Wednesday, 26th March 2008
Holy Communion in the hand
Vatican Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith should be commended for expressing his recent desire that Catholics "abandon" the practice of receiving Holy Communion in the hand. Numerous priests have complained about finding "sacred hosts" under pews and in prayer books due to abuses of this practice.
At present, the practice of receiving Holy Communion directly from the priest on the tongue is the church norm though it is widely rejected. St Thomas Aquinas and Pope John Paul II have both stated that only the priest, who stands as a intermediary between God and the people, should touch the sacred host because only his hands are especially anointed for this task at his ordination.
Communion in the hand reflects an immanent spirit of paltry familiarity with Our Lord. This is in keeping with a secular mentality that hails the ordinariness of "going along with the crowd" a priority because it allows one the convenience of not having to defend any principles or risk losing any self-esteem. One need only to blend in with the masses like sheep. In his poem The Hollow Men, T.S. Eliot describes this insignificance of humanity as "shape without form, shade without colour, paralysed force, gesture without motion". Such a life may provide one with a safe and comfortable existence but it is for this very reason that it cannot be the motivational principle behind the church's pastoral initiatives and commitment to evangelisation which requires true disciples of Christ to go against the grain imposed by false modernity.
Communion in the hand is one such concession to modernity. It does not reflect authentic individuality or diversity but rather was introduced "abusively and hurriedly" as an ecumenical gesture to Protestants and others who do not believe in the "Real Presence".
In light of the theological implications and all the many serious abuses that have occurred with the sacred host I hope Catholic bishops, priests, and laity will follow the Vatican's new initiative in making the practice of Communion in the hand a thing of the past.
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Comments
It is even more hygienic for the priest and the next to receive Holy Communion to deposit the Holy Host on the hand than on the mouth. Christ distributed the Holy Bread to the Apostles in their hands and not on their tongue
Some say that depositing the Host on the tongue could lead to infectious disease and they may be right. In reply others say that God will not permit it. But do we not know the saying "Do not tempt God".
During his time on earth, Jesus never refused anyone to touch him, in fact recalling one instance when he asked who had touched his garment and an ailing woman was produced, not only He did not rebuke her but He forgave her sins and made her well again!
The concern about abuse can be addressed very easily. When similar concerns were raised at our church, ushers were placed near the priest giving communion. Their job was to make sure that the person receiving communion consumed the host before leaving the area and if in doubt, they would follow the person (within the church), observe and if need be confront him/her and confirm that the host was consumed.
I truly believe that God would never permit infections through receiving the body of Christ on the tongue, however for those who are more sceptical than I, it would make sense to continue to receive holy communion in the hand.
When giving directly to the mouth the priest is bound to touch someone's tounge at some point, then continue touching hosts and some other people's tounges.