[Campion]

Rome and the Pope have never OKed communion in hand and the Pope has issued several papers against it

Untrue. The Pope personally dislikes the practice, but it is formally approved, by Rome, for many countries, including the US.

But it is true that it started as an abuse which was rather unfortunately "regularized".

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

Thanks for the update. Could you supply the number or date of the Papal encyclical that made this change? It has been several years since I took some preliminary classes and considered studying for the priesthood. I know there hasn't been a Canon Law Council since then so it would have had to have been a Papal encyclical. I ask becuase in the early 80's, several US Bishops issued church encyclical letters (which are simply that Bishop's interpretation of Canon Law) to convince many US Catholics that this practice was OK with the Pope and was accepted Canon Law, which was definately NOT true. The Pope put out several cease and desist letters to the US Bishops--all of which were ignored. Eventually, some administrative Bishops in Rome also published letters and opinions supporting this practice. None of these actions, however, constitute a change in Canon Law, and I am not aware of any such action by the Pope that gave credence to this practice. Your term "by Rome" intrigues me because I am definately under the impression that only a Canon Law Council or a Papal Encyclical can make such a change come about. I could have missed it, but if not, this is the kind of liberal 'misdirection' within the Church that has been causing strife ever since Vatican II.