The John-Henry Westen Show - July 23, 2020


Renowned scholar debunks myths around Communion in the hand


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44 minutes

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7,968

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Summary

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Dr. Peter Kwevnevsky is a Thomistic theologian, a liturgical scholar, and a choral composer. He is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College and the Catholic University of America. He has taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria, the Franciscan University of Steubenville s Austria Program, and he's taught at Wyoming Catholic College, which he helped to establish in 2006. He's a writer and speaker on traditional Catholicism known all around the world, and an author of eight books.

Transcript

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00:00:00.600 We're very pleased to have with us Dr. Peter Kwevnevsky.
00:00:04.360 He is a Thomistic theologian, a liturgical scholar, and a choral composer.
00:00:08.560 He's a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College and the Catholic University of America.
00:00:12.940 He has taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria,
00:00:17.020 the Franciscan University of Steubenville's Austria program.
00:00:20.100 And he's also taught at Wyoming Catholic College,
00:00:23.120 which he in fact helped to establish in 2006.
00:00:25.880 He's a writer and speaker on traditional Catholicism known all around the world.
00:00:29.820 He's an author of eight books.
00:00:51.540 Dr. Peter Kwevnevsky, thank you for joining us on the John Henry Weston Show.
00:00:55.720 Thank you for having me.
00:00:57.600 Let's start off, if we could.
00:00:59.100 Can you give us, first of all, a short history of the manner or the way of receiving Holy Communion in the Church?
00:01:07.020 Yes.
00:01:07.600 Well, actually, the early centuries of the Church don't give us as full a picture as we would like to have.
00:01:13.620 We have a lot of fragmentary evidence.
00:01:16.380 It seems that there was a diversity of manners of receiving Communion in the early centuries.
00:01:21.820 Communion was received in the hand, but in a very reverent manner that I think we'll get to.
00:01:26.120 It's not the way it's done today.
00:01:28.240 However, we also have evidence from St. Ephraim the Syrian, from the Liturgy of St. James,
00:01:32.800 from St. Gregory the Great, and from some other Fathers of the Church,
00:01:36.080 that Communion was given in the mouth as well,
00:01:39.380 and that the clergy were the ones who most properly communicated with their own hands.
00:01:43.540 We have a council, a regional council of Rouen, in the year 878, that mandated Communion in the mouth.
00:01:52.540 We have the canons of the Coptic Church demanding that the, they say the canons of the Coptic Church, 0.96
00:02:01.280 God forbid that any of the pearls, by which they mean the consecrated fragments, should adhere to the fingers or fall to the ground.
00:02:09.720 And even St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who's often quoted as a proponent of Communion in the hand,
00:02:15.500 he says the fragments are more precious than gold dust,
00:02:18.820 and that, you know, we would sooner lose one of our own members than lose, you know, any fragment.
00:02:24.240 So, there's a very heightened awareness early on of the awesomeness of the sacrament,
00:02:30.400 and in fact, you know, not to get too ahead of myself here,
00:02:33.900 but in fact, it's this growing sense of reverence that leads the Church, over time,
00:02:39.240 progressively to restrict and finally to abolish Communion in the hand,
00:02:43.580 except, of course, for the clergy, which is a different story for them.
00:02:47.660 But for the laity, by the time you get to the second millennium, 0.97
00:02:51.800 by the time you reach the year 1000, Communion in the mouth is universal.
00:02:56.680 And in fact, that goes along with a decrease in Communion under both kinds.
00:03:02.520 So, that is, Communion kneeling and on the tongue is for the host, 0.86
00:03:07.300 and the chalice then becomes more and more reserved just for the celebrating priest or bishop.
00:03:13.060 So, that's just, and then basically for the second millennium of Catholic history, 0.64
00:03:17.460 it's always Communion on the tongue in the mouth for the laity.
00:03:20.620 Out of honour for our Lord and in a spirit of adoration.
00:03:24.800 So, do you want me to talk at all about how that got reversed?
00:03:28.760 Yeah, well, actually, if you don't mind going a little bit more into that,
00:03:32.300 because you mentioned that it was condemned.
00:03:35.740 In what way was it condemned?
00:03:37.740 You mentioned the Council of Rouen, I believe.
00:03:40.980 And how was that, and what did that even sound like?
00:03:43.340 Well, as I understand it, the earliest records we have,
00:03:48.980 they don't seem to be condemning Communion in the hand so much as enjoining or requiring Communion in the mouth
00:03:55.480 as the more reverent way.
00:03:56.920 And it's actually remarkable how universal the practice is in the second millennium
00:04:03.380 to the extent that it simply isn't discussed anymore.
00:04:06.200 It's not a topic of discussion.
00:04:08.520 And so, what we're dealing with here is, in my opinion, a clear example of organic development.
00:04:13.960 That is, the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit responding more and more appropriately
00:04:19.040 to the gifts that she has received.
