Zak Portelli, St Andrew's
Receiving Holy Communion by hand
Frans Said (The Sunday Times, May 9) described me as fanatical, sanctimonious and lacking Christian charity. Nevertheless, I accept his insults with humility.
Mr Said said it was "during the dark ages that abuse was rife and the individual host was produced" thus given on the tongue. He's wrong. St Sixtus (115 AD) said: "It has been decreed that the sacred vessels are not to be handled by others than by those consecrated and dedicated to the Lord".
Is Mr Said implying that for the past 1,900 years the Church was wrong to distribute Communion on the tongue? No. It was a sacrilege to touch the host. If one fell on the floor a bell was placed over it until a priest retrieved it.
The Councils of Trent, Vatican I and Vatican II are crystal clear. None permitted Communion by hand. What safer way to prevent fragments from falling than to be given the host directly in the mouth?
Mr Said's level of psychology is impressive; which is why I want to introduce him to the following "scrupulous" people: St Pius V, St Pius X, St Augustine, Blessed Anne Emmerich and Pope John Paul II, all of whom opposed Communion by hand.
Pope John Paul II said: "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, sec. 9).
Pope Benedict XVI has restored Communion rails - watch the Mass every Sunday direct from Rome.
Mother Teresa once said: "We have chosen to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. If questioned about it, do not enter into discussion; just praise the Lord."
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Joe Zammit
May 20th 2010, 15:20
The Holy Spirit is with the Church and she knows what she is doing. In the first centuries of the Church the Eucharist was given on the hand and lay people took the Eucharist to Christians who were either sick or old at home or in prison.
There is absolutely no difference between receiving Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue. What is important is that we receive Holy Communion in the state of grace and after an hour fasting.
Regarding the hour fasting, old people (in Malta over 60), the sick and those who look after them are not obliged for it.
Roderick von Mikhail
May 18th 2010, 14:14
I agree fully with Mr.Portelli's letter, the Church never ever permitted communion in the hand, this came about through the French Freemasonry. paul VI was aware of such freemasonry inside the Church itself and certain cardinals such as Cardinal Casarolli who wanted communion to enter, he was a known free mason, and he indeed sold his soul to the devil, read the bayside prophecy's
Joe Zammit
May 16th 2010, 19:46
I can't understand the why and wherefore of all this fuss on receiving Holy Eucharist on the tongue or on hand. What is most important is to receive Holy Communion.
The Eucharist, as one of the Seven Sacraments set up by Christ himself, has been left by Christ in the hands of his one Catholic Church. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Church now has the right and duty to tell us how to receive Holy Communion.
After all, we are free to receive it as we deem fit. What is most important is to receive Holy Eucharist in the state of grace and with great love.
Joe Zammit
May 16th 2010, 19:33
San Pawl ighid li min jiekol il-gisem u jixrob id-demm tal-Mulej minghajr ma jisthoqqlu ikun jigbed il-kundanna ta’ Alla fuqu stess. U San Pawl stess jitkellem car li s-sacerdot, bil-qawwa li tah Kristu, jibdel realment il-hobz u l-inbid fil-gisem u d-demm ta' Kristu.
Il-Knisja ta' Kristu, il-Knisja Kattolika, minn dejjem emmnet u għallmet li Kristu hu realment u verament prezenti fl-Ewkaristija. Fl-ostja u fl-inbid ikkonsagrati minn sacerdot veru (u mhux falz kif ghandhom is-setet!) hemm Kristu prezenti bil-gisem, bid-demm, bir-ruh u bid-divinità, igifieri Kristu hu prezenti bhala Alla u bhala bniedem.
Joseph Galea
May 16th 2010, 18:20
@lgalea
In many european countries, the people shake hands with one another during the sign of peace in the mass. Then most of the take communion in the hand. This means that they do not think about hygiene during communion. Receiving communion on the tongue has to do with reverence to the real presence of Jesus, Our Lord, in the holy eucharist.
lgalea
May 16th 2010, 23:40
Joseph Galea Reverence does not come by receiving Holy Communion on the tongue, but by blaspheming. As for others shaking hands it's their business. I don't do it. Not from lack of respect but from lack of hygiene others may have. According to you then there is no need for food handlers to use gloves as they have to according to hygiene and food regulations.
renald williams
May 16th 2010, 16:12
4th-of-4-peace-health
Il-Mulej Gesu' qalilna, "Hudu, kulu … ixorbu lkoll." (Matthew 26:26-27, Mark 14:22-23.).
