Priest says no Kneeling, prefer no receiving Communion on tongue

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We have an old priest who says one of the weekend masses. He told people that they could not receive communion kneeling down, that it is not written anywhere that this is allowed. All it does is mess up the communion line and causes the person behind you to trip over your feet. He also said that receiving on the tongue was disgusting and unsanitary because he invariably got saliva all over his fingers and then had to dig in for another host. The saliva ends up on the next person’s host. He says it also increases the chance of dropping the host. (I haven’t noticed any difference. I’ve seen him drop hosts several times for people who receive in the hand, too.) He says that there is no reason to receive communion on the tongue.

His last words in mass were that if you couldn’t hear what he had to say, you might as well have stayed in bed.

I know that Jimmy Aikins has said that a person can kneel for communion. He said it was in the 2010 GIRM, but I can’t find it anywhere. Can anyone recommend a source?
 
Why do people want to kneel and receive on the tongue? I remember the old communion rail days as a kid. It was scary trying to stay with the family especially when you knelt down after father had passed and your parents received but you had to wait for the whole cycle to come around to you again. It was always a source of worry for us kids.
 
Over the years, I have chosen to receive on the tongue. As an EMHC, I have seen such disrespect given to the Host by people who grab Our Lord from my hand instead of me placing Him in their hands.

At one parish I attend, the norm is to recieve on the tongue. A visting priest did ask one time if people would be willing to recieve in the hand as his arthritis made it difficult for him to raise his hand very high. Most everyone received in the hand that day as Father requested.

As for the reason I see why recieving on the tongue as beneficial in that it ensures that the Host is consumed. Yesterday at the vigil Mass in which I was an EMHC, I had to follow two people who did not immediately recieve to ensure that they did.

I hope that this will not become a receiving on the tongue versus receiving on the hand debate. Both are allowed and those who choose to do either should be left alone. The issue is the refusal or better the discouragement of this priest to allow for those who wish to recieve on the tongue and to kneel when doing so.
 
LongingSoul said:
Why do people want to kneel and receive on the tongue? I remember the old communion rail days as a kid. It was scary trying to stay with the family especially when you knelt down after father had passed and your parents received but you had to wait for the whole cycle to come around to you again. ** It was always a source of worry for us kids.**
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Really?
 
They appear, at least to me, to want to be much more holy than the rest of us in line. If they were at a church that still had alter rails, then I would see no problem, if it was the cultural norm. If, however, receiving in the hand is the norm, then it is only appropriate to receive kn the hand. If one asks the priest ahead of time and gets permission, then GO FOR IT!😃
 
To me, kneeling hearkens back to knights offering their necks to their lords in service and humility.
How fitting to offer all to our true Lord, Jesus Christ, during reception of Holy Communion.
I still recall my first Holy Communion at age seven. I’ve taken small children up to the altar rail this year and losing them has never been an issue.
I’m sorry that you had this difficulty.
May God bless you.
jt
 
Our priest prefers we receive on the tongue as we’ve had several accounts of people walking back to their seats with the host. As the priest, he’s in charge of upholding the sanctity of the Eucharist, and if people receive on the tongue, he knows that it is safe. With the recent black mass debacle, it’s certainly understandable for a priest to be concerned.
 
Galnextdoor said:
We have an old priest who says one of the weekend masses. He told people that they could not receive communion kneeling down, that it is not written anywhere that this is allowed.

Does he know that it was the tradition (and indeed the law) Church for most of its years?

All it does is mess up the communion line and causes the person behind you to trip over your feet.

In my past 4 years of receiving Communion kneeling and on the tongue, I have NEVER tripped anyone in a Communion line. If all else fails, put a sign on your back that says “CAUTION: This Child of God Kneels To Receive Him” 😃

He also said that receiving on the tongue was disgusting and unsanitary because he invariably got saliva all over his fingers and then had to dig in for another host. The saliva ends up on the next person’s host.