00:04:21.220 This is not to say that, you know, in the 3rd or 4th century, it was wrong for them to do things the way they did.
00:04:28.560 But they hadn't yet arrived at the most reverent and the safest and the most efficient way of giving Communion.
00:04:36.420 We also just have to bear in mind a practical question,
00:04:39.000 which is that there were far fewer communicants in the early Church.
00:04:43.700 As the Church grew and spread, and there were more and more faithful,
00:04:47.200 the question arose, how are we going to give Communion to so many people?
00:04:51.840 And it's, I mean, as anyone who's been to a Mass nowadays can testify,
00:04:56.680 a traditional Latin Mass, for example, where all the faithful are lined up along a Communion rail,
00:05:01.480 kneeling, and the priest, you know, is going right along and giving Communion to each one in turn.
00:05:06.380 It's a much more efficient way of giving Communion, in addition to being safer and more reverent.
00:05:12.260 Right, right.
00:05:13.640 So, since the Church has been doing this for a thousand years,
00:05:17.160 it comes to basically from, you were mentioning, I think, Council of Rent is around 650,
00:05:23.460 but you mentioned by the time a thousand comes along, no one's doing this.
00:05:27.400 And yet, in 1969, we have this come back for the first time since 650 or slightly thereafter.
00:05:37.740 How did this even happen?
00:05:39.020 Yeah, well, it's a very sad story.
00:05:43.400 It's told very well by a bishop named Juan Rodolfo Laiz.
00:05:46.980 He wrote a book on the history of Holy Communion and the manner of giving it.
00:05:50.600 And he basically documents in detail, it's a case of really rank disobedience,
00:05:57.860 because the Church had a clear policy about what was to be done, even into the 1960s,
00:06:03.280 but there were already priests who were experimenting.
00:06:06.520 You know how the 60s were.
00:06:07.840 It was, you know, experimentation in every direction.
00:06:11.700 And so, there were priests who, unauthorized, were giving Communion in the hand.
00:06:15.640 There were bishops' conferences that were agitating for it.
00:06:18.340 This is all happening in, you know, towards the end of the 1960s.
00:06:23.260 And what's most surprising, I think, to people is that initially Paul VI,
00:06:30.360 who favored, tended to favor liturgical change on a huge scale,
00:06:35.620 that he initially opposed Communion in the hand,
00:06:38.540 and in fact, opposed it very strongly.
00:06:41.220 He sent out a questionnaire to all the bishops in the world in,
00:06:46.260 I believe the questionnaire was in 1968, asking them,
00:06:49.740 should the traditional manner, namely kneeling and on the tongue, be retained?
00:06:55.780 And should we allow Communion in the hand?
00:06:58.860 And the overwhelming majority of bishops responded,
00:07:01.960 yes, we should retain the traditional manner.
00:07:03.640 No, the Communion in the hand should not be allowed.
00:07:05.560 And those results, the actual vote numbers, were published,
00:07:09.480 along with the rationale for the traditional practice,
00:07:13.400 in a 1969 instruction called Memoriale Domini,
00:07:16.560 which was initiated by Paul VI and approved by him.
00:07:19.620 It actually came out from the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship.
00:07:23.540 But if you don't mind, I just want to read this section from Memoriale Domini.
00:07:27.780 It's a remarkable document.
00:07:29.760 It says,
00:07:31.760 In view of the state of the Church as a whole today,
00:07:36.080 this manner of distributing Holy Communion,
00:07:38.860 the traditional manner, must be observed.
00:07:41.880 The Latin could also be translated preserved.
00:07:44.360 Not only because it rests upon a tradition of many centuries,
00:07:47.980 but especially because it is a sign of the reference of the faithful toward the Eucharist.
00:07:52.540 The practice in no way detracts from the personal dignity
00:07:56.440 of those who approach this great sacrament.
00:07:58.220 You see, there were some people who were saying,
00:08:00.940 it's not dignified to get down on your knees and act like a slave or a servant, right?
00:08:05.800 But this document is saying, no, it doesn't detract from dignity.
00:08:08.920 It goes on,
00:08:09.520 And it is a part of the preparation needed for the most fruitful reception of the Lord's body.
00:08:14.900 This reverence is a sign of Holy Communion being not in common bread and drink,
00:08:20.260 but in the body and blood of the Lord.
00:08:22.960 And it goes on,
00:08:23.740 In addition, this manner of communicating,
00:08:25.760 which is now to be considered as prescribed by custom,
00:08:29.260 gives more effective assurance that Holy Communion will be distributed
00:08:32.220 with the appropriate reverence, decorum, and dignity.
00:08:35.800 That any danger of profaning the Eucharistic species,
00:08:38.840 in which the whole and entire Christ, God and man,
00:08:41.740 is substantially contained and permanently present in a unique way,
00:08:45.160 will be avoided.
00:08:46.680 And finally, that the diligent care,
00:08:48.660 which the Church has always commended for the very fragments of the consecrated bread,
00:08:52.220 will be maintained.
