No Sign of Reverence

[CTuck]

I distribute the chalice sometimes in our parish and it bugs me to no end how irreverant people are. Most people do not make the required bow of reverence. Since the bow is required for those who wish to recieve while standing, should I deny those who refuse to? Anybody else ever done this? If so, what’s a good way to kindly but effectively remind people/ Thanks.

 

[agnes_therese]

I distribute the chalice sometimes in our parish and it bugs me to no end how irreverant people are. Most people do not make the required bow of reverence. Since the bow is required for those who wish to recieve while standing, should I deny those who refuse to? Anybody else ever done this? If so, what’s a good way to kindly but effectively remind people/ Thanks.

My opinion only – it’s not your place to deny communion. I would ask the priest how he wants the situation handled, and also ask him to include reminders in the bulletin and the announcements. I think people just forget sometimes.

 

[Luna_Lovecraft]

My opinion only – it’s not your place to deny communion. I would ask the priest how he wants the situation handled, and also ask him to include reminders in the bulletin and the announcements. I think people just forget sometimes.

This.

 

[Bearontherun]

From what I understand, showing a sign of reverence before receiving communion while standing is strongly recommended but not required.

 

[TheMc]

From what I understand, showing a sign of reverence before receiving communion while standing is strongly recommended but not required.

It doesn’t look optional to me:

When receiving holy communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the body of the Lord from the minister. the consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When holy communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the precious blood

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I distribute the chalice sometimes in our parish and it bugs me to no end how irreverant people are. Most people do not make the required bow of reverence. Since the bow is required for those who wish to recieve while standing, should I deny those who refuse to? Anybody else ever done this? If so, what’s a good way to kindly but effectively remind people/ Thanks.

It is definately not your job to deny someone communion and it would just cause a commotion to start instructing people in line (as well as also not being reverent). I’m sure your pastor knows, but you could say something to him about it.

It may be the best thing for you would be to step back from this service. It cannot be doing you any good to spend the time of communion fuming at your fellow parishioners.

 

[Brendan]

From what I understand, showing a sign of reverence before receiving communion while standing is strongly recommended but not required.

No, it is required in the US per the GIRM.

160…When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister.

But failure to bow at the appropriate times is not a justification under Canon Law for a denial of Holy Communion.

If it was, most every congregation would be denied, as I have seen very few bow their heads under the terms of GIRM 270

a. A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.

b. A bow of the body, that is to say a profound bow, is made to the altar; during the prayers Munda cor meum (Almighty God, cleanse my heart) and In spiritu humilitatis (Lord God, we ask you to receive); in the Creed at the words* Et incarnatus est… *(by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . and became man); in the Roman Canon at the words *Supplices te rogamus *(Almighty God, we pray that your angel). The same kind of bow is made by the deacon when he asks for a blessing before the proclamation of the Gospel. In addition, the priest bows slightly as he speaks the words of the Lord at the consecration.

So, during the Gloria alone, there should be two bows of the head, and a deep bow at the waist during the Nicean Creed.

 

[Phaedra777]

OP, you just might not be seeing people bow their heads because they do it just before they get to the front of the line. This is very common in my parish.

This article explains it. ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur101.htm

 

[agapewolf]

The reminder to do this action was there was a revision to the GIRM in 2004. Before this, I was taught to make the sign of the cross after receiving, that’s it. If one had recently come back and missed this instruction (which in our area was only given over the course of 2 weeks), they would never even know they are supposed to.

I highly discourage calling someone “irreverent” simply because you don’t see them make this gesture.

 

[Bearontherun]

When I made my above post, I was looking at an older (maybe outdated) document where the sign of reverence was described as “strongly recommended.” Sorry for any confusion.

If anyone is interested, see point 11.

INAESTIMABILE DONUM
Instruction Concerning Worship Of The Eucharistic Mystery
James R. Cardinal Knox
Prefect Virgilio Noe Assistant Secretary​

Prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship
Approved and Confirmed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II 17 April 1980

ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2INAES.HTM

 

[martininthefiel]

As others have said, you should speak with the priest. You have no authority to deny Communion to anyone. It is up to the parish pastor to properly instruct everyone involved in proper conduct at the Eucharist.

