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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
What is right? Host in hand or host on tongue?	maria	Thursday, August 26, 2004
Question: what is right? with all this sars and disease scares, the host on tongue isn't acceptable at our church anymore, the priest, at eucharist time, actually says it should be in your hand. i have never ever grown up this way, i am old-school catholic. for me to touch the host with my hands that are probaby has germs (they are clean, but there are things we cannot see), it doesn't seem right to me. i continue to take the host on my tongue, as does my son who had his holy communion earlier this year. i in a way, almost refuse to take it in my hand. my son and i are probably only 1% or 2% of parishioners who actually do this. i don't want to follow the norm and do what everyone else is doing solely in fear of being the odd-ball out. i already am the odd-ball out. it's all changing. i am getting less comfortable. please help. God bless. maria
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Maria: The universal norm of the Church is to receive the Eucharist on the tongue. The SARS and disease scares have no effect on this and are not really a danger to communion on the tongue anyway. In the United States and in some other countries the Holy See has allowed communion in the hand IF the people are properly catechized about this. Communion in the hand is NOT the norm and may not always be allowed. For now, it is allowed in the U.S. and some other countries. The choice of whether you wish to receive on the tongue or in the hand is yours. No priest can refuse you reception on the tongue. Your priest is shamefully wrong if he says that one "should" receive in the hand. This is a lie. Do not fear, the Church has not changed on this. Communion on the tongue is still the acceptable norm and preference of the Church. As for being the odd-ball out, congratulations! That means that you are practicing your Catholicism the way the Church teaches. Do not worry about what liberals or lazy priests and laity do. Maintain your faith and know that the Church has NOT changed anything of substance. For example, you may STILL kneel or genuflect when receiving the Eucharist and the Holy See has specifically said that no one can accuse you of anything by kneeling or genuflecting and you cannot be prevented from doing so. And, as mentioned above, you may receive on the tongue; no one can prevent you from doing so or tell you it is wrong. It is the norm of the Church. In those countries where "in the hand" is permitted, the faithful may freely choose. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

What is right? Host in hand or host on tongue?

maria

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Question:

what is right? with all this sars and disease scares, the host on tongue isn't acceptable at our church anymore, the priest, at eucharist time, actually says it should be in your hand. i have never ever grown up this way, i am old-school catholic. for me to touch the host with my hands that are probaby has germs (they are clean, but there are things we cannot see), it doesn't seem right to me.

i continue to take the host on my tongue, as does my son who had his holy communion earlier this year. i in a way, almost refuse to take it in my hand. my son and i are probably only 1% or 2% of parishioners who actually do this. i don't want to follow the norm and do what everyone else is doing solely in fear of being the odd-ball out. i already am the odd-ball out.

it's all changing. i am getting less comfortable.

please help.

God bless.

maria

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Maria:

The universal norm of the Church is to receive the Eucharist on the tongue. The SARS and disease scares have no effect on this and are not really a danger to communion on the tongue anyway.

In the United States and in some other countries the Holy See has allowed communion in the hand IF the people are properly catechized about this. Communion in the hand is NOT the norm and may not always be allowed. For now, it is allowed in the U.S. and some other countries.

The choice of whether you wish to receive on the tongue or in the hand is yours. No priest can refuse you reception on the tongue.

Your priest is shamefully wrong if he says that one "should" receive in the hand. This is a lie.

Do not fear, the Church has not changed on this. Communion on the tongue is still the acceptable norm and preference of the Church.

As for being the odd-ball out, congratulations! That means that you are practicing your Catholicism the way the Church teaches. Do not worry about what liberals or lazy priests and laity do. Maintain your faith and know that the Church has NOT changed anything of substance.

For example, you may STILL kneel or genuflect when receiving the Eucharist and the Holy See has specifically said that no one can accuse you of anything by kneeling or genuflecting and you cannot be prevented from doing so.

And, as mentioned above, you may receive on the tongue; no one can prevent you from doing so or tell you it is wrong. It is the norm of the Church. In those countries where "in the hand" is permitted, the faithful may freely choose.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum