Is a Priest allowed to force someone to receive Communion on the hand?

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hamburglar

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Can the Priest force someone to receive Communion on the tongue. I’ve had this kinda happen once, he said “Body of Christ” and I said “Amen” and opened my mouth, slightly sticking out my tongue (btw, what IS the proper way to receive on the tongue?)

The priest had already begun shoving the Blessed Sacrament towards my hands, which were in a praying position. I opened my eyes because he did not give it to me yet, and he just stared at me. I said “Amen” again, and after about 10 seconds of just standing there, he finally gave it to me.

Is a Priest allowed to refuse giving communion on the tongue? I have a pretty good feeling that the answer is that the Priest cannot do this…
 
Nope- just like a priest cannot refuse communion to someone who kneels.
 
No, reception on the tongue is always permitted. If your head is back and your tongue is out and your hands are folded, it should be obvious to the priest.
 
hamburglar said:
Can the Priest force someone to receive Communion on the tongue. I’ve had this kinda happen once, he said “Body of Christ” and I said “Amen” and opened my mouth, slightly sticking out my tongue (btw, what IS the proper way to receive on the tongue?)

The priest had already begun shoving the Blessed Sacrament towards my hands, which were in a praying position. I opened my eyes because he did not give it to me yet, and he just stared at me. I said “Amen” again, and after about 10 seconds of just standing there, he finally gave it to me.

Is a Priest allowed to refuse giving communion on the tongue? I have a pretty good feeling that the answer is that the Priest cannot do this…
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It’s always permitted. In addition to your head back and tongue out, keep your hands clasped.

When I act as an extraordinary minister and someone clearly has no idea how to receive Holy Communion (either the thumb and forefinger “pinch” or their hands are held below their belt-line), I just give them communion on the tongue.
 
just remember to not only open your mouth, but to stick your tongue out.
 
Some people who receive on the tongue make a point of clasping their hands behind their back to avoid any possible confusion as to how they intend to receive.
 
How well do you know this priest and his physical ability?

I was at an out of town Mass once, and attempted to recieve on the tongue. The priest (a very old man) looked aplogetic and say that his hand shakes too much to place it on my tounge.

I recieved in the hand.
 
hamburglar said:
Can the Priest force someone to receive Communion on the tongue. I’ve had this kinda happen once, he said “Body of Christ” and I said “Amen” and opened my mouth, slightly sticking out my tongue (btw, what IS the proper way to receive on the tongue?)

The priest had already begun shoving the Blessed Sacrament towards my hands, which were in a praying position. I opened my eyes because he did not give it to me yet, and he just stared at me. I said “Amen” again, and after about 10 seconds of just standing there, he finally gave it to me.

Is a Priest allowed to refuse giving communion on the tongue? I have a pretty good feeling that the answer is that the Priest cannot do this…
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No, he may not refuse, it’s your option. Do however stick out your tongue, not just slightly.
 
As a deacon, frequently the people who come to communion do not properly indicate how they wish to receive communion. Sometimes, the ones who want it to receive on the tongue, do not extend their tongue or even open their mouth and they hold their hands in front of them…And others that want it to receive in the hand, look up to the minister but their hands are almost at their waist height instead of up, creating a throne to place Jesus our King into. And in most cases, they do not respond with an Amen, and probably more than 40% do not bow their heads before receiving either. We have frequently run bulletin articles on the proper reception, but it seems people get into some kind of rut and do not amend their faulty ways. More reasons to pray!
 
LilyM said:
Some people who receive on the tongue make a point of clasping their hands behind their back to avoid any possible confusion as to how they intend to receive.
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I recommend the clasped hands in front because I tried behind the back and they thought I was a candidate coming up for a blessing.
 
stbruno said:
As a deacon, frequently the people who come to communion do not properly indicate how they wish to receive communion. Sometimes, the ones who want it to receive on the tongue, do not extend their tongue or even open their mouth and they hold their hands in front of them…And others that want it to receive in the hand, look up to the minister but their hands are almost at their waist height instead of up, creating a throne to place Jesus our King into. And in most cases, they do not respond with an Amen, and probably more than 40% do not bow their heads before receiving either. We have frequently run bulletin articles on the proper reception, but it seems people get into some kind of rut and do not amend their faulty ways. More reasons to pray!
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Perhaps your pastor needs to dedicate a homily to instruction regarding proper reception of Our Lord at Communion?
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
No, he may not refuse, it’s your option. Do however stick out your tongue, not just slightly.
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And be careful not to bite his finger. last week I got bitten by a faithful. It really surprised me. I still rather be bitten than having someone pulling the host from my hands, that happened too.
 
Okay, thanks.

The reason I asked about what is the proper way to receive on the tongue because I went to a Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy once, and they told us not to stick out our tongues, that it would be rude to stick your tongue out at Jesus. Of course, they had the spoon, so I guess it would be easier to get it into the mouth than using hands, hoping you won’t get licked.
 
When in doubt, Redemptionis Sacramentum is an excellent resource:
91.] In distributing Holy Communion it is to be remembered that “sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who seek them in a reasonable manner, are rightly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them”.177 Hence any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing.
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[92.] Although ***each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at ***his choice,178 if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.179
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I hope this helps. There are a plethora of reasons why receiving Holy Communion on the tongue is perhaps the safest means of communicating. There was one occasion when I had to follow a child who had received communion by the hand, but, never consumed the host. As it turned out, the child was not Catholic. I gently pursuaded him to give me the Sacred Host and I consumed the Sacred Species.

I prefer to receive Holy Communion on the tonque. As RS said, it is our right to do so.
 
hamburglar said:
Is a Priest allowed to refuse giving communion on the tongue?
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No. I would refuse to receive communion, if the priest refused to give it to me on the tongue. Talk to the priest about this. If you don’t get anywhere with it, write to the bishop. If you don’t get anywhere with that, and you want to make an issue of it, write to Cardinal Arinze.
 
I keep my arms down at my side. Once last summer a visiting priest from the armed forces give me a blessing on the forehead instead but I told him that I wanted to receive and I did.
 
Last summer I actually had a priest shove the host into my clasped hands. I was so shocked I did not know what to do. He did this with my children also. We were on vacation.
 
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