Then he has got to work on his aim! I think it takes some skill for a priest to place the Host on one’s tongue without goobering his fingers, but provided that the communicants stretch out their tongue far enough, no problems should be had.

He says it also increases the chance of dropping the host. (I haven’t noticed any difference. I’ve seen him drop hosts several times for people who receive in the hand, too.)

You’re right! There is probably less chance of dropping the Host when one is receiving on the tongue since once It is stuck to the tongue It is not easily removed. CITH leaves a lot more room for human error.

He says that there is no reason to receive communion on the tongue.

Right…reverence for the Blessed Sacrament really increased after CITH was introduced… :rolleyes:

His last words in mass were that if you couldn’t hear what he had to say, you might as well have stayed in bed.

:eek: Sounds like a highly un-orthodox priest from the snippets you have mentioned. Attending Mass on Sundays is mandatory, whether you can hear Father or not.

I know that Jimmy Aikins has said that a person can kneel for communion. He said it was in the 2010 GIRM, but I can’t find it anywhere. Can anyone recommend a source?

Brendan has posted it above. 👍
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kozlosap said:
They appear, at least to me, to want to be much more holy than the rest of us in line. If they were at a church that still had alter rails, then I would see no problem, if it was the cultural norm. If, however, receiving in the hand is the norm, then it is only appropriate to receive kn the hand. If one asks the priest ahead of time and gets permission, then GO FOR IT!😃
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Ironic that I was just telling my teen daughter that just because everyone else does something, that doesn’t mean you should too.

I know quite a few people who receive on the knees, and they don’t think they are holier. They go to confession more frequently. While this small group is not representative of all, I’m assuming the group you’re thinking of is not representative either.

Interestingly, most people I know who receive on knees were quite tentative at first because they were afraid they’d be judged.

OP, from what I understand, a priest cannot refuse to serve a person due to standing, on knees, in hands or on tongue. He may have a preference though.
 
Galnextdoor said:
We have an old priest who says one of the weekend masses. He told people that they could not receive communion kneeling down, that it is not written anywhere that this is allowed. All it does is mess up the communion line and causes the person behind you to trip over your feet. He also said that receiving on the tongue was disgusting and unsanitary because he invariably got saliva all over his fingers and then had to dig in for another host. The saliva ends up on the next person’s host. He says it also increases the chance of dropping the host. (I haven’t noticed any difference. I’ve seen him drop hosts several times for people who receive in the hand, too.) He says that there is no reason to receive communion on the tongue.

His last words in mass were that if you couldn’t hear what he had to say, you might as well have stayed in bed.

I know that Jimmy Aikins has said that a person can kneel for communion. He said it was in the 2010 GIRM, but I can’t find it anywhere. Can anyone recommend a source?
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Your priest does not have authority to demand that. He can certainly request it though. I knelt this morning. According to some I guess it was to appear better than others.:rolleyes: I thought I was just honoring my Lord…🤷 Oops!
 
CruceSignati said:
Does he know that it was the tradition (and indeed the law) Church for most of its years
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He says that receiving on the tongue was a new thing and that Vatican II returned it to the older more reverent practice of receiving it in the hand. 🤷
 
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Galnextdoor:
He says that receiving on the tongue was a new thing and that Vatican II returned it to the older more reverent practice of receiving it in the hand. 🤷

It doesn’t matter either way. Though on the tongue was done for hundreds of years. But regardless of a historical debate, the Church is clear that one may choose to receiver on the tongue and kneeling. 🤷 Debate all he wants, he cannot forbid what the Church permits.

I’d be looking for another parish…
 
dgreyes said:
Over the years, I have chosen to receive on the tongue. As an EMHC, I have seen such disrespect given to the Host by people who grab Our Lord from my hand instead of me placing Him in their hands.

