Receiving kneeling and on the tounge?

[pumpkinbeast]

My family doesn’t believe when I say that receiving the eucharist while kneeling and/or on the tounge is still perfectly acceptable. Could anyone help me find a copy of official documentation of this on the net?
Thanks very much.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My family doesn’t believe when I say that receiving the eucharist while kneeling and/or on the tounge is still perfectly acceptable. Could anyone help me find a copy of official documentation of this on the net?
Thanks very much.

You will find it in the GIRM and RS. Receiving on the tounge is up to the individual. The US Bishops have asked the faithful not to kneel when receiving in a moving line so as to not cause someone to trip. If someone does kneel they cannot be refused Communion however.

 

[Santos]

When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by Fr. Rutler, “What do you think is the worst problem in the world today?” without pausing a second she gave the reply:

“Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.”

She stated that to her knowledge, all of her sisters receive Communion only on the tongue.

During his visit to Fulda (Germany) in November 1980, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, responding to a reporter from Stimme des glaubens magazine:

“There is an apostolic letter on the existence of a special valid permission for this [Communion in the hand]. But I tell you that I am not in favor of this practice, nor do I recommend it.”

I thought I would share these quotes as I have myself, shared them with my family. I myself believe this manner of receiving the eucharist show the reverence of the faithful and it is more likely for one who does not believe in the mystery of the eucharist to receive in the hand, instead of receiving at all on the tongue.

 

[palmas85]

You will find it in the GIRM and RS. Receiving on the tounge is up to the individual. The US Bishops have asked the faithful not to kneel when receiving in a moving line so as to not cause someone to trip. If someone does kneel they cannot be refused Communion however.

But they often are Brother they often are. The excuse about people possibly tripping is just that, an excuse. I won’t go with the assertion that receiving in the hand is a Protestant innovation, though it may very well be, but I will say why I think they do it. Speed. It is a faster way to distribute, no doubt about it. It also may have something to do with the whole resurrection posture angle that was popular a few years ago.

 

[pumpkinbeast]

Thanks for the quotes, those should be useful!

I know what the GIRM is, but what’s the RS? I also live in Canada, would that make a difference?

The tripping people up bit does seem like an excuse… I’ve seen people kneel before quite succesfully without any mishaps what so ever. You’d have to be in quite a rush to trip over someone who decided to kneel…

 

[Melanie01]

Goodness, when I was attending the Paulian Mass with he gaggle of extraordinary ministers, there was often a stampede cant for the life of me remember why…

…at least with rail and kneel , there is one minister (the priest), an altar boy with plate, the congregation side by side hands under the rail linen, two orderly queues, the priest blesses the tots and babes in mama or papas arms (they the adult with head tilted for the reception of our Divine Lord).

The very elderly or disabled stand at the rail if bending their knee is difficult, or the priest and altar boy will come to the wheel chair at beginning or the end of the queue ( the priest’s choice).

 

[mercygate]

Thanks for the quotes, those should be useful!

I know what the GIRM is, but what’s the RS? I also live in Canada, would that make a difference?

The tripping people up bit does seem like an excuse… I’ve seen people kneel before quite succesfully without any mishaps what so ever. You’d have to be in quite a rush to trip over someone who decided to kneel…

RS is *Redemptionis Sacramentum. *It is not a local instruction but for the whole Church. I know that the US bishops filed a dubium about certain points of it, but I am not sure whether their objections were upheld by the Vatican. I know nothing at all about Canada.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

But they often are Brother they often are. The excuse about people possibly tripping is just that, an excuse. I won’t go with the assertion that receiving in the hand is a Protestant innovation, though it may very well be, but I will say why I think they do it. Speed. It is a faster way to distribute, no doubt about it. It also may have something to do with the whole resurrection posture angle that was popular a few years ago.

Personally I’d like to see us kneel at the altar rail to receive Holy Communion either way.