Receiving Eastern Catholic Holy Communion

[GoLatin]

Hello, I have several questions about receiving Holy Communion in Eastern Churches.

1. Do the laity have a right to ALWAYS receive on the tongue, not in the hand?
2. If someone(who is not allergic to either bread or wine), wants to receive under one species, can that be allowed? For example, if a visiting Latin Catholic is accustomed to receiving only under the appearance of bread, can that be done when the Latin Catholic visits the Eastern Church?
3. Will Holy Communion be denied if the communicant kneels?

Thank you!

 

[Freeway4321]

I say you just… Go Latin.

I will try to answer.

1. It’s always on the tounge. They have these spoons where they put the host on it, dip it and then slide it onto the tounge. For practical reasons it could be messy if you recieve on the hand too.
2. If you are not allergic, why wouldn’t you want to recieve both? I’m sure if someone tells Father that they are allergic they can recieve only what they are not allergic to.
3. I do not believe so. It might be easier for the priest, espically if he’s short. But this is the only one i’m not sure of…

 

[Patchunky]

Hope this helps…

1. On the celebrants receive “in the hand”. The celebrants receive parts of the Lamb in their hands and proceed to their places around the Altar where they partake of the Lamb. They then proceed to the front of the Altar where they partake of Precious Blood from the Chalice.

After this, the Holy Body is then placed in the Chalice and mixed the Holy Blood and is distributed to the Faithful using a spoon ( at least in the Ruthenian and Ukrainian Rites).

1. If you are allergic to wheat or to wine, you can receive only the Body or the Blood. You should make arrangements ahead of time with the priest. We have a young boy in our parish who cannot have the wine and a young man who cannot have the wheat.

For infant communion, a drop of the Most Precious Blood is placed on the infant’s lips.

1. We DO NOT kneel for Holy Communion. In my parish, we have had “visitors” who have tried to kneel and they are simply told that they must stand in order to receive.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

GoLatin:

Hello, I have several questions about receiving Holy Communion in Eastern Churches.

1. Do the laity have a right to ALWAYS receive on the tongue, not in the hand?

Communion is given to the laity only in the mouth (with a spoon in some Churches or by intinction in the Melkite and Maronite Churches). Clerics (bishop, priest, deacon) are the only ones to receive in the hand.

1. If someone(who is not allergic to either bread or wine), wants to receive under one species, can that be allowed? For example, if a visiting Latin Catholic is accustomed to receiving only under the appearance of bread, can that be done when the Latin Catholic visits the Eastern Church?

Yes, but arrangements must be made in advance, especially in those Churches that normally use a spoon since that means they have mixed the Precious Body in with the Precious Blood in the chalice. If one wants to receive the Precious Blood alone, that too can be arranged.

1. Will Holy Communion be denied if the communicant kneels?

Since kneeling is forbidden on Sunday by the Council of Nicea the communicant will be asked to stand. In the Eastern Churches we do not kneel on Sundays, and we always stand to receive communion.

Deacon Ed

 

[GoLatin]

Since kneeling is forbidden on Sunday by the Council of Nicea the communicant will be asked to stand. In the Eastern Churches we do not kneel on Sundays, and we always stand to receive communion.

Deacon Ed

I was asking about kneeling, because as a Latin Rite person, I prefer to kneel more, not less.

I just find the whole idea of standing to receive Holy Communion uncomfortable. To me, it takes away the reverence. There have been people in recent times, who have tried to receive Holy Communion kneeling, and were denied. In the 1980’s, some people in Canada were even arrested for trying to kneel for Holy Communion. The Priest called the police and had them arrested, on the charge of disrupting a religious service! Their case went to the Canadian Supreme Court, who said that the arrest was unjust.

Should I just not go to a Divine Liturgy, since I would not understand all of the standing?

Thank you!

 

[Kielbasi]

Should I just not go to a Divine Liturgy, since I would not understand all of the standing?

If you don’t like to stand, you probably shouldn’t go to a Greek liturgy cause that’s what they do there.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

GoLatin:

I was asking about kneeling, because as a Latin Rite person, I prefer to kneel more, not less.

I just find the whole idea of standing to receive Holy Communion uncomfortable. To me, it takes away the reverence. There have been people in recent times, who have tried to receive Holy Communion kneeling, and were denied. In the 1980’s, some people in Canada were even arrested for trying to kneel for Holy Communion. The Priest called the police and had them arrested, on the charge of disrupting a religious service! Their case went to the Canadian Supreme Court, who said that the arrest was unjust.

Should I just not go to a Divine Liturgy, since I would not understand all of the standing?

Thank you!

