The problem of people not attending Mass isn't the main problem; it is the Ordinary Form Catholic who no longer believes in the Real Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist as the Church teaches, many at best believe it is simply a "symbol."
No amount of more words will change that. It has to be a change of practice and a reversion to what assists Catholics in the orthodox belief of the Eucharist even if reverting back strikes people as clericalism.
Which is worse? Heterodox Catholics or benign clericalism at the time of distributing Holy Communion.
The author of this article doesn't get it!
Which of the two photos helps with shoring up what we believe about the Most Holy Eucharist?
15 comments:
No truer words spoken
I don't know any way to express this that sounds "reasonable" to our postconciliar sensibilities, but I hate Communion in the hand. I mean I really, REALLY HATE Communion in the hand. Its very practice represents the nadir of the managed decline of our Church.
I'm sure other people had their introduction in other ways, but my introduction was given at Sunday Mass. Instead of a homily, a female Director of Religious Education commandeered the pulpit and informed us that, from now on, THIS IS HOW WE ARE TO RECEIVE COMMUNION. She made NO mention of it being an option. It was presented as a mandate. When I found out a couple of years later that it was optional, I was furious.
This entire debacle was masterminded by Cardinal Bernardin, of highly questionable memory, who changed the voting rules of the bishop's conference after multiple attempts to pass this practice had failed. To his credit, Pope Paul did not like it, but to his discredit, he caved in when disobedient Catholics (READ "bishops and priests") did it anyway. His condition was that it was to be affirmed that it had become a regular practice. So Bernardin's plot was based on a LIE. Communion in the hand was NEVER a popular or normal practice anywhere in the United States--but that didn't stop "gentle Joe" from pushing his agenda.
We don't need to explore the results, as they stare us in the face: Loss of belief in the Real Presence, casual presumed "entitlement" to Communion for ALL, non-Catholics coming forward for Communion in larger numbers, disregard of the Sacrament of Confession (oops, I meant "Reconciliation"--gotta use that postconciliar jargon!) and more.
I guess one good thing has come from this for me. When I approach the altar for Communion, I no longer look around the Church. If I did, I would just get angry. It utterly sickens me to see the casual way some people approach the Blessed Sacrament. I don't want to be distracted by anger or judging others when I receive Communion, so I try not to look.
This practice isn't just wrong. It's despicable. And even though Communion on the Tongue is the worldwide norm, you wouldn't know it in most parish First Communion classes, because those kids are not told about receiving it the proper way. Nope. Most First Communion teachers and the priests who enable them want to stretch the limits of the indult and pull permissiveness to its extreme limits. Of course there ARE a few parishes that don't do this, but shame, shame, SHAME on the religious education instructors who tell our children HALF of the truth.
And don't come back at me about how it is "permitted", so it's OK. The permission is based on lies. Falsehoods. Half-truths. Historical Revisionism. All hallmarks of the New Springtime of the Church of the New Advent. You go ahead and follow that practice built on a foundation of lies. I want no part of it.
Thomas Garrett,
Excellent post. I NEVER caved into this leftwing loon practice. With our new pastor, who celebrates the EF once a week, people are taking Communion in the Paw, less and less. I would say now over 50% receive Holy Communion on the tongue, a sea change from just a few years ago.
Mr. Garrett,
I share a similar life experience except that I’ve never received Communion in the hand. I had real problems with it when it first started in my parish in about 1978-80. I had been a juvenile altar server throughout the 1970’s and we had always received on the tongue and used the hand paten. There were no EMHC’s. I have always understood that parents are the primary catechists of their children. We taught our two daughters that they had the option to receive on the tongue and that was the long-standing practice of the Church. When my older daughter showed up for her First Communion, she was wearing a pair of special white gloves along with her white dress and veil. I was with her when the religious sister DRE told us she couldn’t wear the gloves because the DRE wanted her (and all the children) to receive in the hand. I took exception and tried to explain my understanding of the universal norm but she wasn’t having it. My daughter will never forget that and to this day (she is now a second year veterinary student at UGA) and she has received on the tongue (which she wanted to do at her First Communion) ever since. Both of my daughters kneel (whenever a kneeler or altar rail is available) and receive on the tongue
Joseph Johnson,
I hope you reported this irreligious sister.
My favorite Communion in the Paw story: a parish “liberal” stuck her paw out and our parish priest, a wonderful old Italian priest, slapped her hand and she then stuck out her tongue. Would that all priests had taken this approach. This lady was a family friend and actually laughed when telling her story. She was a liberal but not stridently so
Mr. Garrett,
I would also like to make the observation that, as you know, we had the OF (or Novus Ordo) Mass in the 1970's, yet, we didn't have the two things that are most objectionable to me about the current OF "package"---Communion in the hand and EMHC's. What Church leadership needs to understand about a lot of us who prefer, or have sought refuge in, the ancient form of the Latin Mass is that we can be guaranteed we will not encounter those things at that kind of Mass (in addition to not seeing female altar servers--which was another latter day change to the OF).
I would put the priest's handling of the Blessed Sacrament and the manner (and emphasis on proper disposition) for receiving it (the way it is done in the ancient Mass) near the top of the list of what needs to be changed about the NO if we are serious about embarking on a widespread recovery of belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist.
A priest who slaps someone's hand at communion time should be arrested and charged with simple asssault and battery. When convicted, as he should be, he ought never be given another pastoral assignment as long as he may live as a penance for his gross disregard for the dignity of another person.
Yikes, Fr. MJK, while I agree with you, I am not sure of the severity of punishment for this misdemeanor. However, and evidently you forgot about it or did not see it go viral, but Pope Francis slapped someone’s hand in St. Peter’s Square and was visibly agree and it wasn’t the Lord she was touching at Communion time, but His Holiness. Do you recall this event and do you apply your judgement upon His Holiness as well. And I think Pope Benedict, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, slapped softly a reporter’s hand while the reporter was asking him some questions about sex abuse in the Church. Hmm, your thoughts?
Hmmm, do your homework on the comment I made at the time and get back to us...
Fr. K ,
Since the woman had no problem, why should. Your actions are far more reprehensible
What a clear revelation of how the priesthood has changed. Slapping a hand is "assault"? Seriously?
The dignity of the communicant is not the issue, it's the dignity of Jesus Christ.
I hate the feminized, wimped-out, homosexualized atmosphere of Today's Church. Some of the best priests I've ever known had to knock a few heads once in a while and we RESPECTED them for doing it.
I can just see Padre Pio being led off in handcuffs.
"Mommy! Father hit my widdle hand!"
"Eugene! Call the lawyers!"
Praise God, my time left on this planet is closer to the end than its beginning.
Thomas Garrett,
But to this priest riots by BLM are “mostly peaceful” since they support his political agenda.
When I was confirmed in 1959, aged eight, the bishop gave me a slap on the cheek when he said 'pax tecum'.
Common assault!
Historic child abuse!
After more than 60 years I am still waiting for my compensation. I'm a 'survivor', dammit!
John Nolan,
Comedy Gold!!!
I see the glutton for punishment has not come back.
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