00:08:54.640 So that's Memoriale Domini 1969,
00:08:58.160 initiated and approved by Paul VI.
00:09:02.520 The weird thing is that in the same document,
00:09:06.480 after laying this out and giving the results of the vote
00:09:08.920 and saying it should be retained,
00:09:10.800 then Paul VI says,
00:09:12.200 Nevertheless, since there are some places in the world
00:09:15.020 where communion in the hand has already been introduced,
00:09:17.680 in order to regulate it better,
00:09:19.660 the Episcopal conferences are allowed to permit it,
00:09:21.780 but under certain conditions.
00:09:23.600 So it's an odd document,
00:09:25.580 because it really persuades you,
00:09:27.740 you know, rhetorically,
00:09:28.660 as you're going through,
00:09:29.760 that, you know,
00:09:30.420 we should keep this traditional manner.
00:09:31.820 And then it says,
00:09:32.320 but the Episcopal conferences can decide otherwise.
00:09:34.640 And unfortunately,
00:09:35.380 we've seen that kind of problem before in the 60s, 70s,
00:09:38.680 even more recently with Amoris Laetitia.
00:09:40.620 We've seen that a lot of hot button issues
00:09:43.260 are just pushed off to the bishops' conferences,
00:09:46.660 you know,
00:09:46.880 almost like,
00:09:47.560 you know,
00:09:48.660 passing the buck or something like that.
00:09:50.980 So that's an unfortunate tension
00:09:54.180 or even contradiction within this document.
00:09:57.760 However,
00:09:58.480 it does say there's a condition
00:10:00.660 for giving communion on the hand,
00:10:04.460 Memoriale Domini.
00:10:05.860 And it says,
00:10:07.240 it cannot be done
00:10:09.560 if there is,
00:10:10.760 and this is a quote now,
00:10:11.940 any possible lack of reverence
00:10:14.100 or false ideas about the Eucharist
00:10:16.700 engendered in the attitudes of the people,
00:10:19.380 unquote.
00:10:21.160 So it seems like
00:10:23.040 maybe Paul VI was thinking,
00:10:25.300 naively,
00:10:26.460 that this change could somehow happen
00:10:28.600 without lessening reverence and devotion,
00:10:31.740 without lessening the faith of the people
00:10:33.520 in the real presence.
00:10:35.860 But he was wrong.
00:10:36.680 I mean,
00:10:36.840 we know factually that he was wrong.
00:10:38.540 If we look in retrospect,
00:10:39.680 hindsight is 20-20.
00:10:40.760 I mean,
00:10:41.500 I would say they should have known
00:10:42.860 back then
00:10:43.740 if they were thinking it through
00:10:45.320 that this would have profound consequences.
00:10:48.280 But nevertheless,
00:10:48.980 now it can't be denied
00:10:50.160 that there have been
00:10:50.940 these profound consequences.
00:10:52.420 And so,
00:10:52.860 as far as this document is concerned,
00:10:54.320 we should not be giving communion
00:10:55.540 in the hand anymore
00:10:56.200 because just the problems
00:10:57.580 that he pointed to have happened.
00:10:59.360 Right.
00:11:00.060 Right.
00:11:00.500 One of the, I guess,
00:11:02.200 powerful arguments
00:11:03.360 that seems to come
00:11:05.240 from those who promote
00:11:06.680 communion in the hand
00:11:07.500 is that this is
00:11:08.940 a restoration
00:11:10.020 of a legitimate,
00:11:11.700 ancient Christian practice
00:11:13.020 and therefore,
00:11:14.040 why can't we do it?
00:11:14.840 Aren't we getting back to the roots?
00:11:16.680 What do you respond?
00:11:17.560 Yeah.
00:11:18.300 Yeah, exactly.
00:11:19.360 Well,
00:11:19.540 this is a problem
00:11:20.280 that Pope Pius XII
00:11:21.280 dealt with
00:11:22.060 in his 1947 encyclical,
00:11:24.440 Mediatra Dei,
00:11:25.280 on the sacred liturgy,
00:11:26.640 where he defined an error
00:11:30.500 that he called
00:11:31.460 false antiquarianism
00:11:32.760 and then condemned it.
00:11:34.880 So,
00:11:35.340 he said,
00:11:36.020 he said,
00:11:36.740 it's a mistake
00:11:37.680 to try to restore
00:11:39.040 later in the church's history
00:11:41.380 practices that occurred
00:11:42.920 much earlier on
00:11:44.080 because it was not
00:11:45.820 without the guidance
00:11:46.740 of the Holy Spirit
00:11:47.540 that the church developed
00:11:48.660 in the way that she did.
00:11:49.980 So,
00:11:50.560 if you,
00:11:51.360 and then he goes on to say,
00:11:52.620 you know,
00:11:52.780 this is,
00:11:53.220 it's dangerous.
00:11:54.960 For example,
00:11:55.700 he gives these examples,
00:11:57.160 right?
