[FormerLib]

I think you'll find that this is one of those points upon which West and East will disagree! We, the Orthodox and your Byzatine Catholics, will only recieve the body and the blood of Christ directly, never in the hand.

[The_Reader_David]

Yes, in the East only those in major orders (bishops, priests and deacons) receive the Holy Mysteries in their hands (body) and direct from the chalice (blood) (...and in the old days the Emperor--but don't forget when we don't out of courtesy to the West limit the number of Holy Mysteries to seven, we remember that the anointing of an Emperor was a Holy Mystery akin to ordination).