Holy Communion - on the tongue or in the hand?

Fr Peter Edwards   |   6th February 2011

Dear Parishioners,
I want to thank all of you - following your raising the subject at the First Communion Parents’ meetings, and recent end-of-Mass catechesis - who have started receiving Holy Communion on the tongue (as well as those of you who already had been). It is good that this subject has generated discussion over the past few weeks - the vast majority of which is overwhelmingly positive.

While the main objective in encouraging reception on the tongue is to deepen appreciation for the Eucharist, I also have a pastoral responsibility to eliminate abuses common to receiving in the hand. Such abuses are no doubt unintentional. Nevertheless, what is frequently witnessed troubles me, and many other Priests (and Bishops) who are currently providing careful catechesis and guidance to their people in an increasing number of dioceses, cathedrals and parishes prior to the start of Lent. Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, parents and our other parishioners have made similar local observations and express concern.

In 2004, responding to the problem of Eucharistic sacrilege, abuses and accidents, the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament issued an official instruction entitled Redemptionis Sacramentum. See the panel on the left for what it says about receiving Holy Communion.

Here are just a few examples of profanation and abuse that are seen in our parish when rarely a week goes by without two, three or more such occasions:

• Blessing oneself with the Host before consuming it (this is called "Benediction" and is reserved to clergy)
• Receiving the Host in the palm of the hand, contorting the same hand until the Host is controlled by the fingers, then consuming it (like a one-handed "watch-the_coin_disappear" magic trick)
• Popping the Host into the mouth like a piece of popcorn
• Attempting to receive with only one hand
• Attempting to receive with other items in the hands, like a dirty Kleenex, walking-stick or a Rosary
• Receiving the Host with dirty hands or gloves
• Receiving the Host, closing the hand around it, then letting the hand fall to the side (as if carrying a suitcase) while walking away and/or blessing oneself with the other hand
• Walking away without consuming the Host
• Giving the Host to someone else after receiving ... yes, it happens!
• Dropping the Host, accidentally or deliberately (Hosts have recently be found by our cleaners beside a pillar at the front of church, and another in the Narthex)
• Scrunching up the Host in the hand (happened twice last week)

It is for these and related reasons that many Priests are currently addressing this topic.

A Letter from a Cathedral Rector

Dear Parishioners,
A couple of years ago I wanted to help the parishioners at my previous parish to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Holy Eucharist. The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is often not clearly taught or emphasized, and people approach Communion too casually - not consciously, but out of ignorance. I am not alone in my concerns. Recent polls show that fewer and fewer Catholics believe that Christ is really, truly and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist.

So, in an effort to increase their sense of intimacy with the Lord, I asked parishioners to consider receiving Communion on the tongue, instead of in the hand, during Lent that year. For a few Sundays preceding Lent, I encouraged the parishioners, some of whom had not received on the tongue for years, while others had never done so. Some admitted they were a little nervous. Others were resistant, but with surprisingly few exceptions, the parishioners embraced this universal normal Catholic practice. Well after Easter, about 95% continued to receive Communion on the tongue, a figure that has remained constant. And there was a notable increase in reverence at Mass, particularly during Holy Communion. Some of the most skeptical parishioners reported that receiving the Eucharist on the tongue had, indeed, deepened their relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we enter 2011, I invite all of you here at the Cathedral to consider receiving Communion on the tongue. But rather than wait for Lent (which was my original plan), to begin this practice right away as a communal New Year's Resolution to deepen our relationship with Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI requires all those who receive Holy Communion from him to receive on the tongue while kneeling. He explains why in his recent book, Light of the World:

The idea behind my current practice of having people kneel to receive Communion on the tongue was to send a signal and to underscore the Real Presence with an exclamation point. One very important reason is that there is a great danger of superficiality... I wanted to send a clear signal: Something quite special is going on here! He is here, the One before whom we fall on our knees! Pay attention! This is not just some social ritual in which we can take part if we want to.

Light of the World, CTS & Ignatius Press, p.159

Receiving Holy Communion on the tongue emphasises ... an important distinction between “being fed” versus feeding ourselves. Yet, the natural anxiety that accompanies trying something new may still be there. So here are a few tips for receiving Holy Communion on the tongue while avoiding anxiety. After receiving on the tongue daily for a week, a parishioner tells me that his sense of reverence and gratitude for the Eucharist has already increased!

Many treat this Eucharistic “piece” of GOD with casualness at best, indifference and irreverence at worst. We would never treat a piece of GOLD with such casualness—especially in this economy! Of course, much abuse is due to ignorance, owing to poor catechesis, which is precisely why I have written about this issue for four consecutive weeks. Yet we have another great incentive ... When Holy Communion is received on the tongue ... every single one of these abuses is instantly eliminated! The way we treat another person says more about our relationship with that person than any words we might say. This is especially true of our relationship with the Divine Person, Jesus Christ. So let us continually seek to increase our reverence for our Eucharistic Savior, and to eliminate anything that degrades the respect He deserves. God's Blessings and my prayers...

Very Rev. Fr. John Lankeit, Rector Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral, Phoenix, USA.

This Letter (condensed from Fr Lankeit's four Bulletin articles) is typical of many from Cathedrals and Parishes where Communion in the hand has been permitted. We recommend reading these simple accounts of the history and theology of receiving Holy Communion - in the hand or on the tongue:

• http://www.catholic-pages.com/mass/inhand.asp
• http://www.franciscan-archive.org/apologetica/tongue.html

Tips for receiving Holy Communion on the tongue

1. To the words “The Body of Christ” respond “Amen” before receiving (not during or after receiving).
2. Look at the Sacred Host to make the acclamation of faith: “Amen!”. Then close your eyes while receiving (to reduce the all-too-common temptation to lunge forward toward the minister, which increases risk factors).
3. Extend your tongue onto your lower lip, and open your mouth. Tilting the head slightly upwards (in a gesture of eager expectancy) makes it easy for the Host to be placed firmly on your tongue.
4. Pause briefly before pulling the Host into your mouth with your tongue. (Retracting the tongue too quickly makes it a moving target.) Take your time!
5. Don’t bite the Sacred Host! Receive on your tongue, not with your teeth.
6. Keep your hands folded in prayer. (It is confusing to simultaneously extend your tongue and hold your hands to look as if you intend to receive in the hand.)