00:11:57.320 It would be dangerous
00:11:58.060 to turn the priest around
00:11:59.360 and have him facing the people.
00:12:01.480 It would be wrong 0.99
00:12:02.660 to get rid of black 1.00
00:12:03.620 as a color
00:12:04.400 for liturgical vestments.
00:12:05.920 You know,
00:12:06.120 he gives these various examples
00:12:07.340 which unfortunately
00:12:07.980 all came to pass
00:12:08.960 only about,
00:12:10.460 you know,
00:12:11.200 15 or 20 years later.
00:12:12.720 Yeah.
00:12:13.320 Right?
00:12:14.200 But he says
00:12:14.940 this would be a mistake
00:12:15.780 because the church
00:12:16.580 does in fact
00:12:17.560 deepen her understanding.
00:12:19.320 You know,
00:12:20.080 the liturgy
00:12:20.980 doesn't stop developing
00:12:21.800 in the 5th
00:12:22.420 or the 6th century.
00:12:23.680 It doesn't.
00:12:24.600 Neither does the piety
00:12:25.660 of the Christian people
00:12:26.500 nor the theology.
00:12:28.540 You know,
00:12:28.800 when you look at
00:12:29.280 the Council of Trent
00:12:30.040 in the 16th century,
00:12:31.540 it is one of the most
00:12:32.560 magnificent expositions
00:12:33.780 of Catholic doctrine
00:12:34.660 and there are things
00:12:35.500 that are clarified
00:12:36.120 in the Council of Trent
00:12:37.020 that were unclear
00:12:38.640 prior to that council,
00:12:40.220 you know,
00:12:40.420 for 1,500 years.
00:12:41.760 So,
00:12:42.200 we have to,
00:12:43.580 basically,
00:12:44.400 if we disagree
00:12:45.140 with Pius XII
00:12:46.360 on that point,
00:12:47.660 we will end up saying
00:12:48.580 with the Protestants 0.75
00:12:49.500 that the church
00:12:50.680 got corrupted,
00:12:51.780 that for many centuries
00:12:53.420 the dark ages,
00:12:55.060 the church
00:12:55.700 went off the rails,
00:12:57.340 you know,
00:12:57.700 like a careening train
00:12:59.180 that just flew off the rails
00:13:00.520 and if we want
00:13:02.380 the authentic
00:13:03.000 Christian church,
00:13:03.940 we have to go back
00:13:04.620 to the Apostles
00:13:05.380 or at least
00:13:06.160 to the Apostolic period.
00:13:07.480 That's a Protestant error. 0.78
00:13:09.000 It's a characteristically
00:13:09.920 Protestant error.
00:13:10.680 It's something that
00:13:11.100 Luther and Calvin
00:13:12.020 and Zwingli
00:13:12.620 and Melanchthon
00:13:13.220 and all these people said
00:13:14.180 and lo and behold,
00:13:15.720 there were some
00:13:16.080 liturgical reformers
00:13:16.960 in the 20th century
00:13:17.580 saying exactly
00:13:18.260 the same thing.
00:13:19.220 You know,
00:13:19.420 what the church did
00:13:20.480 in the Middle Ages,
00:13:21.840 you know,
00:13:22.540 we have to get,
00:13:23.240 we have to go back
00:13:24.380 before that
00:13:25.120 because somehow
00:13:25.640 that's corrupt.
00:13:26.720 Right, right.
00:13:28.280 So, oh,
00:13:28.800 but you did bring up
00:13:30.360 this question though,
00:13:30.960 the ancient manner.
00:13:31.880 I did want to comment
00:13:32.780 that the ancient manner
00:13:34.340 of receiving the hand
00:13:35.220 was much different
00:13:36.120 and it would look today
00:13:37.400 much more reverent
00:13:38.500 than what is done
00:13:39.940 in the Novus Ordo.
00:13:41.780 That is to say,
00:13:43.040 it's clear
00:13:44.080 from the patristic description
00:13:45.360 that you wouldn't,
00:13:48.480 you don't stick
00:13:49.520 your left hand
00:13:50.580 over your right hand
00:13:53.120 and then feed yourself
00:13:54.820 with the right hand.
00:13:55.860 That's how it's done nowadays.
00:13:57.280 In the patristic period,
00:13:58.660 the right hand
00:14:00.300 was placed forward
00:14:01.820 because the right hand
00:14:02.820 you always would receive
00:14:04.140 in the right hand,
00:14:04.580 never in the left hand.
00:14:05.300 The left hand signifies,
00:14:06.660 you know,
00:14:07.860 sin and the devil,
00:14:08.960 right?
00:14:09.240 And so,
00:14:10.080 and then once the holy bread
00:14:12.880 was placed in your hand,
00:14:13.980 you bowed down
00:14:15.180 and took it up
00:14:16.420 with your mouth.
00:14:16.940 You licked it up 0.70
00:14:18.400 with your,
00:14:19.080 which is you still,
00:14:19.820 you still see this
00:14:20.460 in Byzantine liturgy,
00:14:21.360 the priests,
00:14:22.120 when they're cleaning afterwards,
00:14:23.260 they're licking their fingers,
00:14:24.280 right?
00:14:24.580 So,
00:14:25.140 you would bow down
00:14:26.280 in adoration,
00:14:27.420 take it in with your mouth 1.00
00:14:28.480 and then lick your hand 0.99
00:14:29.640 to make sure 0.67
00:14:30.120 there were no particles there,
00:14:32.160 right?
00:14:32.740 I mean,
00:14:33.080 and sometimes
00:14:33.560 we even have records
00:14:34.360 that sometimes
00:14:34.920 a cloth was used.
00:14:36.040 So,
00:14:36.220 a cloth would be put
00:14:36.940 in your hands,
00:14:38.020 the holy bread
00:14:38.640 placed on the cloth
00:14:39.440 and then you would bow down
00:14:40.600 and receive it
00:14:41.240 and that way
00:14:41.720 whatever fragments
00:14:42.680 might be there
00:14:43.140 would be retained
00:14:43.780 in the cloth
00:14:44.380 which would be held
00:14:44.940 by acolytes.
00:14:45.660 So,
00:14:46.620 there are ways,
00:14:48.660 at least theoretically,
00:14:50.200 that communion in the hand
00:14:50.980 could be much more,
00:14:51.980 could be a sign of reverence
00:14:53.200 and could be done
00:14:53.720 without danger
00:14:54.540 or without as much danger.
00:14:56.220 But even so,
00:14:57.760 the Church decided
00:14:58.640 to stop doing it,
00:14:59.800 you know?
00:15:00.280 And what we're doing now
00:15:01.440 bears very little resemblance
00:15:02.800 to what I just described.
00:15:05.080 Wow.
00:15:05.800 So,
00:15:06.440 okay,
00:15:06.860 run that down for us then.
00:15:07.980 What are then
00:15:08.800 the basic problems
00:15:09.900 with communion in the hand?
00:15:11.800 Yeah.
00:15:12.300 So,
00:15:12.540 number one problem
00:15:13.420 and for me,
00:15:14.840 you know,
00:15:15.100 I come back to this
00:15:16.000 on so many different topics.
00:15:17.740 It's contrary
00:15:18.620 to at least
00:15:19.860 a thousand years
00:15:20.520 of tradition.
00:15:22.660 The Council of Rouen
00:15:23.920 that I mentioned before
00:15:24.560 was 878.
00:15:25.960 That's not an ecumenical council.
00:15:27.460 It's a regional council
00:15:28.420 but it's indicative
00:15:29.320 of the thinking
00:15:30.120 and of the practice.
00:15:31.640 So,
00:15:31.840 for at least
00:15:32.440 a thousand years,
00:15:33.800 Catholics have seen fit, 1.00
00:15:35.600 the Church has seen fit
00:15:36.780 to give communion
00:15:37.520 in this manner.
00:15:39.100 That's not accidental.
00:15:40.700 That's not
00:15:41.240 some kind of mistake
00:15:43.680 or chance event.
00:15:45.060 That has everything
00:15:45.780 to do with
00:15:46.480 the Church's growing faith,
00:15:48.360 especially in the Middle Ages
00:15:49.260 when the first heretics
00:15:50.700 rose up
00:15:52.080 who denied
00:15:52.560 the real presence,
00:15:53.640 right?
00:15:53.820 For the first thousand years
00:15:54.780 of Christianity,
00:15:55.460 nobody denied
00:15:56.180 the real presence.
00:15:57.320 Nobody.
00:15:57.960 The heretics denied 0.99
00:15:58.740 everything else
00:15:59.340 but nobody denied that.
00:16:02.100 But once there were heretics
00:16:04.560 actually denying
00:16:05.220 the real presence,
00:16:06.020 the Church emphasized
00:16:07.200 in every way she could
00:16:08.640 know this is really
00:16:09.840 the body and blood
00:16:10.600 of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:16:11.860 and His soul and divinity.
00:16:13.380 So,
00:16:13.760 we should do everything
00:16:15.360 in our power
00:16:16.060 not just spiritually
00:16:18.100 to be ready
00:16:19.280 to receive,
00:16:20.380 you know,
00:16:20.560 not to be in a state of sin
00:16:21.700 but also physically
00:16:23.480 with our bodies
00:16:24.320 we should show
00:16:25.180 that we adore
00:16:26.960 the Word made flesh
00:16:28.880 in the Blessed Sacrament.
00:16:30.540 And that's why
00:16:31.060 it's not just kneeling
00:16:32.400 and receiving communion
00:16:33.620 on the tongue
00:16:34.100 that developed
00:16:34.680 in the early Middle Ages
00:16:36.020 but it's also
00:16:36.760 all the genuflections
00:16:37.960 that priests do
00:16:38.760 during the liturgy
00:16:39.480 during the traditional
00:16:40.180 Latin Mass.
