Ah, I take communion on the tongue, and like to visit a Latin Mass every once in a while....
....but don't you think you're a bit over the top?
Posted on 08/02/2009 9:32:08 AM PDT by NYer
"Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord... For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord" - 1 Corinthians 11:27,28
Pope Benedict to Catholics:
Kneel and Receive on the Tongue Only
Pope Benedict XVI does not want the faithful receiving Communion in their hand nor does he want them standing to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. According to Vatican liturgist, Monsignor Guido Marini, the pope is trying to set the stage for the whole church as to the proper norm for receiving Communion for which reason communicants at his papal Masses are now asked to kneel and receive on the tongue.
The Holy Father's reasoning is simple: "We Christians kneel before the Blessed Sacrament because, therein, we know and believe to be the presence of the One True God." (May 22, 2008)
According to the pope the entire Church should kneel in adoration before God in the Eucharist. "Kneeling in adoration before the Eucharist is the most valid and radical remedy against the idolatries of yesterday and today" (May 22, 2008)
The pope's action is in accord with the Church's 2000 year tradition and is being done in order to foster a renewed love and respect for the Eucharist which presently is being mocked and treated with contempt. The various trends and innovations of our time (guitar liturgy, altar girls, lay ministers, Communion in the hand) have worked together to destroy our regard for the Eucharist, thus advancing the spiritual death of the church. After all, the Eucharist is the very life and heartbeat of the Mystical Body around which the entire Church must revolve.
Kneeling also coincides with the Church's centuries old ordinance that only the consecrated hands of a priest touch the Body of Christ in Holy Communion. "To priests alone has been given power to consecrate and administer to the faithful, the Holy Eucharist." (Council of Trent) This teaching is beautifully expressed by St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica: "Because out of reverence towards this sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest's hands, for touching this sacrament."
It is for reason that Pope Paul VI in his May 1969 pastoral letter to the world's bishops reaffirmed the Church's teaching on the reception of Communion, stating that: "This method on the tongue must be retained." (Memoriale Domini) This came in response to the bishops of Holland who started Communion in the hand in defiance of the centuries old decree from the Council of Rouen (650 A.D.) where this practice was condemned as sacrilegious. "Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layperson, but only in their mouths." To date this prohibition has never been overturned legally.
Today Communion in the hand is carried on illegally and has become a major tool of the enemy to destory the Faith throughout the world. For this practice serves no other purpose than to warp our conception of Jesus Christ and nourish a contempt for the sacred mysteries. It's no wonder St. Basil referred to Communion in the hand as "a grave fault."
That is to say, Communion in the hand is not tied with Catholic tradition. This practice was first introduced to the Church by the heretical Arians of the 4th century as a means of expressing their belief that Christ was not divine. Unfortunately, it has served to express the same in our time and has been at the very heart of the present heresy and desecration that is rampant throughout the universal Church. If we have 'abuse' problems today it is because we're abusing the Sacrament - it's backfiring on us!
Thanks to Communion in the hand, members of satanic cults are now given easy access to come into the Church and take the Host so that they bring it back to their covens where it is abused and brutalized in the ritualistic Black Mass to Satan. They crush the Host under their shoes as a mockery to the living God, and we assist it with our casual practice? Amongst themselves the satanists declare that Communion in the hand is the greatest thing that ever happened to them, and we do nothing to stop it?
Hence, the Holy Father is doing his part to try to purge the Church of abuse and we as members of Christ are called upon to assist him. For your encouragement we include the following quotation from Cardinal Llovera, the new prefect for the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments speaking to Life Site News on July 22, 2009: "It is the mission of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments to work to promote Pope Benedict's emphasis on the traditional practices of liturgy, such as reception of Communion on the tongue while kneeling."
Also worth considering is the recent decree from Cardinal Caffarra, the Archbishop of Bologna Italy, forbidding the practice of Communion in the hand: "Many cases of profanation of the Eucharist have occurred, profiting by the possibility to receive the consecrated Bread on one’s palm of the hand... Considering the frequency in which cases of irreverent behavior in the act of receiving the Eucharist have been reported, we dispose that starting from today in the Metropolitan Church of St. Peter, in the Basilica of St. Petronius and in the Shrine of the Holy Virgin of St. Luke in Bologna the faithful are to receive the consecrated Bread only from the hands of the Minister directly on the tongue." (from his decree on the reception of the Eucharist, issued April 27, 2009)
Technically all bishops and clergy are bound to follow the Holy Father's directive on this issue, but in the meantime the faithful are not obliged to wait for the approval of their bishop in order to kneel for God. The directives of the Holy Father are not subject to the veto or scrutiny of the bishops and therefore all pastors and laity have a right and duty to put these directives into practice for the edification of their communities.
Sunday ping!
I wish they'd let me.
Those hate communion on the tongue, the latin mass, have given themselves over to Satan.
Not holding my breath as far as this diocese is concerned. Certain neighboring parishes will be downright angry about this. One nearby church with a new facility doesn't even have kneelers for use during the Eucharistic prayer. I plan to ask our new associate pastor for his views on this matter.
Does that include all Protestants who take communion with a unleavened cracker and drink the wine (grape juice) in remembrance of our Lord
It’s the way I was taught, I never liked handing the Eucharist in the hand, even though I stand I take the communion on the tongue and not the hand.
I would rather kneel. Hope it becomes the norm, and soon.
I’m referring to cafeteria catholics.
Holy Father, please ban the Social Justice drivel in our Sunday bulletins also.
>>Does that include all Protestants who take communion with a unleavened cracker and drink the wine (grape juice) in remembrance of our Lord <<
That was a gratuitous smack at our Protestant Brothers and Sisters. Rude and crass. Everyone of them can make it to heaven, just like any Catholic, per the Vatican.
It was not needed on this thread.
I kneel after communion back in the pew. Do they want us to kneel while actually getting communion? I think they did that back in the old days. But I don’t believe I ever knelt and received communion. If they start this up, I have no issues with it.
Ah, I take communion on the tongue, and like to visit a Latin Mass every once in a while....
....but don't you think you're a bit over the top?
Rather harsh don’t you think? I mean I do receive communion on the tongue, but Latin Mass???? The only people who would understand Latin Mass would be the 80 year olds. Do you really think that saying the mass in Latin is going to keep the attention of 99.9 percent of the participants.
The mods on CAF would give him the boot for sure.
>>Do they want us to kneel while actually getting communion?<<
Yes!
And thank The Lord that the Pope said this.
What you are receiving is Jesus Himself. If Jesus stood on the Altar, in His Earthly Body, I would be flat on my face, knowing I was unworthy to look. I’m amazed at the amount of people who walk up to receive Jesus, waving at the crowd or talking to the person behind, then smiling and waving on the way back.
Our summer sub, Father Dennis, asks for your first name before he says, the Body of Christ. Last Sunday I just stared at him and he eventually gave it to me. I went this morning knowing that if he was the celebrant, I would turn and leave. Fortunately it was our Columbian priest who is going home after serving in our archdiocese for three years. I knew he wouldn’t have a long homily or change the prayers since he barely speaks English.
I’m talking about those who hate the Latin mass, not those who don’t understand it.
I would not go THAT far. Neither of those acts are evil, nor do they encourage it.
You cannot kneel at your church if you want to? To receive Communion? because ???
>>The only people who would understand Latin Mass would be the 80 year olds.<<
Have you ever been to one?
What is happening is clearly stated in English in the Missal.
Along with that, our Faith as been dumbed down. The reason 80 year olds understand it, is the same reason my 11 and 9 year olds do. They study Latin.
No, I'm a Protestant myself and thought if the Catholic who hate communion on the tongue have given themselves over to Satan then I think it's a valid question since I actually "touch" the wafer and actually drink the "wine" which Catholics aren't allowed to, have I allowed myself to to given over to Satan as well.
Unless of course the poster who said such a thing was just being hyperbolic and hysterical.
Oh thank you for clarifying. I never went to a Latin Mass but would not oppose attending one. I did attend an Italian Catholic Wedding and found it very interesting. I also attended Midnight Mass at the Vatican on Christmas Eve and although I only understood 20 percent of it, I found it very moving.
I wish they'd let me.
They're actually not allowed to refuse you. I'd kneel if I could get back up without a rail.
>>I’m talking about those who hate the Latin mass, not those who don’t understand it.<<
We were on CAF too long.
Non-CAF people have never seen the hate for those things in the Historic Catholic Church.
Remember the “my 80 year old mother fell over someone who was genuflecting in the line for communion.” story? So because an old lady didn’t watch where she was going, all of us who genuflect should stop!!!!!
That poster was a gem.
Personally, I have no objection to this, and I am glad that the Pope is taking a stronger position on this issue. I am surprised that it took so long to even mention it.
I have seen countless nuns (of all people!) receive the Eucharist in their hands. What do they teach them nowadays? If there is a statement of sacrilege concerning handling the Eucharist by the non-ordained, are the bishops and priests and other clergy not aware of that and YET they hand it our anyway?!?
This all reminds me of the "Emperor has no clothes!" syndrome—everyone sees and knows it is wrong but everyone is doing it and dares not say anything about it! Is that not the ultimate hypocrisy?
Because everyone's standing. Never thought of being the only one to kneel, of forcing the priest to kneel or stoop down just for me...
It will be. You and I just need to start it, FRiend!
God Bless, and thank you for posting this NYer!
Oh I understand.
Pope Pius XII is talking about lib Catholics. We call them “Happy Catholics” who hate all things traditional or historic. They all want to hold hands and sing Kumbaya.
Not our Protestant Brothers and Sisters.
Right PPXII?
The last straw was when an Eucharistic administer (one week) and a priest (the next week) gave that “look” when I wanted communion on the tongue (like they never seen it before). It made me felt as if I was the leader of KISS.
