Mother Teresa's "Secret"

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/6371/MotherTerea.html ^ | Father George Rutler

[Land of the Irish]

"I will tell you a secret, since we have just a thousand close friends together, and also because we have the Missionaries of Charity with us...

"Not very long ago I said Mass and preached for their Mother, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and after breakfast we spent quite a long time talking in a little room. Suddenly, I found myself asking her -- don't know why -- 'Mother, what do you think is the worst problem in the world today?' She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat, and so on.

"Without pausing a second she said, 'Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'"

Communion in the Hand ST. SIXTUS I (115-125). Prohibited the faithful from even touching the Sacred Vessels: "Statutum est ut sacra vasa non ab aliis quam a sacratis Dominoque dicatis contrectentur hominibus..." [It has been decreed that the Sacred Vessels are not to be handled by others than by those consecrated and dedicated to the Lord.]

POPE ST. EUTYCHIAN (275-283). Forbad the faithful from taking the Sacred Host in their hand.

ST. BASIL THE GREAT, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (330-379). "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in time of persecution." St. Basil considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault.

COUNCIL OF SARAGOSSA (380). It was decided to punish with EXCOMMUNICATION anyone who dared to continue the practice of Holy Communion in the hand. The Synod of Toledo confirmed this decree.

POPE ST. LEO I THE GREAT (440-461). Energetically defended and required faithful obedience to the practice of administering Holy Communion on the tongue of the faithful.

SYNOD OF ROUEN (650). Condemned Communion in the hand to halt widespread abuses that occurred from this practice, and as a safeguard against sacrilege.

SIXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, AT CONSTANTINOPLE (680-681). Forbad the faithful to take the Sacred Host in their hand, threatening the transgressors with excommunication.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274). "Out of reverence towards this sacrament [the Holy Eucharist], 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." (Summa Theologica, Pars III, Q. 82, Art. 3, Rep. Obj. 8)

COUNCIL OF TRENT (1545-1565). "The fact that only the priest gives Holy Communion with his consecrated hands is an Apostolic Tradition."

POPE PAUL VI (1963-1978). "This method [on the tongue] must be retained." (Apostolic Epistle "Memoriale Domini")

POPE JOHN PAUL II (1978-). "To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained. (Dominicae Cenae, sec. 11)

"It is not permitted that the faithful should themselves pick up the consecrated bread and the sacred chalice, still less that they should hand them from one to another." (Inaestimabile Donum, April 17, 1980, sec. 9)

[Land of the Irish]

Ping

[Land of the Irish]

POPE JOHN PAUL II (1978-). "To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained. (Dominicae Cenae, sec. 11)

"It is not permitted that the faithful should themselves pick up the consecrated bread and the sacred chalice, still less that they should hand them from one to another." (Inaestimabile Donum, April 17, 1980, sec. 9)

Any comments?

[Thorondir]

It makes me sick, too. My family and I always kneel when we approach the King of Creation. We do not suppose to touch him with our hands.

The Church is in such a horrible mess right now. The wacky, paganistic, modernists are killing the Church, and most of them are bishops and priests. God help us.

[jobim]

Do you have a link to this article? I would like to see it in its entirety. It's an extraordinary statement by the saint who lived in our times, and the question is put to her by a priest of the highest caliber. I just want to be sure before I try to digest this fully. Thanks, LOTI.

[PFKEY]

...privilege of the ordained.

Right from the Bible. What silliness.

[Robert Drobot]

Like jobim, I would ask, "Do you have a link to this article?"

[8mmMauser]

Yesterday I watched our Traditional priest closely after distribution of communion. I hold the tray under each recipient so even the tiniest crumb is caught. Afterwards, he takes it from me and very reverently cleans it so that not a particle could be missed.

With such reverence of our priests towards these precious particles, all present understand the powerful importance of not touching either the consecrated host nor the chalice.

We remember the novus ordo procedure and even not liking the "in the hand" could not really appreciate the difference. Even thinking of it now, would cause us to blush in shame.

I could touch the host ONLY before it is truly consecrated or if it were not really consecrated.

[Domestic Church]

"The wacky, paganistic, modernists are killing the Church, and most of them are bishops and priests. God help us."

I agree that the Church is under siege from within as well as from the outside. There is persecution of those who hold tight to tradition. Because of St. Basil's words, I think there is some balm for those of us cringing at the idea of receiving Eucharist in the hand.

ST. BASIL THE GREAT, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (330-379). "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in time of persecution."

[8mmMauser]

You might be interested in this story:

Here is a little story on communion in the hand. It is a little known story outside the powerfully faithful core of the Vendee in France, the heritage of St. Louis de Montfort. You may not have heard of Sister Claire Ferchaud of the Infant Jesus, but you may have seen some of the images she inspired. I have seen them around.

Many think of her as a Saint. This wonderful person lived in the hills overlooking St. Laurent S/Sevres in France, where St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort established his order, and rests today. To her obedience to The Lord and the Church was everything.

Following the changes of Vatican II, the Sisters of Wisdom co-located at St. Louis de Montfort's order started the communion in the hand. She resisted powerfully but then the nuns marched up to her chapel and told her she must obey. And so she did.

She put her hands out to receive and they fell paralyzed. She never regained use of her hands, could never again receive communion in the hand, died soon after.

Her family and their descendants returned to the traditional Church and are traditional to this day. The families are devout, very reverent. (Zillions of kids by the way.) I have known them for years. They reaffirm this is what happened.

[Domestic Church]

Very interesting.

[RnMomof7]

"Without pausing a second she said, 'Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'"

Funny I would have said sin...

[Land of the Irish]

Do you have a link to this article?

The geocities link is the only one I'm currently aware of. If I find another, I shall forward it to you.

[sinkspur]

If you don't want to receive Communion in the hand, then don't.

[Land of the Irish]

If you don't want to receive Communion in the hand, then don't.

I expected no less from you; "Do what makes you feel good, it's all about us. We are Church."

[sinkspur]

"Do what makes you feel good, it's all about us. We are Church."

The Church allows choice in the reception of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II has approved that choice.

Whatever the reason, an individual Catholic is allowed to determine how best to receive Christ.

Christ told His apostles: "Take and eat." He did not say "Stick out your tongue and eat."

[Land of the Irish]

Christ told His apostles: "Take and eat." He did not say "Stick out your tongue and eat."

Where did He say "stick out your filthy, unconsecrated hand and pass My Body on to Sister Motown?"

[sinkspur]

Where did He say "stick out your filthy, unconsecrated hand and pass My Body on to Sister Motown?"

The Apostles' hands weren't consecrated either.

[sinkspur]

BTW, in the Tridentine Liturgy, deacons are allowed to distribute the Eucharist. Their hands are not consecrated.

[Longshanks]

If you don't want to receive Communion in the hand, then don't.

To paraphrase anti-life Catholic polititians, "I'm personally pro-orthodox but don't want to force my opinions on others."

Even if we are allow to be reverent that is not enough. Recieving Our Lord in the hand diminishes belief in the Real Presense. That's a fact. The issue is not about our rights as traditionalists, it's about Christ's right as God.