00:16:41.600 Many of those
00:16:42.460 developed in the Middle Ages
00:16:43.620 precisely for the same reason,
00:16:45.080 right?
00:16:45.200 We're going to affirm
00:16:46.040 over and over and over again
00:16:47.480 our faith
00:16:48.100 in the Word made flesh
00:16:50.840 present on the altar.
00:16:54.080 So,
00:16:54.960 yeah,
00:16:56.060 that's the number one problem.
00:16:59.760 A number two problem
00:17:00.840 is a practical problem
00:17:01.820 and that is
00:17:02.280 particles are lost
00:17:03.680 in fact.
00:17:05.000 When communion
00:17:05.580 is given
00:17:06.500 in the hand
00:17:07.780 and this research
00:17:08.700 has been done
00:17:09.160 to show this,
00:17:09.680 there's an article
00:17:10.180 that you can find online
00:17:11.360 from the Latin Mass Magazine
00:17:12.600 from many years ago
00:17:13.420 where somebody did experiments
00:17:14.880 using black gloves
00:17:16.200 so that it would be
00:17:17.800 very obvious
00:17:18.480 where the particles were.
00:17:20.460 And,
00:17:20.680 you know,
00:17:21.420 you can also,
00:17:22.540 I mean,
00:17:23.740 this is,
00:17:24.400 it's not hard
00:17:25.020 to understand
00:17:25.540 that if you
00:17:26.020 put a host
00:17:27.040 in someone's hand,
00:17:28.480 especially some of the hosts
00:17:29.520 are a bit crumbly
00:17:30.340 and sometimes
00:17:30.920 the whole weak ones,
00:17:31.980 you know,
00:17:32.060 they're not as compact
00:17:33.380 as the old hosts used to,
00:17:34.980 the traditional hosts used to be,
00:17:36.680 it's not surprising
00:17:38.000 that there are little crumbs,
00:17:39.540 you know,
00:17:39.940 that might remain
00:17:40.920 and then fall onto the floor,
00:17:42.860 you know,
00:17:43.200 and be scattered.
00:17:44.400 And this is something
00:17:44.920 the Church Fathers
00:17:45.680 beheld with horror.
00:17:47.420 I mean,
00:17:47.560 they would never have tolerated
00:17:49.060 anything like that.
00:17:50.540 And in fact,
00:17:51.340 that's,
00:17:51.720 you know,
00:17:52.260 that's exactly
00:17:52.840 one of the conditions
00:17:53.720 that the Church lays down.
00:17:56.340 Redemptionis Sacramentum.
00:17:57.960 If there's a risk
00:17:58.900 of profanation,
00:18:00.600 Holy Communion
00:18:01.260 should not be given
00:18:02.180 in the hand
00:18:02.900 to the faithful.
00:18:04.200 That's what
00:18:04.780 Redemptionis Sacramentum says.
00:18:06.340 Well,
00:18:07.080 frankly,
00:18:08.540 there's always
00:18:09.100 a risk of profanation
00:18:10.200 if it's given
00:18:10.840 in the hand,
00:18:11.820 you know,
00:18:12.020 even just because
00:18:12.920 of what I was describing.
00:18:14.120 So,
00:18:14.620 this seems to be
00:18:15.620 a very basic problem.
00:18:17.040 And that's why
00:18:17.500 if you look at
00:18:18.000 the traditional liturgy,
00:18:19.460 you know,
00:18:19.820 the rubrics
00:18:20.860 governing how the priest
00:18:22.160 cleans off the paten
00:18:25.080 and how he cleans
00:18:26.400 the corporal
00:18:27.440 on the altar,
00:18:27.980 it's all very detailed
00:18:29.800 and very thorough
00:18:30.740 because we don't want
00:18:31.480 to lose one pearl
00:18:32.720 as St. Ephraim
00:18:33.720 the Syrian says,
00:18:35.360 right?
00:18:35.500 We don't want
00:18:35.840 to lose anything.
00:18:37.100 So,
00:18:37.420 our manner of giving,
00:18:38.360 now when you give
00:18:38.860 a host on the tongue
00:18:40.900 to someone kneeling,
00:18:42.440 that danger is almost
00:18:43.300 completely removed.
00:18:44.780 And there's also,
00:18:45.520 by the rubrics,
00:18:46.020 there's supposed to be
00:18:46.400 a paten,
00:18:47.180 a hand paten,
00:18:48.280 or a chin paten
00:18:49.140 placed underneath
00:18:50.020 so that if there were
00:18:51.600 a fragment to fall,
00:18:52.580 it would fall right
00:18:53.160 onto the paten
00:18:53.760 and then the priest
00:18:54.340 cleans the paten.
00:18:55.120 So,
00:18:55.580 the Church has thought
00:18:56.320 of everything.
00:18:57.440 in this practice
00:18:58.860 leaves nothing
00:18:59.860 to chance,
00:19:00.760 right?
