Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago (USA) urged Catholics to receive Holy Communion standing and not make gestures that draw attention to them; in a letter published this week.
In the letterpublished in the Chicago Catholic, Cupich said that “the norm established by the Holy See for the universal Church and approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is that the faithful process together as an expression of their advancement as the body of Christ and receive Holy Communion standing.”
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The cardinal further points out that “nothing should be done to prevent any of these processions” and that “interrupting this moment only diminishes this powerful symbolic expression, by which the faithful, by processioning together, express their faith that they are called to convert.” in the same Body of Christ that they receive.”
“Certainly, reverence can and should be expressed by bowing before receiving Holy Communion, but no one should make a gesture that draws attention to themselves or disrupts the flow of the procession,” he added. “That would be contrary to the norms and tradition of the Church, which all the faithful are invited to respect and observe.”
The letter does not explicitly indicate which specific gestures would be those that draw attention. CNA – the English agency of EWTN News – contacted the archdiocese to request clarification on this matter, but has not received a response as of the time of publication of the note.
Although guidelines issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) state that receiving Communion standing is the norm, Communion cannot be denied while kneeling.
In the United States bishops’ edition of the general instruction of the Roman Missal, published in Spanishit is noted that “the norm established for the dioceses of the United States of America is that the faithful receive Holy Communion standing, unless any of the faithful wish to receive Communion on their knees.”
The issue is also addressed in the 2004 Vatican document, Sacrament of Redemptionof the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, during the pontificate of Pope Saint John Paul II.
The Vatican document, in paragraph 91, establishes that “it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to a faithful person, for example, simply because he or she wants to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing.”
In his letter, Cupich writes that “we have all benefited from the renewal of the Church initiated by the Second Vatican Council.”
“By recognizing this relationship between how we worship and what we believe, the bishops of the council made clear that the renewal of the liturgy in the life of the Church is central to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel,” the cardinal added.
In his opinion “it would be a mistake to reduce the renewal to a mere update of our liturgy to adapt it to the times in which we live, as if it were a kind of liturgical facelift. “We need the restoration of the liturgy because it gives us the ability to proclaim Christ to the world.”
“The law of prayer establishes the law of faith, it is our tradition,” Cupich wrote. “When the bishops took on the task of restoring the liturgy six decades ago, they reminded us that this ancient principle enjoys a privileged place in the tradition of the Church. “It should continue to guide us in all times.”
For centuries, before the Second Vatican Council, which concluded in 1965, the norm in the Latin rite was to receive communion on the tongue and on one’s knees. The conciliar Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, The Holy Councilenacted in 1963, did not introduce changes to this standard.
Rather, in response to bishops allowing Communion in the hand while standing, the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship issued the document Domini Memorial in 1969 to allow the practice in some circumstances, but emphasized that bishops must “avoid any risk of disrespect or false opinions regarding the most holy Eucharist and avoid any other harmful effects that may follow” by allowing Communion in the hand.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Tyler Arnold
Tyler Arnold is a reporter for the National Catholic Register. He previously worked at The Center Square and has published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative, and The Federalist.