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Corpus Christi Mass: Benedict XVI gives Communion only on the tongue to people kneeling
During the Holy Father’s Corpus Christi Mass, the Holy Father gave Communion only to people kneeling at a kneeler set up before him.
This is a very interesting development.
The Holy Father has been trying to provoke conversation and a rethinking of many practices, not very good innovations, that have become more or less standard.
You can see the kneeler set out.
And the people knelt and received on the tongue.
I am sure they were instructed to.
I watched and rewatched the coverage and did not spot anyone receiving in another way from the Holy Father.
In so many places it is simply accepted that Mass must be celebrated "facing the people", versus populum, instead of "facing God", ad orientem.
So the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass in the Sistine Chapel, when he was also going to do something very much in his role as Bishop of Rome, when he baptized.
He got the conversation going.
Now, in another moment when he is very much Bishop of his diocese, for this great City celebration of the Eucharist, he adminsters Holy Communion on the tongue at a kneeler.
Surely this will start another conversation.
Remember that just the other day the newspaper of the Diocese of Toronto attacked Benedict’s reforms as "backward steps" and the mere suggestion that Communion in the hand wasn’t wonderful.
Remember that His Holiness’s Secretary in the Cong. for Divine Worship, Archbp. Malcolm Ranjith, wrote a preface to a book, Dominus Est: riflessioni di un vescovo dell’Asia Centrale sulla Santa Comunione, printed by the Vatican press which argues for a return to Communion kneeling and on the tongue. The book is by Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Karaganda, Kazakhstan and it will eventually be in English, I am sure. In the Vatican’s newspaper, Bp. Schneider asked "Wouldn’t it correspond better to the deepest reality and truth about the consecrated bread if even today the faithful would kneel on the ground to receive it, opening their mouths like the prophet receiving the word of God and allowing themselves to be nourished like a child?".
It may be that at the next Mass Pope Benedict will do the same. Maybe he won’t.
But people are now going to be talking.
Piece by piece, he is challenging assumptions.
Brick by brick he is rebuilding what was devastated.
His Marshall Plan for the Church is very much underway.
UPDATE: 22 May 15:20 GMT
Here is a video, with the German language feed, probably from Vatican Radio.
The music is the soupy goopy stuff of Msgr. Marco Frisina, who is entirely dominating Italian "pastoral" liturgical music these days from his post at the Lateran.
I LOVE THE HOLY FATHER
:D
Comment by Jenny Z — 22 May 2008 @ 2:40 pmI was about to flip my lid! I thought “is this a Mass in the Extraordinary Form?” because here in the US, this Solemnity is transferred to the following Sunday.
Notwithstanding that, may God be further glorified by the reverent offering of the Mass by our Pope!
Comment by Jeff Pinyan — 22 May 2008 @ 2:59 pmBenedict XVI will be rewarded in Heaven.
Comment by Pope Evaristus, Martyr — 22 May 2008 @ 3:25 pmMeanwhile in Australia the bishops are trying to legislate in the opposite direction:
Comment by australiaincognita — 22 May 2008 @ 3:55 pmhttp://australiaincognita.blogspot.com/2008/05/on-kneeling-for-communion-next-step-in.html
This is a very interesting and good development. Growing up in the VII ruins I don’t remember kneeling for the first time, but I remember receiving on the tongue which in my child’s mind seemed more proper. It was only later that reception by hand was introduced by the sisters and it just felt odd. In my later years this has led me to conclude and theorize that this leads to a more casual and ‘what-ever’ attitude towards the Eucharist especially by the EMs and others.
Comment by AlephGamma — 22 May 2008 @ 4:31 pmI don’t have cable television at home so I rarely have the chance to watch EWTN. However, I was not at home today and I had the chance to see their broadcast of Holy Mass at noon.
As far as I could tell, every single person receiving Holy Communion received on the tongue and almost everything after the consecration was in Latin.
The last time I saw Mass on EWTN, there was almost no latin and only 2 or 3 people received on the tongue.
Comment by W — 22 May 2008 @ 4:42 pmI spent about half an hour trying to convince our parish’s liturgist to talk one of our priests into celebrating a daily mass ad orientum. I wasn’t unsuccessful, per se, but she’s definitely not going to take it into serious consideration any time soon. Of course, these are also the people that when I offer explanations for my traditional liturgical leanings by referencing things that the Pope has said or done, they respond with “well, he is only human, you know.”
Personally, I would love to take communion kneeling (I already take it on the tongue), but my balance is so off-kilter that unless there was a railing or kneeler there for me to hold on to while I stood up, I would end up doing something terribly embarrassing.
