Reject Bad Information About the Church!

Want to know what really pushes my ecclesial buttons? 
It's spreading misinformation and misunderstanding, specifically about the Church.

I know we get a lot of it from the media.  It was especially noticeable when Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy.  Many journalists who had never said the word papal before pronounced it wrong, as if it rhymed with "apple" instead of "maple." (Credit goes to college friend John Jansen from Generations for Life who first pointed this out.)

We get a lot of misinformation from people outside the Catholic Church, too.  The world seems to have an abundance of people who have a poor understanding of the Church, and our large number of poorly catechized Catholics isn't helping.

What I can't tolerate is people who claim to be devout, sanctimonious Catholics who share wrong information about the Church with other people.  Whether they realize it or not, what they are actually doing is pushing their own agenda or version of church instead of the real Truth.

Here's a prime example of what's got me all fired up.  There's a bogus video circulating through the internet called Pope Francis Rejects Communion in the Hand.  It's edited footage from the Holy Father's liturgies at St Peter's Basilica on April 14, 2013 and on April 21, 2013.

Here's what's so misleading about it.  The video doesn't show Pope Francis rejecting or denying Holy Communion in the hand at all!  What it shows is the Holy Father administering Holy Communion to the deacons of the Mass (on the tongue, which is the norm for ministers at the altar).  It also shows one of the priests from each Mass, instructing an individual communicant to receive the Communion on the tongue, not the hand. 

What it doesn't show you is that Pope Francis usually only distributes Holy Communion to the ministers close to him at the altar at the larger pontifical celebrations. He hasn't been giving Communion to the faithful in attendance, even on the tongue. It also doesn't show the numerous priests and deacons who assist with the distribution of Holy Communion at these liturgies, with some of them administering Holy Communion in the hand.

Besides the selective editing, there's a lot that unsuspecting viewers may not realize. Receiving Holy Communion on the tongue is the norm at the Vatican (and really in the entire Church). Reception in the hand is only permitted by decree in certain countries where the bishops have asked for it (including Italy which surrounds but does not include Vatican City). Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for a priest at St Peter's Basilica to insist that the unknowing Mass attendee receive the Eucharist on the tongue, especially if this instruction can be done with little disruption. Of course, this instruction has nothing to do with the pope supposedly eradicating Holy Communion in the hand that the video wrongly claims.

Cardinal Bergoglio (Pope Francis) giving Communion in the hand in 2004.

The end of the video is the tell all. It's a reference to a person's blog whose personal agenda is pretty apparent. This guy wants everyone to receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling, to the point where he's jumping to false conclusions about the pope and then manipulating video to push his agenda on unsuspecting Christians.  Maybe some day this guy will get his wish, but if that happens, it will come by decree of the Holy Father or the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, not by a lay person's twisted video production.

St Athanasius once wrote: "In accordance with the Apostolic Faith delivered to us through the tradition of the Fathers, I have delivered the tradition without innovation, without adding anything extraneous to it."  He's referring to doctrine, but it's fair to extend this to general information about the Church, too.  All I'm asking of my fellow Catholics is to teach what the Church teaches, not your own version of it or what you think the Church should teach.

People deserve the real deal, not some cheap imitation.  Giving them anything else doesn't serve the Church, but selfishly builds your own ego. Chicago's Fr Robert Barron said in a recent homily: "When the ego takes over, the flow of grace is blocked."  That's pretty evident in the video. 

Receiving Holy Communion on the tongue is very reverent and I recommend it.  However, I don't recommend lying and saying the pope denies Holy Communion in the hand when he doesn't. Reject this video. Pray for the one who made it.

The Right Way to Receive Holy Communion

Perhaps this might seem rudimentary for some, but I can tell you it's something we need to talk about.  I don't think it matters where you live, the problem is there- some Catholics simply don't know the right way to receive the Eucharist.

To be clear, the Church desires that everyone to receive Holy Communion.  (Wait, don't call me a heretic yet.) However, the Church wants everyone to receive Holy Communion the right way.  (See, I'm not a heretic.) Receiving the Eucharist is a big deal.  It's such a big deal, that there's all sorts of rules about it and we don't just let anybody do it.  Things like nuclear power plants, space shuttle launches, and British royalty are other examples of big deal things with a lot of particular rules.  (Yes, that was quite random, but you get my point.)