At one parish I attend, the norm is to recieve on the tongue. A visting priest did ask one time if people would be willing to recieve in the hand as his arthritis made it difficult for him to raise his hand very high. Most everyone received in the hand that day as Father requested.

As for the reason I see why recieving on the tongue as beneficial in that it ensures that the Host is consumed. Yesterday at the vigil Mass in which I was an EMHC, I had to follow two people who did not immediately recieve to ensure that they did.

I hope that this will not become a receiving on the tongue versus receiving on the hand debate. Both are allowed and those who choose to do either should be left alone. The issue is the refusal or better the discouragement of this priest to allow for those who wish to recieve on the tongue and to kneel when doing so.
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On two occasions, I have seen a priest chase a hand recipient down the aisle because they did not consume the Eucharist. One woman said she was not Catholic and did not know what she was supposed to do with it. Another guy said he was taking it home to Mom. The priest took the hosts back on both occasions.
 
Galnextdoor

Your old priest is definitely wrong. No doubt about it. The Congregation for Divine Worship issues Instructions from time on time on the correct procedure for the celebration of mass, including the question of communicants receiving kneeling or standing and on the tongue or in the hand. The two most recent Instructions of this kind were Eucharisticum mysterium in 1967 and Redemptionis Sacramentum in 2004. In the matter of kneeling/standing to receive the Eucharist, there were not one but two significant changes from the 1967 Instruction to the one that followed in 2004.The two changes mutually reinforce each other:

***Dropped: **The faithful should willingly follow the manner of reception indicated by the pastors so that communion may truly be a sign of familial union among those who share in the same table of the Lord *(Eucharisticum mysterium, No. 34).

***Added: **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 *(Redemptionis Sacramentum, No. 91).

You may point out to your priest, if you choose to, that he is eleven years behind the times. He is still following Eucharisticum mysterium, in which the priest’s decision overrode the individual communicant’s preference. Since 2004 it has been the other way around.

In case you’d like to print out the relevant bits of Redemptionis Sacramentum — or even the whole thing — here’s a link for you:

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html#Chapter

One last point. In the event that the priest should try and drag the USCCB into the argument, remind him that a national bishops’ conference, whether in the United States or anywhere else, is not empowered to rewrite an Instruction issued by the CDW.

Good luck!

Regards
Bart
 
People have the right to receive communion either way. For myself, I would simply go to a mass with another priest.
Posters here have strong opinions about how to receive. This of course is fine if they receive themselves in that way. However, the fact remains that the Church gives other people the right to receive in the way they choose.
 
LongingSoul said:
***Why do people want to kneel ***and receive on the tongue? I remember the old communion rail days as a kid. It was scary trying to stay with the family especially when you knelt down after father had passed and your parents received but you had to wait for the whole cycle to come around to you again. It was always a source of worry for us kids.
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***“at the name of Jesus every knee should bend” ***
ProVobis said:
Really?
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My sentiments exactly!

Peace, Mark
 
CruceSignati said:
In my past 4 years of receiving Communion kneeling and on the tongue, I have NEVER tripped anyone in a Communion line. If all else fails, put a sign on your back that says “CAUTION: This Child of God Kneels To Receive Him”
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CruceSignati…you’re the limit! :D:D:D:thumbsup:

Peace, Mark
 
LongingSoul said:
Why do people want to kneel and receive on the tongue? I remember the old communion rail days as a kid. It was scary trying to stay with the family especially when you knelt down after father had passed and your parents received but you had to wait for the whole cycle to come around to you again. It was always a source of worry for us kids.
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Kneeling is a great act of reverence and devotion. Receiving on the tongue is a better way of making sure no particles get scattered or dropped or shed on the floor or anywhere else besides where He is suppose to be. I’d worry more about Christ in the Eucharist being dropped on the floor than losing my father in Church (assuming I am a child that believes in the real presence). If there are any particles on your hand there is a great risk of (in this case unintended) desecration of the Eucharist. I am not saying that it is evil to receive in the hand.
 
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