Incidentalment, skond l-ordni ta' Kristu, il-Kristjani ghandhom jiehdu sehem sew mill-hobz kif ukoll mill-inbid. Hekk kien isir fil-bidu u ghal hafna sekli wara.
Infatti l-isqfijiet ta' Ruma (illum isejhulhom papiet), Ljun I (440-461), Gelasju I (459) u Urbanu II (1105); mis-seklu hamsa sas-seklu tnax, wissew li huwa sagrilegg jekk wiehed jastjeni milli jixrob l-inbid.
Imbaghad dahhlet id-drawwa tat-tqarbin bil-hobz biss. Fis-seklu hmistax (1372-1415), il-qassis Gwanni Huss tkellem kontra din il-prattika gdida.
Il-mexxejja tal-Knisja Kattolika, minflok ammettew l-izball, ikkundannaw lil Huss bhala eretiku fl-1411 u harquh is-sena ta' wara.
Ghal dik il-habta laqqghu l-Koncilju ta' Kostanza (15 ta’ Gunju 1415) u hargu ligi li l-lajci ghandhom jinghataw biss il-hobz.
Il-Koncilju ta' Trentu (1545 u wara) zied jishet lil min jghid li din il-ligi tmur kontra r-rieda ta' Kristu!
renald williams
May 16th 2010, 16:11
3rd-of-4 peace-health
Jesus talked spiritually not litteraly…
Jien hu l-bieb. John 10:7. …not a wood-or-aluminium door
Jiena hu d-dawl. John 8:12. …not a torch-or-lamp
Jien hu r-raghaj it-tajjeb, u naghraf in-nghag. John 10:14.
…not us being litteral sheep, going on all fours , saying beq-beq, and eating grass
Jiena hu l-qawmien, u l-hajja. John 11:25…not that we do not die physically
Jiena t-triq, u s-sewwa, u l-hajja. John 14:6…. not an asphalt-or-tarmac road
Jiena d-dielja, intom iz-zragen. John 15:5…. not us being crops-or-fruits
Jiena hu l-hobz tal-hajja; min jigi ghandi ma jiehdu guh qatt;
u min jemmen fija ma jiehdu ghatx qatt…
Min jemmen fija ghandu l-hajja ta’ dejjem…
Hu l-Ispirtu li jaghti l-hajja: il-gisem ma jiswa xejn: il-kliem li nghidilkom huma spirtu u hajja… Mulej… Int ghandek il-kliem tal-hajja ta’ dejjem. John 6:35, 47, 55, 63, 68. …
We are still litteraly hungry and thirsty, after taking the bread and wine...
but we live spiritually by the living spiritual words of faith...
not by eating litteral flesh and blood...
Jesus promised litteral? water to the Sammaritan woman (John 4:10-onwards)
and did not give her any! Was he lying?
No! He was talking figuratively about the Holy Spirit! (John 7:37-onwards)
renald williams
May 16th 2010, 16:10
2nd-of-4 peace-health
Christians cannot take flesh or blood during their religious ceremonies…
they can and should to save human lives like blood donations and organ donations
Izda niktbulhom, biex jitbieghdu… mid-demm… Acts 15:20.
Li titbieghdu… mid-demm. Acts 15:29.
Ghal dawk il-Gentili li jemmnu, ktibna u qtajna… li jzommu ruhhom lura… mid-demm.
Acts 21:25.
Christians used the bread and the wine, which remained the bread and wine only,
because it was a rememberance of what happened once and for all, not for real.
Ma nixrobx minn dal-frott tad-dielja. Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:18.
Aghmlu dan b’TIFKIRA tieghi. Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.
Kull darba li tieklu dal-hobz, u tixorbu dal-kalci, THABBRU mewt il-Mulej sakemm jigi.
1 Corinthians 11:26.
Christians did not beleive Jesus was PHYSICALLY somewhere present amongst them.