I guess this raises a question. Are you interested in learning about another part of the Church or are you interested in finding a place that is more in line with your Latin sensibilities? If the latter – don’t go. If the former, come, experience our Liturgy. Breath with your other lung. We don’t kneel, but we do a lot of bowing and making the sign of the cross. We stand to receive communion, and always have. Kneeling is, in the East, a sign of repentance, not a sign of reverence.

As for you “not understand[ing] all of the standing” – how will grow and learn to understand if you don’t come and participate?

Deacon Ed

 

[GoLatin]

Deacon Ed:

I guess this raises a question. Are you interested in learning about another part of the Church or are you interested in finding a place that is more in line with your Latin sensibilities? If the latter – don’t go. If the former, come, experience our Liturgy. Breath with your other lung. We don’t kneel, but we do a lot of bowing and making the sign of the cross. We stand to receive communion, and always have. Kneeling is, in the East, a sign of repentance, not a sign of reverence.

As for you “not understand[ing] all of the standing” – how will grow and learn to understand if you don’t come and participate?

Deacon Ed

I was asking, in case there was ever an occasion where I would have to go.

Your are correct in your question: I do prefer a place that “is more in line with my Latin sensibilities”.

I prefer to show reverence in the Latin style. I think it would be too much of a shock to go to a Divine Liturgy, and all of the things that Latin Rite people who prefer the Tridentine Mass have fought for(more kneeling, especially to receive Holy Communion; etc.) are not there.

I think that if something would be too confusing, don’t go!

 

[Freeway4321]

Deacon Ed:

I guess this raises a question. Are you interested in learning about another part of the Church or are you interested in finding a place that is more in line with your Latin sensibilities? If the latter – don’t go. If the former, come, experience our Liturgy. Breath with your other lung. We don’t kneel, but we do a lot of bowing and making the sign of the cross. We stand to receive communion, and always have. Kneeling is, in the East, a sign of repentance, not a sign of reverence.

As for you “not understand[ing] all of the standing” – how will grow and learn to understand if you don’t come and participate?

Deacon Ed

I’m with Deacon on this.

 

[Patchunky]

Deacon Ed:

Since kneeling is forbidden on Sunday by the Council of Nicea the communicant will be asked to stand. In the Eastern Churches we do not kneel on Sundays, and we always stand to receive communion.

Deacon Ed

Fr. Deacon Ed:

This is more common in the Middle Eastern Churches at least in this country.

All of the Ukrainian and Ruthenian parishes I’ve ever been too have pews and kneelers and all knelt during the Consecration; except from Paska until Pentecost…:bowdown:

There is only 1 parish that I can think of that does not have pews. They use chairs because the Sanctuary doubles as part of the Church hall for certain fund raising activities.

In the “Old Country”, depending on which side of the mountains you are and how close to the “big city” will determine if you have pews and kneelers in your church.

When I was in Slovakia, I only saw 1 church that did not have pews and kneelers and that was because they were lost when the church was relocated in the 1930’s.

In the “Old Country”, pews were seen as a step up, that the church was no longer a “poor parish” but had members who could afford to make their Church as beautiful as possible.

Hope this helps…

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Patchunky,

Most of the churches I’ve visited have pews (we sholdn’t, but we do). I haven’t seen kneelers in many of them (the two that did have them actually bought the pews from Latin Rite parishes that were redoing their churches and replacing the pews.

Yes, I do know of some that kneel at the consecration – although they are not supposed to. That’s a Latinization that should be eliminated, and is currently on the “hit list” of things that will be addressed by the bishops of different areas.

Regardless of whether or not they kneel for the consecration, they stand to receive communion. The OP was asking specifically about that. I am a firm believer in the old adage, “When in Rome…” If the people stand for communion, then stand. If the people kneel, then kneel. This is especially true if one is visiting a different parish or even ritual Church. It’s how we grow and learn.

Deacon Ed

 

[Patchunky]

Deacon Ed:

That’s a Latinization that should be eliminated, and is currently on the “hit list” of things that will be addressed by the bishops of different areas.

I know of a Ukrainian Catholic parish here where I live that had such a “hit list”. The priest implemented several of the “hits” and when he was on a pastoral visit to the local hospital, the parishoners went to the church and parish house, changes the locks, packed up his belongings and put them on the front porch. They then called the Bishop’s Office and told them they wanted a new priest.:tsktsk:

NEVER understimate a Baba with a rolling pin:thumbsup:

You should come back East and visit the “motherland” of the Slavic Byzantine churches in the US and you will see the pews and kneelers and everything else.

You will find that most of the parishes with chairs and no kneelers are relatively new parishes, either just getting started or new constructed.