Comment by Jayna — 22 May 2008 @ 4:48 pmThings like this make me take with a large scoop of salt the rumors that Abp. Ranjith is going to be “punished” for being so vocal about these sorts of issues.
Comment by Legisperitus — 22 May 2008 @ 5:05 pmThis is truly wonderful. I think this makes me even happier than the Mass ad orientem did. One day, all things shall indeed be well.
Comment by Cerimoniere — 22 May 2008 @ 5:12 pmWhen will Pope Benedict give us the communion rails back?
Comment by SM — 22 May 2008 @ 5:41 pmBrick by brick. Brick by brick.
Comment by AnnaTrad — 22 May 2008 @ 5:50 pmMeanwhile in Australia the bishops are trying to legislate in the opposite direction:
http://australiaincognita.blogspot.com/2008/05/on-kneeling-for-communion-next-step-in.html
Comment by australiaincognita
I would think that as soon as Papa Ratzinger took over, bishops would want to read some of his later books. Evidently, that is not the case.
Comment by RBrown — 22 May 2008 @ 6:35 pmVivat Benedictus XVI! Ad multos annos!
Comment by techno_aesthete — 22 May 2008 @ 8:11 pmThis is remarkable! Isn’t the Holy Father the Chief LIturgist for the world? Sounds like one could follow this!
A visiting priest today, saying the NO, knelt down facing the tabernacle for the moment of silence after Communion. Is there any way to argue that this is permitted? I will say, it looked ‘right.’ It would have to be considered illicit however?
Comment by Fr W — 22 May 2008 @ 8:27 pmLong live the Benedictine Era. I haven’t been so happy and proud to be a Catholic since before the Council! Viva il Papa! Tom
Comment by TJM — 22 May 2008 @ 8:48 pmThis would be so easy to impliment in parishes. Perhaps the many priests who have already begun to follow the Holy Father’s example (six candles, crucifix on the altar, ad orientem) will also consider adopting this. Prie-dieus are not that expensive!
Comment by Geoffrey — 22 May 2008 @ 10:49 pmApart from the Gregorian Chant, the music was awful. It sounded like an Italian version of the Gather Hymnal, that is to say very syrupy, very secular melodies. Is there any chance that music will be the Holy Father’s next brick?
Comment by trp — 22 May 2008 @ 11:01 pmAWESOME!
Comment by Fr. Pasley — 23 May 2008 @ 5:38 amLong live the Benedictine Era.
Tom,
I am watching and learning, knowing that if God so wills it, these responsibilities will be mine in a few years. I hope many of my fellow seminarians, who will become the “Benedictine Era priests,” are doing the same.
Comment by AnAnonymousSeminarian — 23 May 2008 @ 6:45 am“Brick by brick he is rebuilding what was devastated.
His Marshall Plan for the Church is very much underway.”
Praise the Lord !
Viva il Papa
Comment by Limbo — 23 May 2008 @ 8:07 amThere is yet hope.
Our Lord and Our Lady must be smiling at this restortation, even if onlky for a moment, of the true manner of receiving Holy Communion.
Oremus pro Pontifice Nostro Benedicto.
Comment by Woody Jones — 23 May 2008 @ 9:14 amFather, some years ago I heard a priest saying that in his birth region (Piemonte) Frisina was not well konwn. But I am not sure that their music was better…
Comment by Luca — 23 May 2008 @ 11:42 amGo Holy Father!
Comment by Malta — 23 May 2008 @ 5:26 pmFinally, a way to get the altar rails at my parish used for the NO. Long live Pope Benedict!
Comment by Joe of St. ThĂ©rèse — 23 May 2008 @ 6:16 pmI am so happy to see this. Sadly in my diocese they are pressing for people to receive in the hand, admitting on the tongue is an option, and they have prepared a special insert for the bulletin for the Feast of Corpus Christi which does not edify and but rather presses for receiving in the hand and tells us that genuflecting prior to receiving is NOT an option in the US per the GIRM. That is what they share with us for Corpus Christi. I was sad because now I am having to bow before receiving. I have been genuflecting for the 20 years since my Baptism and no more.
So God bless the Holy Father! Each time I am not allowed to genuflect (I would rather kneel to receive but rare option these 20 years) I am praying God to bring the reform of the Liturgy to perfection. To be allowed to kneel and receive with reverence and without being harrassed fo move along like cattle…. would be nice! To have some silence to say thank you….would be nice! I’d better stop or I’ll get the sour grapes award :)
Seeing this Corpus Ch