Method of Receiving Holy Communion?

[At_Trent]

I propose mandatory installation of altar rails, funded by the Vatican, and a return to COTT, while kneeling for those able to kneel.

I second that.

 

[YoungTradCath]

What I’m saying is that for Communion kneeling to become a universal practice would require a return to altar rails since even healthy 50+ (and even under 50s) cannot be sure of getting up from their knees without a stagger (step forward to keep balance etc) and the nervousness of not staggering into the priest would add to the pressure. I do not think a return to altar rails is likely, although the parish priest of a small country parish near us refused to get rid of his altar rails after Vatican II because he said that in 20 or 30 years they would change their minds again and start telling us to put them back.

Second point, there seems to be a certain confusion, COTT does not neccessarily mean Communion kneeling nor does kneeling mean COTT. As I said, in those churches where railings were retained people kneel to receive and most receive in the hand and since most churches don’t have altar rails those who receive on the tongue there do so standing.

There is not a single document or statement from the Vatican that ordered or even recommended the disuse and, ultimately, ripping-out of, altar rails. Doing so was the result of individual bishops’ and pastors’ decisions.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

I second that.

Got my vote.

 

[ElToro]

There is not a single document or statement from the Vatican that ordered or even recommended the disuse and, ultimately, ripping-out of, altar rails. Doing so was the result of individual bishops’ and pastors’ decisions.

The Mass transitioned from what is now the EF to the OF. Communion was allowed to be be distributed to a queue. In a great many parishes that effectively obsoleted the railing. No, there was no directive to remove them but in many places they effectively became obsolete.

 

[ElToro]

Someone mentioned “the return to COT only” based upon the personal preferences of the current Pope as if it was a foregone conclusion. I disagreed. I suggested if anything, both CIH and COT will become co-univeral ways to receive Holy Communion, neither one requiring an indult, worldwide. I thought her brain was going to explode by the look on her face…

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

I hope people would stop saying what the Pope is thinking based on their own personal interpretation on their own observation.

Did I say what he was thinking ? My quote was absolutely objective … read again …

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

I know that English isn’t your first language, so perhaps this will help.
There is a tricky distinction in English, but worth knowing, between ‘childish’ and ‘childlike’. I thiuk you probably meant ‘childlike’,Pffaff.

Childish is critical, perjorative - ‘Oh stop being so childish!’.

‘Childlike’ is usually a good thing, because it has connotations of gentleness, obedience, trust and so on.

Yes, you are right about CITH being common in Europe. Very few in our parish, or anywhere I’ve been, receive COTT.

EVERYBODY, thanks to paperwight66, I meant to say taking communion on tongue is CHILDLIKE, noooot, CHILDISH.

How a simple semantic distinction makes all the difference. Of course I did not intend to say that people receiving communion in tongue where behaving like children !!!

paperwight66, thanks for your help !!! I was surprised for so many people reacting to the word that I did not what was happening!

paperwight66, that is for some little things like this that wars happen.

Glod Bless You, Teacher !

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Who are you to handle the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in your hand? Who are you to handle God Himself like a cookie?

I’m sorry but quite frankly the laity are not worthy. We are a disrespectful and vile breed. We’ve already crucified Him once, must we continue to do so with our irreverence in church?

For the love of God even the Romans who nailed Him to that tree found reverence in the end when they declared that He was indeed He Who Is!

And I ask you, outdated? This little fashion trend of communion in the hand has only been around for a few decades and is already dying off. Communion on the tongue is not outdated, it is a sacred act of reverence that has stood the test of two millennia in both East and West.

No, it is showing due respect to God.

You realise that the Apostles were bishops right?

I think that the Precious Blood should be withheld from the laity. You eat His Body and drink His Blood when you consume Him under the veil of bread.

P.S. Actually, when I think about it, I am wrong. About communion in the hand being a new fashion. It was actually popular with a group of Spaniards a few centuries ago. They didn’t kneel either. They didn’t see why they should… after all they didn’t believe in the Real Presence…

Attention, someone taught me that it is Childlike not childish. Sorry for my english.
so the Apostles were bishops and then the bishops started giving communion on the tongue right away to the people? What about the disciples of Emmaus ?

I think you are making a whole drama of something so simple … I am sinner, yes, I am. But priests and bishops are sinners too. And the Pope is a sinner. Only Jesus Christ is sinless.

Did you notice that Jesus did not want so much respect but love:he wanted us to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood. That it was something astonishingly great that He became bread and wine, so lowly elements so that we could eat Him and drink Him.

It is sinners you need Him. I need Him. I take him with great reverence in my hands. Do you know than in early church it was taught how to take communion and that that was is waht is advised ?: Put you right hand below you left hand as a chalice and take the bread with the right hand and put it into your maximum with great reverence. This is a letter of early fathers to the people of God and that is what we do today.

When we receive in the hand we are not monsters committing a sacrilege and not believing that Christ is in The Eucharist.

Let us be reasonably and not make the others look what they are not…

 

[Ter1]

Ok, but if you are going to cite a false claim, you must be willing to present the false claim.
I see what you mean though, the title of that one article is misleading.

To quote again from post 49, the following are false:
Pope Benedict to Catholics:
Kneel and Receive on the Tongue Only - this is not just misleading, its false
Pope Benedict XVI does not want the faithful receiving Communion in their hand nor does he want them standing to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. According to Vatican liturgist, Monsignor Guido Marini, the pope is trying to set the stage for the whole church as to the proper norm for receiving Communion for which reason communicants at his papal Masses are now asked to kneel and receive on the tongue. - again this is a false claim, the reasons the pope gives for introducing kneeling to receive from him at public papal masses is not to get the whole church to return to this practice

This is the false claim that I quoted the popes interview in response to.

And by the way, the claim that “Thanks to Communion in the hand, members of satanic cults are now given easy access to come into the Church and take the Host” is also false. Does anyone else remember the Eucharistic miracle where the woman hid the host up her sleeve (after receiving on the tongue - this was long ago) and was asked as she left Church did she know her arm was bleeding. COTT will reduce accidental sacrilege (i.e. people dropping crumbs from their hands) it will not reduce deliberate sacrilege.

 

[YoungTradCath]

The Mass transitioned from what is now the EF to the OF. Communion was allowed to be be distributed to a queue. In a great many parishes that effectively obsoleted the railing. No, there was no directive to remove them but in many places they effectively became obsolete.

And since the great majority of parishes now have electrical lighting systems, are they now supposed to abolish candles because they’re “obsolete?”

Since most people can read now, shall we also ban stained glass which represents accounts from the Bible?

Your arguments are becoming obsolete.