May a Catholic receive Holy Communion in the hand, or on the tongue? Dr. Brant Pitre walks through the biblical roots, the witness of the Fathers, and the Church's current norms — fairly and without polemics.
Communion in the Hand or on the Tongue: What the Church Actually Teaches
The current norm is direct: the General Instruction of the Roman Missal states the consecrated host "may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant." Dr. Pitre situates that norm inside a long history. On the biblical side he examines the Last Supper, where Jesus "took bread… and gave it to them" (Mark 14:22-24), and the moment Jesus dips the morsel and hands it to Judas (John 13:26). He then follows the practice across the early Church — Pope St. Sixtus, St. Cyprian of Carthage, St. Athanasius, St. Cyril of Jerusalem's famous "throne" of the hands, and St. Basil — alongside the emergence of Communion on the tongue with St. Gregory the Great, the Synod of Rouen, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the rise of Communion rails and kneeling. The session lays out what saints practiced, what councils ruled, and what Rome permits today.
Key passages & sources examined: Mark 14:18, 22-24; John 13:21-30; GIRM nos. 41, 160; St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catecheses 5.21-22; St. Cyprian, Letters 55.9; St. Athanasius, Festal Letters 5; St. Basil, Letter 93; St. Gregory the Great, Dialogues 3.3; Synod of Rouen (878); St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III, q. 82; Memoriale Domini (1969); Redemptionis Sacramentum nos. 90-92.
Is communion in the hand allowed by the Catholic Church? Yes — where the bishops' conference has been granted permission by the Apostolic See, the faithful may receive in the hand; the faithful also always retain the right to receive on the tongue. Dr. Pitre reviews the exact documents.
Is communion in the hand ancient or a modern invention? The video examines witnesses from the 2nd through 5th centuries (Sixtus, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril, Basil, Augustine) as well as the later shift toward reception on the tongue — presenting the history rather than a verdict.
What reverence does the Church ask when receiving Communion? St. Cyril's image of making a "throne" of one's hands, bowing before the Sacrament, and St. Augustine's teaching that no one eats without first adoring — all covered in the session.
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I subscribed and offered payment
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dgbaugh
Hi David, I see you do have a subscrition. Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Mass Readings Explained' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Watch Videos' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
I have inherited leading a Bible Study based on the Mass Readings for each Sunday. The videos are very helpful in facts and insights to add to my research and prayerful preparations. Thank you for offering these teachings.
I subscribed and offered payment
but I have received nothing I requested???
Please advise
dgbaugh
Hi David, I see you do have a subscrition. Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Mass Readings Explained' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Watch Videos' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
I have inherited leading a Bible Study based on the Mass Readings for each Sunday. The videos are very helpful in facts and insights to add to my research and prayerful preparations. Thank you for offering these teachings.