In my parish, the pastor keeps reminding us to bow (or at appointed times, to genuflect) at the Incarnatus, during the Nicene Creed. I usually do, but I was brought-up doing it. Most people, I think are a little self-conscious about it.

I try to show great reverence when approaching the sacrament. Sometimes I get odd looks from the extraordinary ministers, because they don’t expect me to bow when approaching.

 

[promethius]

I distribute the chalice sometimes in our parish and it bugs me to no end how irreverant people are. Most people do not make the required bow of reverence. Since the bow is required for those who wish to recieve while standing, should I deny those who refuse to? Anybody else ever done this? If so, what’s a good way to kindly but effectively remind people/ Thanks.

While a sign of reverence is to be made, Canon 844 and Canon 915 provide the two basis on which communion may be denied, which constitute: 1) a non catholic and 2) a person who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin (or who are excommunicated or under interdict). If this is the case, then it is the priest’s job to deny communion to said persons anyway.

So basically, this is not grounds for denying communion and it’s not your job to decide who gets to receive and who doesn’t. Furthermore, if you cause a scene, your priest would be wholly within his rights to dismiss you as an EMHC. I recommend what someone else has: that if you can’t do the ministry without ill will towards the parishoners, that you remove yourself from this responsibility.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

From the Catechism:

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way.

As a poster above mentioned, there’s a good chance that you have simply missed someone showing reverence because they did it while the person in front of them was receiving.

 

[Tridentinum]

1. Do not give communion to those who do not respond with an “Amen” or who approach, chewing gum.If after saying “Body of Christ” there is either no response or a response other than “Amen”,ask “Are you Catholic”.If they say no, say “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart”.If they say yes, then again say “Body of Christ”.If they still do not say “Amen”, you may say “say Amen”, or if they do not cooperate, say “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart”.

• Excerpt from an EMHC training guide.

 

[Luvtosew]

I distribute the chalice sometimes in our parish and it bugs me to no end how irreverant people are. Most people do not make the required bow of reverence. Since the bow is required for those who wish to recieve while standing, should I deny those who refuse to? Anybody else ever done this? If so, what’s a good way to kindly but effectively remind people/ Thanks.

Your kidding right, should you deny someone. I admire you for your service, but I do think the Priest maybe should talk about it in a homily, I don’t think even he can refuse a person because they don’t bow their head.

 

[TheMc]

Your kidding right, should you deny someone. I admire you for your service, but I do think the Priest maybe should talk about it in a homily, I don’t think even he can refuse a person because they don’t bow their head.

He explicitly can’t refuse someone for kneeling, so I think doing it for not bowing the head is out of the question.

 

[paperwight66]

Bowing immediately before receiving from the chalice can be tricky, actually, if there is not enough room allowed. As an EMHC, I am always wary of the person’s head knocking into the chalice, and am careful not to offer the chalice too far into the person’s space, just in case.

 

[TheMc]

Bowing immediately before receiving from the chalice can be tricky, actually, if there is not enough room allowed. As an EMHC, I am always wary of the person’s head knocking into the chalice, and am careful not to offer the chalice too far into the person’s space, just in case.

Just to be safe, you could always just skip the bow and kneel instead.

 

[Godfollower]

I’m trying to imagine what I would say if I, as an EMHC, denied Communion to someone for failing to bow and then found out afterward that the person was unable to bow for some reason (vertigo, back brace, neck injury, etc.).

That’s probably why EMHCs are prohibited from denying Communion. We aren’t adjudicators of who gets Communion and who doesn’t.

For that matter, I wonder how I would feel if I were denied Communion because the EMHC felt that I hadn’t been properly respectful.

The emotions that come to mind are not compatible with assistance at Mass.

 

[Barbkw]

People don’t bow because they don’t realize that they are supposed to.

Read and quote the GIRM (GRIM?) all you want…you and perhaps 5 other people in the parish have ever read it.

I’d suggest, as others have, to take your concerns to the priest. If he feels (as father of the flock) that more public instruction needs to conducted, then that’s for him to comment on in his homilies.