00:19:02.660 Okay,
00:19:03.160 other problems.
00:19:04.580 Communion in the hand,
00:19:05.920 especially as we do it
00:19:06.720 nowadays,
00:19:07.220 and standing up,
00:19:08.280 it lessens reference
00:19:09.480 for the Lord.
00:19:10.840 You know,
00:19:11.160 when the Magi
00:19:12.060 got to the manger,
00:19:14.480 they didn't just
00:19:15.160 stand around
00:19:15.880 and pass gifts
00:19:16.720 like they were
00:19:17.140 at some kind of
00:19:17.660 convention or whatever.
00:19:18.500 They got down
00:19:19.040 on their knees.
00:19:19.780 That's what it says
00:19:20.340 in Scripture,
00:19:21.220 right?
00:19:21.840 When the,
00:19:22.860 you know,
00:19:23.240 in the Gospels,
00:19:24.180 when people come up
00:19:24.980 to our Lord
00:19:25.560 to be healed,
00:19:26.240 they fall
00:19:26.700 on their knees.
00:19:27.980 You know,
00:19:28.300 when Peter says,
00:19:29.300 depart from me,
00:19:29.860 Lord,
00:19:30.000 I'm a sinful man,
00:19:30.880 right?
00:19:31.380 He's,
00:19:31.780 you know,
00:19:32.460 he's on his knees.
00:19:33.220 I mean,
00:19:33.500 it's the most obvious
00:19:34.620 and the most natural sign
00:19:36.060 of adoration
00:19:36.920 and reverence
00:19:37.460 that we have.
00:19:38.400 And that's why,
00:19:39.320 you know,
00:19:39.560 even in the
00:19:39.960 Novus Ordem Mass,
00:19:40.620 we're kneeling
00:19:41.060 during the Eucharistic prayer.
00:19:42.400 Why are we doing that?
00:19:43.620 And then we don't kneel
00:19:44.440 for communion
00:19:44.980 when we go up
00:19:45.580 to our Lord,
00:19:46.140 the most sacred moment
00:19:47.660 for us.
00:19:48.260 You know,
00:19:48.400 the most,
00:19:49.000 we're coming into contact
00:19:50.100 with the Lord.
00:19:52.020 So,
00:19:52.600 there's a real incoherence
00:19:54.120 there to sometimes kneeling
00:19:55.480 but then not kneeling
00:19:56.320 for that.
00:19:56.960 The traditional practice
00:19:57.940 was consistent,
00:19:59.020 was perfectly consistent.
00:20:01.540 Then,
00:20:02.020 I mean,
00:20:02.220 I think we can see
00:20:02.960 in connection
00:20:03.680 with all of this,
00:20:04.360 it lessens belief
00:20:05.160 in the real presence,
00:20:06.400 you know?
00:20:07.560 I mean,
00:20:08.100 if you really believe
00:20:09.020 that our Lord is present,
00:20:10.560 then you're not going
00:20:11.380 to treat it like ordinary,
00:20:12.820 like a cracker
00:20:13.760 or like a wafer
00:20:14.440 or something like that.
00:20:15.760 I mean,
00:20:16.040 this is like a bus ticket,
00:20:17.300 you know?
00:20:17.640 You can't imagine that.
00:20:19.020 And the fact,
00:20:20.500 you know,
00:20:20.740 that we don't show
00:20:21.620 our reverence
00:20:22.280 or that we treat it
00:20:23.560 in this common
00:20:24.620 and familiar way
00:20:25.560 is borne out
00:20:27.360 in the surveys
00:20:28.160 and the various polls
00:20:29.880 that have been done
00:20:30.560 showing how even Catholics 1.00
00:20:32.000 who go to Mass
00:20:32.600 don't believe
00:20:33.200 in transubstantiation anymore.
00:20:36.380 I think that communion
00:20:37.640 standing and in the hand,
00:20:39.080 you know,
00:20:39.380 bears a lot of the blame
00:20:40.760 for that.
00:20:42.920 Let me just mention
00:20:43.920 one other thing.
00:20:44.720 It lessens
00:20:45.440 our awareness
00:20:46.680 of the dignity
00:20:47.700 of the ordained
00:20:48.620 priesthood as well
00:20:49.940 because the ordained priest,
00:20:52.160 he's ordained
00:20:52.700 to offer sacrifice
00:20:53.740 but also to convey
00:20:56.460 the sacraments
00:20:57.220 to the faithful.
00:20:58.080 So St. Thomas says
00:20:58.960 it belongs to the same one
00:21:00.360 to consecrate
00:21:01.480 and to distribute
00:21:02.360 the Eucharist.
00:21:04.020 His hands,
00:21:05.100 the priest's hands
00:21:05.700 are anointed
00:21:06.380 with sacred chrism
00:21:08.280 in the ordination rites
00:21:09.600 so that he can worthily
00:21:10.840 handle the body
00:21:11.800 of Christ.