Before talking about how to receive Holy Communion properly, let's talk about being properly disposed first.  If you're not properly prepared, then you shouldn't receive Communion.  This means being free from mortal sin and having followed the communion fast (in addition to being a practicing Catholic).

Being free from mortal sin is self-explanatory: don't commit grave sin.  If you happen to, then refrain from receiving Communion until you've been able to make Reconciliation (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1415).  An extra reminder of this is needed in the United States where the tendency is for everyone to automatically get up and go to Communion.  It's rare for someone to stay behind in the pew- they might even get funny looks if they do.  In many other parts of the world, not everyone goes to Communion and it's more common to see people remaining at their seat.  Is it because there are more sinners in other countries?  I doubt it; I think they are just being more mindful about being properly disposed.

Following the communion fast is also something that needs emphasis.  For Latin rite Catholics, this means refraining from food and beverage for one hour before receiving the Eucharist (Canon 919).  Some people say this means they can eat up to 30 minutes before Mass starts since the Communion rite is typically 30-45 minutes into the liturgy.  Personally, I prefer to refrain 1 hour from the start of the Mass.  It's weird to walk into a Church on a full stomach.  Besides, what if a daily Mass takes only 25 minutes, then eating 30 minutes prior doesn't work! 

So now let's talk about how to receive Holy Communion.  Having served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in different parts of the United States, I should say that for the most part Catholics do this well.  However, there have been times where I've done a jaw drop or double take because someone didn't receive Communion properly (and I suspect they were regular attending Catholics).

With the decree Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the United States of America, the USCCB permits the reception of Holy Communion in the hand.  The decree refers to St Cyril of Jerusalem who wrote:

"When you approach, take care not to do so with your hand stretched out and your fingers open or apart, but rather place your left hand as a throne beneath your right, as befits one who is about to receive the King. Then receive him, taking care that nothing is lost."  (Paragraph 41)

Unfortunately, the contrary does happen.  As a Eucharistic Minister, it's gut wrenching when the sacred host is snatched out of my hand, or if the communicant casually shuffles the sacred host from the palm to the finger tip of the same hand like a poker chip before they shoot it into their mouth.  On the other end of the spectrum, I'm also not a fan of waving the host in a large cross-like fashion before consuming it.  That might seem pious, but the best thing to do is to just place the sacred host in your mouth- you don't get more grace by doing anything else.

Removing the chewing gum from your mouth before receiving is also advisable!  (Why would you want anything in your mouth besides the Eucharist?)

It's necessary to point out that while receiving Holy Communion in the hand is permitted by decree in the United States (and many English speaking countries), it isn't the norm in the rest of the world.  So for Americans traveling internationally, never assume that you can receive in the hand where ever you go. Follow the norms of the local place. If you don't know them, then play it safe and receive on the tongue. If you're not used to it, it's actually quite reverent.

Lastly about receiving in the hand, parents should make sure their kids are receiving Communion correctly. It's hard for the minister when you have an 8 year old holding his/her hands down at their waist. (The minister can't see the hands when they are that low and then has to bend down.) Whether you're a child or an adult, the communicant's hands should be held up and out, closer to the ciborium or patent so that the sacred host doesn't have to travel far.  This way, there is less risk of the Body & Blood of our Lord falling to the ground.

There's much more that could be said, but I'll conclude by talking about the appropriate response to the prompt, "The Body of Christ" or "The Blood of Christ."  It isn't silence.  It isn't "We are," or  "Yes it is," or even "Thank you Jesus."  The best response is "Amen."  I know- it's simple, yet profound.  It's also what the Church asks us to do.

Here's some neat Catholic cocktail party talk:

Want to know why the first meal of the day is called breakfast?  For hundreds of years, the communion fast started at midnight before receiving Holy Communion.  So people would get up early, go to church, and then break their fast with eating afterward.  This was also one of the reasons why Mass would be said so early in the morning.  Many people still remember this.

In 1953, Pope Pius XII reduced the communion fast to refraining 3 hours for food, 1 hour for beverage, primarily for when Mass was going to be celebrated in the evenings (which was a new thing back then).  Pope Paul VI reduced the fast on November 21, 1964 to what we observe today.