>>....but don’t you think you’re a bit over the top? <<
Let me help. Spend some time on the Catholic Answers Forums.
There are people there that HATE, the TLM, People who receive on the tongue, people who genuflect before receiving, women who cover their heads, etc. Not dislike, hate.
I have no problem with the style of worship you want. Like any liberals they don’t want to restrict things Historically Catholic, they want them banned. No matter what you want.
Seriously.
Correct Netmilsmon, let’s pray for those perfidious moderators on Catholic Answer Forums.
Amen!!!!
Agree, I am Catholic (23 years) grew up Baptist, husband is Baptist. He goes to church with me.
I know as a Protestant, although communion is in remembrance and not the Eucharist, you are not to take of communion unworthily. My husband and I were very reverent of communion and took this very seriously. If either of us felt unworthy, we did not partake.
Baptist are loved by God, believe in Christ and those will be in heaven.
Please to throw in contention is not what we are or should be about.
I respect other religions and expect such for mine.
Ever wonder if there's some reason for the Eucharistic Fast besides reverence? Like what they might see when they look into people's mouths?
Fortunately receiving on the tongue here is no problem. But I have seen very timid Extraordinary Ministers toss the wafer in as if it were a carnival game and I might award them a stuffed dog as a prize for a good shot.
Reading the overall article, and its polemic tone, I question whether this is an entirely reliable source. It would be nice to see more corroborating analysis from a more disinterested source.
Half our congregation that goes to Sat Mass are probably 65 or older. It would be very difficult for them to kneel, and get back up again. Also our Priest has made it very clear to us that he does not want to put the wafer on the tongue. He spent a whole Sermon on it, explaining the difficulties he has on placing the wafer on the tongue, and not getting any spittle on his hand, that might infect other people.
We have bigger enemies than each other.
Not strictly "communion." It's what you said: crackers and grape juice. A snack.
Exactly,
They should read the book called, I think it’s called Memiors from an Anti-Apostle, but I’m not positive on it. It talks about how the communists invaded our seminaries and took them over. And how they wanted to remake the Church in their own image. Not how Christ founded it.
“The only people who would understand Latin Mass would be the 80 year olds.”
The Latin Mass was ended in 1962. I think that there are those of us who are way under 80 who understand the Latin Mass.
Be sure to email His Holiness -- I'm sure he'd be glad to know.
Actually, for the first time in my adult life, I had the opportunity to kneel at an altar rail for communion...instantly I remembered, "Oh, this is how it was when I was a little boy..."
It was very cool, as well as culturally informative.
>>Also our Priest has made it very clear to us that he does not want to put the wafer on the tongue. He spent a whole Sermon on it, explaining the difficulties he has on placing the wafer on the tongue, and not getting any spittle on his hand, that might infect other people.<<
Seriously?!?
Maybe he needs some Necco Wafers and a bunch of kids to volunteer for practice.
This is nothing but an excuse. My husband is an EMHC. He has stated that it is not that hard to avoid tongue and lip. Understanding the matter sticks to a wet surface, the distributor hold the host by one end and when the person holds out their tongue, it’s placed on it. The host sticks.
Your priest is using feeble excuses.
Do you have Precious Blood distribution? Someone with a cup?
..but Latin Mass???? The only people who would understand Latin mass would be the 80 year olds.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Au contraire
I truly get your point -—BUT-—
I am a 70 year old and one of the main reasons I do NOT partake in services is English Mass, Lay People administering Communion, women (other than nuns)being too ‘active’ in the Celebration of Mass etc.
Kind of reminds one of the story about the ‘Parishioners were settling down for the service when armed men stormed the church and went to the altar and announced “Get out of here now or I will kill you” and a good portion fled while many stayed. The gunman took off his mask and said “OK Reverend, the non believers are gone, you may start now”
Thank you for sharing this story.
Bravo Benedict XVI.
The “catholic Woodstock” is coming to an end soon.
“Catholic woodstock”. LOL.
“Catholic woodstock”. LOL.
I was a little girl when they were still celebrating the Mass in Latin. It was very reverent and unified us in a way because none of us spoke Latin. We all just read along on the English side of the page. We knelt at a Communion rail to receive the Eucharist on our tongues.
I live near Los Angeles. We are still holding hands during the Our Father and people look at me funny if I don’t. I’m not being “loving.” This year, they announced we were to stand before Communion when saying, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you...” and stay standing until it is our turn to move into line to receive Communion. The only kneeling we do is during a couple of minutes at the Consecration. They are moving us toward getting rid of kneelers. They stated these changes were made to move things along more quickly and efficiently during Communion.
Why are some areas being allowed to do whatever they want? We should be celebrating Mass in a uniform manner.
Do you have Precious Blood distribution? Someone with a cup?
Yes, but most people don’t drink it. It was suspended for a week during the swine flu outbreak.
Exactly!
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