To my parishioners,
As pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLOG) in Queen Creek, AZ, I urge all parishioners to receive holy Communion while kneeling at the altar railing and not to make gestures that draw attention to oneself when receiving communion in the hand (to include: signing oneself with the Body of Christ, trying to take the Body of Christ back to your pew seat, and other examples on request).
The norm for the reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel (General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) – institutio generalis missalis romani, Including Adaptations for the Dioceses of the United States of America, 160).
One reason for this adaptation being inserted into the GIRM, is because many bishops throughout the US removed altar railings from churches. Vatican II never intended for altar railings to be removed from churches. Our parish has an altar railing and it provides parishioners a most time-honored tradition of receiving communion on the tongue while kneeling. Proceeding from the pews to the altar railing never impedes any procession when coming forward to receive communion and it never disrupts the powerful expression of faith by receiving communion from the priest who stands in the place of Christ during mass, especially during the communion rite.
There will always be persons in positions of power who seem to draw attention to oneself by coming up with ways to participate in mass that look more and more like a Protestant interpretation of what Catholics do at every mass. There have even been instances of priests refusing to give communion to Catholics who are kneeling and wanting to receive communion on the tongue. Be humble if this happens, there is no need to cause a scene, but also be firm in your faith and, after mass, let the priest know that he is violating Canon Law, “Can. 912† Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to holy communion” (GIRM, 160).
On kneeling to receive communion on the tongue, I realize that paragraph 160 states that, “such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm (to stand)” (GIRM). The catechesis I would give to someone kneeling is a heartfelt thank you for presenting yourself for communion in this manner. The indult that the US received in 1977 to receive communion in the hand was given as an exception to the norm. So, catechesis on this new “norm” goes against what was normally done for centuries. As a priest, I cannot justify normalizing receiving communion in the hand while standing over communion on the tongue while kneeling. Perhaps I need to be catechized in some manner.
Our Catholic faith has benefitted greatly from Vatican II. The modern world has advanced so much that the Church has enlightened many people in ways that could not have been done in the past. Technology and knowledge can be wonderful, especially when used with wisdom.
When we show that we are worshiping our Lord and Savior in a posture on our knees, we are showing what it is that we believe. The Catholic has struggled to preach on the Real Presence of God in the Eucharist over the last 50 years, as shown by the reduction in belief of the Real Presence. At Our Lady of Guadalupe, parishioners have a much deeper gratitude for and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, precisely because I preach on it and I encourage faithful Catholics to receive the Body of Christ while kneeling before the King of the Universe. There is a great renewal, in a positive way, in the liturgy at OLOG. The Constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium, written at Vatican II did not make any changes to the norm of receiving communion on the tongue while kneeling. The distinction between receiving in the hand and receiving on the tongue cannot be more stark in demonstrating a belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is my belief in Sacred Tradition and multiple documents, such as Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), Memoriale Domini (MD), and others, that enhance my understanding of distributing communion during mass.
Although there is a much greater danger of profanation of the Eucharistic host by distributing communion on the hand, this can be a negative connotation. A positive connotation is that one gets to kneel before Christ, our Lord and Savior, and receive from the holy hand that wants to give us our spiritual food for our journey to heaven. A small child is fed by a parent. There is love given in that act. We can always see the symbolism in that when we kneel for communion given from the hand of an ordained minister like a deacon, priest, or bishop. This manner of receiving communion engenders “a greater feeling of reverence towards this sacrament…” (Memoriale Domini).
The Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, in Memoriale Domini, states, “Thus the custom was established of the minister placing a particle of consecrated bread on the tongue of the communicant. This method of distributing Holy Communion must be retained [my bold], taking the present situation of the Church in the entire world into account, not merely because it has many centuries of tradition behind it, but especially because it expresses the faithful’s reverence for the Eucharist [my bold]. The custom does not detract in any way from the personal dignity of those who approach this great sacrament: it is part of that preparation that is needed for the most fruitful reception of the Body of the Lord.
The reverence shown when receiving communion on the tongue while kneeling, can show that a person believes wholeheartedly that they are not receiving ordinary bread and wine. Receiving communion on the tongue while kneeling removes almost all danger to profanation of the most sacred host.
Although there are places in these United States that have different ways of distributing Holy Communion, one is always free to receive communion in the hand or on the tongue. At OLOG, we no longer have Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC). There is no need for them. Everyone now receives Holy Communion from the hands of an ordained minister. The sacred vessels I use to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ are almost exclusively handled only by someone who has been ordained to Holy Orders. This should help everyone to see that from the beginning of mass up to the moment of receiving communion on the tongue, only my sacred hands are touching sacred things. Be peaceful, humble, and charitable, wherever you receive communion, whether in our diocese or in places like Chicago, where I first entered the Catholic Church with my father leading me to the sacraments. I pray for the day when the entire Catholic Church returns to receiving communion only on the tongue.
Fr. Craig W. M. Friedley
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pastor 22 December 2024