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(José Teófilo de Jesus, ‘Institution of the Eucharist’, 1793)
"In
the late '60s, it was brought to the attention of Pope Paul VI that this abuse (Communion in the hand) had started in certain northern European countries - the usual suspects, France
cravenly leading the charge."
In a guest post, Father Michael Johnson SSPX (St Anthony's Priory Whanganui) discloses personal memories on the subject of Communion in the hand.
"To his credit," Fr Johnson recalls, "Pope Paul VI was horrified, and
demanded it be stopped immediately. The rejoinder was, "Holy Father,
this will cause schism."
"Poor
Paul VI, quisling that he was, sent out a query to the bishops of the world on
the subject, the results of which were summarized in his later motu proprio,
"Instruction on the Manner of Distributing Holy Communion" which you
can read here: EWTN
Global Catholic Television Network: Catholic News, TV, Radio | EWTN.
"That in no
way approved the practice, but merely regulated the abuse where it already
existed. Needless to say, the rest of the bishops of the world
immediately jumped on the bandwagon, instituting it their respective dioceses.
"One
such was my own then archdiocese of Los Angeles, California, whose Cardinal
Timothy Manning mandated in the early '70s that Communion in the hand replace
the traditional practice of Communion on the tongue.
"There
was at that time a traditional Jesuit priest, Father Frederick Schell, SJ,
who had been expelled from his order for his intransigence against the
aggressive liberalization of that order. He applied for and was granted
incardination in the archdiocese of Los Angeles by Cardinal Manning's
predecessor, Cardinal McIntyre, the last Catholic bishop of Los Angeles.
"Father Schell refused to implement Cardinal Manning's directive, and one day
was telephoned by him to insist on Father Schell's obedience, to which Father
responded, "Well your Eminence, if that's the way things are to be, to
h... with you!"
"Hanging up the phone, Father Schell went back to his native
state of Louisiana.
"He
was, however, quickly recalled to Southern California to open a
traditional church and chapel in Garden Grove, both of which thrive to this
day.
"I attended Father Schell's Masses before
my own entrance into the SSPX - a real man, a real priest, a real
Jesuit. RIP."
For decades, Mexico has been considered one of the most Catholic countries in the world — a nation where, after the government banned the Holy Mass and receiving Communion on the tongue in the 1920s, believers responded by taking up arms and waging a bloody, years-long civil war against regime forces, during which many faithful were tortured or executed for their beliefs.
But now, the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM), the ruling body of bishops, has banned reception of Communion on the tongue. The move is a stark departure for the Church and its liturgy in Mexico, where Communion in the hand is rare and bishops were viewed as sticklers for traditional Catholicism, often seen celebrating Sunday Mass.
Priests like Fr. Luis Toro, Msgr. Samuel Marín and Fr. Carlos Cancelado — who is one of the most beloved priests of Mexico and an exorcist with a huge following — have vehemently opposed the practice, saying only priests are consecrated to touch the Blessed Sacrament.
"I gave a man an example. 'Here is your wife. Have you embraced her, have you kissed her?' He answered 'yes,'" Cancelado said in one of his sermons uploaded to YouTube. "Now do you permit me as a priest to touch her and embrace her? 'No!'" he answered, adding: "Well, you were consecrated to touch her. And I was consecrated to touch Him (the Eucharist)."
But the Mexican bishops also have their supporters among some in the laity and the clergy. José Flores Martínez (pictured below), who says he's a supporter of left-leaning Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said on "Desde la fe" that he supports Communion in the hand.
 |
| Abp. Rogelio Cabrera López, CEM president |
 |
| Andrés Manuel López Obrador, president of Mexico |
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