If you go to the OCA Cathedral in Washington,DC you will also see cradle Orthodox kneeling for the Lord’s Prayer which they tell me is a very ancient custom although, this is the only place I’ve seen this practiced.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Patchunky,

We had a parish (which I will not mention) who had a priest they didn’t like. They finally convinced the bishop to send them a priest “from the old country.” The bishop did that. About a year later the same parish was complaining and asking for a new priest. The bishop asked them what they wanted. The reply: “any priest will be fine – as long as he’s not like us!”

Yes, a Baba with a rolling-pin is a mighty force to be reckoned with. But the Baba probably grew up with the Latinizations and so, for her, there is comfort in those rituals. Yet if we are to be true to our authentic traditions, those Latinizations must depart – albeit slowly to allow the people to become comfortable with who they really are.

(For those not familiar with the term, Baba refers to a grandmother, not a rum cake or a character named Ali Baba.)

Deacon Ed

 

[Psalm45_9]

The Byzantine Catholic Church here in Syracuse has 4 latinizations that I know of: 1, pews with kneelers (kneeling at the consecration). 2, holy water fonts at the doors. 3, confessionals. 4, side altars*.

*I’m not sure if side altars are a latinization or not. They are across from each other with an icon instead of where a statue would be in that latin rite. Maybe what I’m calling a side altar is really a shrine. Deacon Ed, can you help me out here?

 

[Brain]

Psalm45:9:

The Byzantine Catholic Church here in Syracuse has 4 latinizations that I know of: 1, pews with kneelers (kneeling at the consecration). 2, holy water fonts at the doors. 3, confessionals. 4, side altars*.

*I’m not sure if side altars are a latinization or not. They are across from each other with an icon instead of where a statue would be in that latin rite. Maybe what I’m calling a side altar is really a shrine. Deacon Ed, can you help me out here?

eastern confession is done kneeling before an icon, and the priest guides you in your prayer to God rather than being the direct recipient of your confession, is this correct? Only in certain rites?

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Psalm45:9:

The Byzantine Catholic Church here in Syracuse has 4 latinizations that I know of: 1, pews with kneelers (kneeling at the consecration). 2, holy water fonts at the doors. 3, confessionals. 4, side altars*.

*I’m not sure if side altars are a latinization or not. They are across from each other with an icon instead of where a statue would be in that latin rite. Maybe what I’m calling a side altar is really a shrine. Deacon Ed, can you help me out here?

Depends on where they are… The Maronites do have side altars that are actually shrines. In the Byzantine tradition there are two side altars, the diaconium which is the deacon’s altar (and also where the bishop vests if he is not vesting in the nave of the church) and the altar of prothesis where the gifts are prepared. These are, however, suppsed to be behind the iconostasis.

Deacon Ed

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Brain:

eastern confession is done kneeling before an icon, and the priest guides you in your prayer to God rather than being the direct recipient of your confession, is this correct? Only in certain rites?

Well, in the Melkite tradition the penitent stands before the icon to confess and kneels to receive absolution. I believe that this tradition of confessing before the icon of Christ extends to most Eastern Churches.

Deacon Ed

 

[Psalm45_9]

Deacon Ed:

Depends on where they are… The Maronites do have side altars that are actually shrines. In the Byzantine tradition there are two side altars, the diaconium which is the deacon’s altar (and also where the bishop vests if he is not vesting in the nave of the church) and the altar of prothesis where the gifts are prepared. These are, however, suppsed to be behind the iconostasis.

Deacon Ed

No these altars are on the same side of the Iconstasis as us. They’re against the wall, with a little tabernacle* on it.

*I don’t know the eastern terminology for the tabernacle.

One altar is devoted to Our Lady, the other is devoted to Our Lord. Both have votive lights in front of them.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Psalm45:9:

No these altars are on the same side of the Iconstasis as us. They’re against the wall, with a little tabernacle* on it.

*I don’t know the eastern terminology for the tabernacle.

One altar is devoted to Our Lady, the other is devoted to Our Lord. Both have votive lights in front of them.

I know of a Church that has these. The Church building was built during the height of Latinizations. So even though the parish has returned to many of, if not all of, our traditions, they have not torn these side altars out.

 

[Elzee]

If kneeling was prohibited by the Council of Nicea on Sundays, then when did it become a sign of reverence as opposed to repentence in the Latin Church, and why?

Forgive my ignorance on this. I just recently attended a Byzantine Liturgy and am just now learning about it. It was beautiful by the way and so reverent. The prayers are some of the most poetic and beautiful I’ve ever heard.

Oh, one more question. Are the Bishops of a diocese Bishops over the Latin and Byzantine churches in the diocese, or does the Byzantine Church have its counterpart to a Latin Rite Bishop (I kept hearing the word ‘metropolitan’ durnig the Byzantine Liturgy I was at…) Again, I’m sorry if this is a silly question.