Eucharist can be received on the tongue again

Priests can now start administering Holy Communion on the tongue again after the Curia lifted a ban on the practice announced during the swine flu scare.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Curia revoked the directive issued last year to avoid the spread of the AH1N1 virus. All churchgoers were instead receiving the host in their hand, a common practice.

Catholics believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Jesus Christ and is meant to be treated with reverence. For this reason, traditionally, churchgoers have either received the host on their tongue or in clean hands, to avoid sullying it.

However, some argue that after touching money during collection, one's hands are invariably dirty so the only option is to receive the host on the tongue.

In fact the lift on the ban will come as good news to traditionalists.

Some have even been known to let tradition get in the way of receiving the sacrament. When they approached to receive the host on their tongue and were refused, they stepped aside and actually refused communion on a point of principle.