The little book that will cause a great storm ('Dominus Est' by Bishop Schneider) (Catholic Caucus)

Catholic Herald (UK) ^ | 12/19/2008 | Alcuin Reed, OSB

[Pyro7480]

...The Congregation for Divine Worship [in 1969] issued an Instruction, Memoriale Domini, on the manner of receiving Holy Communion....

After recalling the development of the reception of Communion on the tongue as a fruit of "a deepening understanding of the truth of the Eucharistic mystery...", the Instruction declares that "this method of distributing Holy Communion must be retained...."

It also warned: "A change in a matter of such moment, based on a most ancient and venerable tradition, does not merely affect discipline. It carries certain dangers with it...the danger of a loss of reverence for the august sacrament of the altar, of profanation, of adulterating the true doctrine."

...Today, the Instruction's warnings about loss of reverence for, belief in and even the profanation of the Blessed Sacrament have - sadly - been vindicated. It is time to look again at the question of Communion in the hand. This is precisely what a young bishop from Central Asia has done in 'Dominus Est.'

This little book, a brief but insightful survey of the Fathers, the Early Church, the Magisterium and the Eastern and Western liturgical rites, is capable of creating a storm - not in a teacup, but in the minds of those unduly attached to the flawed external changes made to the liturgy in what can only be described as a peculiar period in the Church's history.

That it will provoke a storm is unfortunate, for the practice it advocates is a practice of love and of humility, one from which no one who truly adores Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament ought to recoil....

[Romulus]

I reckon all the ex. ministers/mushy lib priests have done more to protestanize how folks see the priest than on the tongue or in the paw did.

Not sure just what you mean there. What I was trying to say is that the Mass is protestantised when the sacrificial elements are obscured. When it becomes a "gathering" of baptised people doing God-talk and fellowshippin' and all that. When liturgy is something we all do in cooperation, as opposed to something the priest does in our presence, for our sake and with our assent.

Communion in the paw is related to all of this because it makes the Mass more like a meal and less like a sacrifice. Because it makes the celebrant more like a presider talking to us than a priest offering sacrifice for us. Because it breaks down the distinction that the priest is different from us and therefore can do different things.

[Pyro7480]

Aside from the loaded verbage used by partisans, why is there no mention of Immensae Caritatis (spelling)? I found it in less than five minutes, and it does make the article seem like special pleading at best, and intellectual dishonesty at worst.

Which article? The archbishop's or the Benedictine Dom Reed? And you're not a partisan?

[Unam Sanctam]

It was originally distributed on a white corporal in the communicant's right hand. The communicant would bow towards the host and ingest it without ever touching the host.

Very interesting if true, given the St. John Chrysostom quote one always hears about the left hand making a throne for the right hand and the right hand a throne for the Lord.

[annalex]

MEMORIALE DOMINI
IMMENSAE CARITATIS

What, do you think, intellectual honesty demands to be mentioned, by whom, and in what document?

[papertyger]

If I understand correctly, Immensea was a modification granted by request rather than Memmoriale being a stand alone document suffering from nefariously exploited “loopholes.”

I have to question the integrity of someone trumpeting a document they like, and ignoring a subsequent modification they don’t.

[annalex]

Immensea was a modification granted by request rather than Memmoriale being a stand alone document

I don't think that is the case. Just read chapter 4 of IC -- where is a modification? All it does is clarify conditions under which communion in hand may be locally permitted.

[papertyger]

As best I can tell, chapter 4 says certain conferences of bishops requested the faculty of permitting the host to be received in the hand and the chapter lays out the stipulaions for that to be permissable... chiefly, a proper reverence.

[steve86]

One solution no one considers would be to encourage the faithful to refrain from communion until properly disposed.

Yes! Problem is that many contemporary Catholics think that they are entitled to Communion without preparation of any kind, including fasting or contrition, similar to the way that children attending the Saturday matinee think they are entitled to popcorn. I have always thought the front five rows of pews or so should be accessible only to those who have passed through the Confessional, and the the sacrament of Holy Communion be available only to them. Bona Fide Saints can bypass the turnstile.

[annalex]

Yes, but MD said the same thing: that dioceses may try communion in hand on a local case by case basis. IC did not liberalize MD, if anything it toughened the conditions by spelling them out.

[Pyro7480]

Bishop Schneider talked about a priest, later beatified, who ministered to his parents. This is the priest:

Blessed Oleksa Zarytsky

[tridentine]

Bishop Schneider’s article “Cum Amore Ac Timore: On Holy Communion on the Tongue” originally published in L’Osservatore Romano has been reprinted in the recently published work “Sursum Corda: Documents and Readings on the Traditional Latin Mass (available at amazon.com)

[Salvation]

It’s going that way. Our priest said that in a couple years everyone would be receiving the Holy Eucharist on the tongue.

[Salvation]

We have a parishioner who is VERY allergic to wheat and always receives the Body and Blood of Christ from the cup.

[Salvation]

Sounds wonderful.

[baa39]

I know what you mean, Net. A few years ago at the parish I was in then, for First Holy Communion, the DRE had a young sibling of one of the children, a four year old boy, leading the procession strewing flower petals from a basket (as is usually done by a small girl at wedding).

[netmilsmom]

>>A few years ago at the parish I was in then, for First Holy Communion, the DRE had a young sibling of one of the children, a four year old boy, leading the procession strewing flower petals from a basket (as is usually done by a small girl at wedding).<<

Oh for pity sake!

[netmilsmom]

>>We have a parishioner who is VERY allergic to wheat and always receives the Body and Blood of Christ from the cup.<<

I think there is an exception to every rule. Let that person come up first and drink the Blood of the Lamb. Everyone else gets Our Lord full and complete in the host.

Or by intinction!

[NYer]

Thanks for remembering his name and posting that link. I will pass it along to a co-worker who is Ukrainian Catholic.

[Pyro7480]

Well, I listened to part of the mp3 of the interview yesterday, and I programmed my VCR to record it. I heard the anecdote about the beatified priest, so I decided to look him up.

[Pyro7480]

From Bishop Athanasius Schneider on his book, "Dominus Est" and the Church in Kazakhstan

THE BISHOP'S RING: IT'S THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

His Excellency permitted me to take one final photograph - of his bishop's ring. I wish the details were clearer, but it is unmistakeably the Miraculous Medal. He humbly permitted people to kiss his ring, which caught me off guard because I have seen some bishops gently pull their hand back. Because of this, I never attempted to kiss the ring of a bishop.

Some feel it is more humble to not let people kiss the ring, but I think the opposite is true. I did not see it prideful on his part at all, but more of an act of humility. He generously offered blessings upon people as they took his hand. One of the sisters observed that by having the Miraculous Medal as a ring, the people are kissing an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the ring of an apostolic successor.