Forgetting About the Eucharist at First Communion

Happy Easter!  The Easter season is easily referred to as "the Sacramental Season" because of the large number of sacraments that are received during these 50 days.  During the 2012 Easter Vigil celebrations alone, there were 120,000 people received into the Church in the United States, some 43,000 of those were baptized.  In the weeks after, bishops are busy traveling to various parishes for confirmations.  Deacons and priests are often ordained during this season.  There will also be countless 2nd or 3rd graders making their First Communion, and this is where I have to make a confession.

I have a really hard time with First Communion Masses.  Don't get me wrong- I love the Eucharist.  I love going to Mass.  I look forward to my own children making their First Communion, and witnessing the First Communion of many nieces/nephews in the family.  So what's the problem?  It's all the pageantry, distraction, and everything else that goes along with a First Communion Mass that probably shouldn't. 

A couple years ago, I attended a First Communion Mass of my wife's nephew.  Of course, I'm in my usual area, walking back and forth along the rear aisle of the church while carrying my son.  It was a little harder since the church was packed; a lot of people standing in the back.  Many of them like me, a visitor from another parish.  Others are not Catholic, or perhaps haven't been to church in a while.  Then I see it during communion: behind the last pew, a First Communicant is posing as her father takes several pictures.  She's still chewing; she hasn't even swallowed the host after making her First Communion!  The family are alternating who's in the picture and who's taking it.  Meanwhile one of the greatest things to ever happen to this girl has occurred, and they are caught up with getting a picture of her in her pretty dress.  And of course, the Mass is still going on around them.

Girls wearing pretty white dresses, boys looking dapper in their suits- their parents have obviously taken a lot time, effort, and money for their child to look just right.  (BTW: If the First Communion outfit costs more than a chalice, then you've spent too much.)  Looking their best for such a momentous occasion is important, but has the dress or the suit become the highest priority?  Maybe it's not just the clothing; is it the pictures?  Maybe it's the party planned afterwards?  All this commotion seems to have become more important than the actual reception of the Eucharist, and therefore has taken the reverence and meaning away from the real reason why everyone is gathered around the altar in the first place.  

When we take the Eucharist out of First Communion, we lose sight of what really matters.  First Communion becomes reduced to only a milestone in a child's growth, like a kindergarten graduation.  Then for us adults, receiving Communion becomes just something we do. For many others, it's even worse- something they don't do since they aren't attending church regularly. (Some statistics show regular church attendance as low as 20% in some areas.) If the child is from a family that doesn't attend Mass regularly, then his/her First Communion might be more accurately referred to as "First/Last Communion" or "Only Communion," since we don't know when we'll see them in church again.

[I realize that to some I'm coming across as an insensitive, incense-breathing papist.  Please know that I'm not writing about this just to complain; this really seems to be a big disparity in my opinion.]

Many places continuously try to address this problem with different ways.  At my parish, announcements are made prior the Mass, asking that there be no photography during the liturgy (except for the parish's photographer).  They also ask everyone to maintain a sense of reverence in the church, so as to set an example in front of the 2nd graders.  Before the big day, there are often preparatory classes or retreats for the communicants and their parents so that the meaning of First Eucharist can be emphasized as more than a reason to have a party or dress up for church.

Teaching and instruction are essential, but it can't stop there.  I think a big part would be how we regularly attending Catholics approach the Eucharist.  Sometimes we treat it as too common or ordinary. We can easily take it for granted (the link refers to a previous blog post on this topic). However, if we approach the Eucharist as it really is, an encounter with Jesus Christ, then it will never become common or ordinary.  The reality is that each and every participation in the Eucharist brings us immeasurable grace; and seeing this realization is blocked by our own humanness, unbelief, and our ability to sin.

If we really believe that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of our Lord, then every time we receive Communion will be as special to us as the first, and we would never want it to be our last.  If that's the case, then maybe every week all of us should be getting dressed up, taking pictures, and throwing a party; not because it's something we do or even a milestone, but because we want to celebrate how much God loves us and how we get to encounter Him through the Eucharist. 

On a similar note, here's some neat Catholic cocktail party talk:

With his decree Quam Singulari, it was Pope St Pius X (papacy 1903-1914) that changed the age of discretion to 7 years old, thus moving First Communion to 2nd or 3rd grade.  He did so to encouraged frequent (and even daily) reception of communion.  Prior to then, it was not common for Catholic laity to receive communion every time they attended Mass. First Communion was not until age 12 or 13 for Latin rite Catholics.