Communion in the Hand
We’re back to the “no debate” mode with this post. I’m interested in experiences. I’ll give a bit of historical background, my own experience, and then it’s your turn.
It would have been unthinkable, before the Second Vatican Council, for lay Catholics to receive Communion in their hands, rather than on the tongue. That began to change in many countries during the 1960’s with the Vatican giving letters, instructions and indults on the matter begin in 1969.
I’ll give you links to brief histories on the matter from two ideologically opposed sources:
and
The New Liturgical Movement blog.
In brief, the United States bishops came to permitting this practice far later than others around the world - 1977. There had been previous attempts:
1970 - a majority of US bishops approved it, but it was at the 2/3 level required.
It was considered again in 1973, rejected, then finally approved in 1977:
Communion in the hand was authorized eight years ago in a Vatican document that expressed the hope that the practice might increase among Catholics "the sense of their dignity as members of the mystical body of Christ (the Church)."
Since that time, it has been authorized in 53 countries of the world, including most of Europe, Canada and Mexico. The hierarchy in each country or region must request Vatican approval to introduce the practice in their area.
Twice before - in 1970 and 1973 - the American hierarchy failed to approve communion in the hand, which most church leaders concede is practiced widely despite the lack of official sanction.
A St. Louis Review article on the introduction in the Archdiocese in October, 1977:
Cardinal Carberry emphasized that “Communion in the hand is an option, and that the customary method of receiving Communion on the tongue is to be available to our people at all times.” The Cardinal called implementation of the option "an opportunity to again instruct our people on the value of the Eucharist and the devotion which we should have to Our Blessed Lord present in the Holy Sacrament of the altar.”
A month later, some reactions:
In general, there were mixed reactions to the option, with some pastors reporting a majority of their parishioners opting for Communion in the hand while other pastors said communicants by tongue were still in the majority in their parishes. Still other pastors thought parishioners reacted to the option about 50-50, neither method of receiving Communion clearly preferred. A frequent comment from the pastors was their surprise at the number of teenagers and young people who opted to continue receiving Communion on the tongue, while many older persons — more than the pastors said they expected — opted for Communion in the hand. The pastors also noted that there appeared to be no uniform procedure among husbands and wives, nor among families.
Many parents received Communion in the hand while their children received Communion on the tongue, and the opposite was true also. Many of those contacted by the Review said their parishioners had strong favorable reaction to the cassette tape on the Communion option prepared by John Joseph Cardinal Carberry and played at Masses last weekend.
Ah, the cassette tape catechesis - right up there with filmstrip catechesis.
Along with pamphlets. Here are a couple of examples which I was able to find via Ebay.
Click on the gallery photos for larger images - sorry they are cut off at the bottom, but that’s the way they are on the listing.
Also…that second pamphlet - those from that publisher in that style were ubiquitous. Who published them?
Anyway:
I would just like to point out a couple of things.
First, if you dive into the explanations and rationales, you can see - as we see with almost all elements of the Liturgical Movement and the post Vatican II liturgical changes - the stated intention was to help the laity deepen faith and the clear expectation was that of course it would do so.
Secondly, that very fact is an good caution, isn’t it?
Unintended consequences, human nature, as well as social, cultural and institutional realities do have a habit of wreaking havoc on our ideals.
So…my memories?
Scant. Which is interesting, because it seem to show that even though we were not receiving Communion in the hand before 1977 in Knoxville, Tennessee, it did not feel like a big deal. It doesn’t stick in my memory as such, at least.
I was a senior in a Catholic high school in the south, and I don’t remember when this was - probably the fall - that the priest/principal gave us instructions on receiving in the hand in our religion class.
He stood at the front of the classroom - a very large fellow - and quoted St. Cyril, demonstrating how to make “the left hand a throne for the right, which receives the King.”
And…that’s all I remember. What did just occur to me was that even before this, some seniors had been designated as Eucharistic ministers during school Masses. This had started before my senior year - it was permitted in the US beginning in 1971 - so perhaps that was the reason it doesn’t stick in my emotional memory as a big deal for a lay person - even a teenager - to touch the Host.
(I did not pass muster, in case you are interested, and was not admitted to the EM ranks as a high school senior. Yes, I was bitter. Perhaps that explains my career ever since? Who knows.)
So there you go.
Do you have any memories of this change?
I was born in 1966, so I received First Communion on the tongue. Since it was the Silly 70s(TM) the CCD powers that be thought it would be good to receive individually, sitting with parents, wearing nothing special. Then in the spring, the whole class got together dressed like First Communicants for a "Solemn Communion." We all stood at the Communion rail. I remember it being used and thought all of us standing in front of it was dumb.
In 1977, Father stood and the ambo (I still vividly remember this) and read the Cardinals letter saying Communion in the hand was being allowed but we had a choice whether to receive on the tongue or in the hand.
I received in the hand just a few times. However, I felt uncomfortable receiving that way and it seemed like I was holding a hot potato. When I complained about it, my Mom said, "Father said you don't have to receive that way, so don't." And I think I have only received once in the hand since, in college, when we were given crumbly bread that a parishioner had baked at home. Actually, I'm not sure that counts because based on a recipe I saw several years later, it was likely invalid matter. In the Covid era, I was refused on the tongue once. I just shook my head and walked away. Didn't even think about it.
Several years ago, I researched a bunch into Communion in the hand. I came to the conclusion that Cardinal Carberry (not my archdiocese) was the driving force behind holding off Communion in the hand in the USA until 1977. Without his efforts, I'm pretty certain it would have passed the bishops conference with the required 2/3 in 1970. I owe him a lot. My first Communion was in December 1973. I have a Mass said for the repose of his soul every year.
Your efforts weren't in vain, Your Eminence. It did matter. It mattered to me.
I was born in 1977, so Communion in the Hand has always been around, but I have some childhood memories (in the Philly suburbs) that are very different from where we've gotten to now.
First, at my 1st Communion (1985) I remember instruction on both means to receive and emphasis on careful and reverent reception. I imagine most or all of us received on the hand, but it was neither assumed nor insisted upon.
The communion rail was never removed from our church, and I can picture it being used a bit early on, but it must have only been on special occasions. I don't know what qualified as special.
I remember minimal use of EHMCs, and if a non-celebrating priest was in the rectory he nearly always walked over and assisted with distribution in cassock and stole.
As an altar boy (87-91), we used patens during distribution. I guess they went away in the 90s sometime. Reinstating those seems like low hanging fruit for the Eucharistic revival. Even if receiving by hand, the paten underneath conveys a message of the seriousness of dropping the Host.
I started receiving regularly on the tongue in 2006 when I had my infant son in my arms for a few Sundays in a row; then one week when I didn't I reflexively still received on the tongue. And thought, 'ok, I guess that's how I receive now'. Receiving in the hand again for a period during the pandemic was surprisingly difficult for me.