Jekk xi bniedem jghidilkom: Ara, hawn, jew hemm, hu Kristu: la TEMMNUHX… Ara, jien [Kristu] ghidtilkom minn qabel. Jekk mela jghidulkom: Ara, qieghed fix-xaghri: la tohorgux; ara qieghed fil-kmamar ta’ gewwa: la TEMMNUX dan. Matthew 24:23, 25-26.
Imbaghad jekk xi hadd ighidilkom: Ara, hawn hu Kristu; jew, ara, hemm hu; la TEMMNUHX. Mark 13:21.
Iva, ghalkemm gharafna l-Kristu skond il-gisem, minn issa ‘l quddiem ma NAGHRFUHX izjed hekk. 2 Corinthians 5:16.
renald williams
May 16th 2010, 16:08
1st-of-4 peace-health
Sas-seklu ghaxra fil-Knisja Kattolika, patri Ratramnus, kiteb u sostna li l-hobz u l-inbid huma l-gisem u d-demm f'sens FIGURATTIV biss.
Duns Skotu, li ghex sas-seklu erbatax (1265-1308), jammetti li d-dottrina tat-transustanzazzjoni (l-hobz u l-inbid isiru litteralment wkoll il-gisem u d-demm tal-Mulej) MA KINITX artiklu ta' fidi, u ghalhekk MHUX dottrina li trid titwemmen bilfors, qabel il-Koncilju Lateran IV fis-seklu 13 (1215), fi zmien il-Papa Innocenzju IV.
SanGustinu l-Martri (100-165) Il-hobz li Kristu tana biex noffru hu TIFKIRA ta' gismu … il-kalci li ghallimna noffru fl-Ewkaristija, hu KOMMEMORAZZJONI ta' demmu.
SanIrinew (140-202). Mela s-servizz ta’ l-ewkaristija MHUX wiehed tal-gisem imma spiritwali.
Klement ta' Lixandra (150-216) Ghaldaqstant l-Iskrittura semmiet l-inbid is-SIMBOLU tad-demm qaddis. Il-Mulej: fl-Evangelju ta’ Gwann; wera s-SIMBOLIZMU meta qal, Kulu gismi u ixorbu demmi. Iddeskriva b’METAFORA l-possibilita’ li tixrob il-fidi u l-weghda. Fir-realta’; id-demm tal-fidi hi t-tama, li zzomm il-fidi.
Tertulljanu (160-240) billi hasbu li Hu (Gesu') realment u litteralment qalilhom biex jieklu gismu; Hu spjega, Hu l-ispirtu li jiswa’, il-gisem ma jiswiex. Il-kliem li nghidilkom huma spirtu u hajja. Min jisma’ kliemi u jemmen ghandu l-hajja ta’ dejjem.
Wara li ha il-hobz u tah lid-dixxipli, ghamlu gismu stess, billi qal, 'Dan hu gismi,' jigifieri s-SIMBOLU ta' gismi.
Joe A.Serge
May 16th 2010, 14:46
The bread and wine we share in partaking of Holy Communion point us to what Christ achieved for us through Calvary’s cross. To consider the communion elements other than reminders of Christ’s broken body and shed blood for the forgiveness of sins is to err as did the ancient Israelites. When deadly snakes infested the desert, Moses had a bronze figure of a snake lifted up on a pole and those bitten were healed when they looked upon it.. The pole foreshadowed Christ lifted up on a Roman cross to redeem sinners. But the Israelites later turned the bronze snake into an idol and worshipped it rather than God.
Joseph Galea
May 16th 2010, 13:43
@lgalea
Is shaking hands hygenic? And still this is a common practice.
lgalea
May 16th 2010, 15:20
Joseph Galea It is not and I do not shake hands during mass. It is basic hygiene to wash your hands whenever you shake hands with other persons especially before touching food because you never know what the other person had touched and not washed his/her hand.
lgalea
May 16th 2010, 11:39
Zak Portelli Whatever you say Mr Portelli, what you want is not hygienic and yes, the Church should continue with the present practice. What you want is to take the church backwards and to stop people from continuing to receive Holy Communion if the decision is reversed.