulations every Diocese is to kneel unless the Bishop has petitioned Rome to ratify standing and the permission was given to them. This is what I mean by norm, I’m not sure if the USCCB used the word differently or if they had used it properly. Perhaps it was simply stating an observation of Americans rather than making a statement on the order of the law. I’m not American so I don’t have the best knowledge, but I think this sounds more reasonable.

Would you please quote your source for this information? I have never heard this before.

Surely, I had linked a video from Cardinal Arinze in that post that covers this, it is quite good. Although not specifically about standing, Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise of Argentina wrote a book called “Communion in the Hand - Document and History” which covers this in great detail, with many documents that only Bishops have access to. It is small but very good.

The link again:
youtube.com/watch?v=Ap1KL2D5ae4

Since there are no rules, you are not better one way or the other.

Especially since not all Hosts dissolve. If you wait for that, you could be sitting in church for an hour or two after Mass.

There are no rules about spinning fast in circles en route to the priest to receive but we would say that walking slowly and carefully is more reverent, practical and safe, some things are objectively superior to others even without specific rules

But by dissolve here I don’t mean fully dissolve, just to soften enough to be able to swallow. This takes maybe 30 seconds in total.

 

[Thomas_Casey]

MODERATOR NOTE

For accurate information, please see the regulations for the conference of bishops of your country. Do not rely on internet forums for this matter, as each member can perceive things differently.

For the United States go to usccb.org