Stop Receiving Holy Communion On The Hand!

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus offered up His Body as a sacrifice to be continued throughout the ages. This same sacrifice is offered at every Catholic Mass up to the present day. By participating in this sacrifice, the faithful have the opportunity to receive Jesus’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. The reception of Holy Communion is the most solemn prayer that anyone can make on Earth, and it should be respected as such, both in attitude and in proper practice. 

Throughout most of the Church’s history, communicants were only allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist on the tongue. In 1969, Pope St. Paul VI granted the faithful permission to receive Holy Communion on the hand. While this is no longer against Church Law, it is still not the preferred method for a variety of reasons. 

In the first place, receiving Holy Communion on the hand is generally less reverent than receiving on the tongue. Ever since the Church permitted it, belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist has plummeted. In a study issued on August 5, 2019 (https://pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/08/05/transubstantiation-eucharist-u-s-catholics/), it was determined that only 31% of U.S. Catholics believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation - an absolutely appalling figure. Not surprisingly, the reception of Communion on the hand plays a key part in this stunning revelation. How could this be Jesus if I am receiving it like I would a coin at the gas station? This dropoff in belief was a goal of many anti-Catholic organizations that stressed Communion on the hand. For example, in AA-1025: Memoirs of the Communist Infiltration Into the Church, it reads, “the faithful will have to break themselves of the habit of kneeling, and this will be absolutely forbidden when receiving Communion. Very soon, the Host will be laid in the hand in order that all notion of the Sacred be erased.” Having held the paten for thousands of communicants in the past four years, I have observed that the ones who receive in the hand often walk off with the Host before consuming it, which is forbidden by the Church; Communion must be received in the presence of the minister. In addition, they forfeit their special moment of worship when first receiving Him, the closest you’ll be to Jesus in this life. 

In the second place, receiving Communion on the hand is extremely, extremely risky for the potential loss of particles. Receiving on the hand increases the risk of the Host being dropped or stolen. More often, however, the communicant receives the Host cleanly and consumes it, but still has particles on his hand. To put into perspective how serious this is, consider the very specific regulations that the Church has set forth on how to purify linens and sacred vessels (https://www.cathdal.org/Purification_of_Vessels_Policy.pdf). Such attention to detail should become far more scrupulous after reception on the hand, since any loose particles of Jesus Christ could easily be brushed onto the floor and trampled underfoot. A very scary thought indeed. 

On an important tangent, the Church has set forth very specific guidelines on the use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. In Redemptionis Sacramentum, an instruction on certain matters to be observed or avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, the CDF makes clear that, “If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons. Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged. This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.” (https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html, paragraphs 157-158) The scarcity with which extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are used is a testament to the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist and of those whose hands are consecrated through the sacrament of Holy Orders. 

    I have thus far given reasons why the faithful should receive on the tongue, but such information is useless without a proper understanding of how. To properly receive on the tongue, tilt your head back slightly and extend your tongue far out of your mouth. Do not close your mouth until you know that the Host is secure; that increases the risk of it falling. It is good to receive kneeling out of reverence, but kneeling also makes it easier for the paten bearer to catch the Host in case of an accident. Let us all try to be as respectful, careful, and intentional as possible when receiving Holy Communion.