00:21:13.000 The faithful's hands
00:21:14.160 are never consecrated
00:21:15.200 that way,
00:21:15.660 right?
00:21:16.240 That's not
00:21:16.680 that's not something
00:21:17.760 that, you know,
00:21:19.340 we're not set apart
00:21:20.220 for the service
00:21:20.880 of the Eucharist
00:21:21.580 in the same way.
00:21:22.780 So it's actually
00:21:23.700 to have lay people
00:21:24.920 receiving in the hand
00:21:25.960 just in a way
00:21:27.400 it sends the subtle
00:21:28.360 message of equalization,
00:21:30.480 a kind of egalitarianism
00:21:31.980 between the faithful
00:21:32.760 and the priest.
00:21:34.100 You know,
00:21:34.620 and I think a lot of people
00:21:35.400 don't necessarily
00:21:36.060 formulate that in words
00:21:37.320 but it has definitely
00:21:38.600 lessened the respect
00:21:40.240 and the honor
00:21:40.800 that we owe to the priest.
00:21:41.840 I mean,
00:21:41.980 if the lay people
00:21:42.560 can distribute
00:21:43.280 then,
00:21:44.540 you know,
00:21:44.900 why,
00:21:45.200 I mean,
00:21:45.420 you know what I mean?
00:21:45.900 It just introduces
00:21:46.580 all kinds of confusion
00:21:47.720 about why is the priest special?
00:21:49.960 What is his role?
00:21:51.100 Right,
00:21:51.720 right.
00:21:52.300 So after saying all this,
00:21:54.120 is it true then
00:21:55.900 that communion
00:21:56.420 in the hand
00:21:57.020 is actually wrong,
00:21:57.920 like even sinful
00:21:58.900 for the faithful
00:22:00.200 to receive that way?
00:22:01.860 Mm-hmm.
00:22:02.920 Yeah,
00:22:03.420 so I would answer
00:22:04.160 this question
00:22:04.800 by first saying
00:22:07.100 that the church
00:22:07.660 clearly stipulated
00:22:09.400 conditions
00:22:10.040 as we discussed before.
00:22:11.900 There are conditions
00:22:12.780 for if you're going
00:22:14.000 to do communion
00:22:14.540 in the hand,
00:22:15.020 these things
00:22:15.440 have to be in place
00:22:16.180 and the two conditions
00:22:16.940 just to reiterate
00:22:17.740 are any possible
00:22:19.220 lack of reverence
00:22:19.920 or false ideas
00:22:20.520 about the Eucharist
00:22:21.280 cannot be engendered
00:22:22.720 in the people
00:22:23.200 and if there's a risk
00:22:24.680 of profanation,
00:22:25.480 holy communion
00:22:25.880 should not be given
00:22:26.560 in the hand.
00:22:27.820 I would say
00:22:28.520 those conditions
00:22:29.020 are never met.
00:22:30.340 Usually both of them
00:22:31.160 are not met,
00:22:32.160 almost,
00:22:32.580 I mean universally
00:22:33.080 neither one is met
00:22:34.120 and most of the time
00:22:35.480 neither,
00:22:35.900 both of them
00:22:36.580 are flagrantly violated
00:22:39.400 and so I would say
00:22:41.140 it's wrong,
00:22:42.460 you know,
00:22:42.780 on a legalistic level
00:22:44.100 it's wrong
00:22:44.640 because we can't
00:22:45.520 fulfill those conditions.
00:22:47.000 Those conditions
00:22:47.600 were set down
00:22:48.400 I think somewhat naively
00:22:50.540 but they were set down
00:22:51.700 and now we can look back
00:22:53.020 and say yeah,
00:22:53.660 that's true,
00:22:54.640 we can't actually
00:22:55.340 fulfill these conditions
00:22:56.300 but then in terms
00:22:58.600 of our particular situation
00:22:59.780 now,
00:23:01.160 if we can't,
00:23:02.640 if we come to see
00:23:04.540 in the year 2020
00:23:05.780 how much damage
00:23:07.720 this has done
00:23:08.860 to faith in the real presence
00:23:10.280 to the adoration
00:23:11.740 we should give
00:23:12.580 to our Lord
00:23:13.120 to the dignity
00:23:14.040 of the priesthood
00:23:14.920 that it allows Satanists
00:23:17.120 access to hosts,
00:23:18.320 right,
00:23:18.560 if we know these things
00:23:20.720 and it's not difficult
00:23:22.520 to know them
00:23:23.240 then it would be wrong
00:23:25.120 to receive in the hand
00:23:25.920 because you would just
00:23:26.600 be augmenting the problem,
00:23:27.860 you'd be contributing to it,
00:23:28.880 you'd be saying
00:23:29.260 I agree with this,
00:23:30.140 I consent to this,
00:23:31.500 you know,
00:23:31.740 yes it should keep
00:23:32.460 happening this way
00:23:33.240 and I think no,
00:23:34.440 I think that's wrong
00:23:35.120 so in my conscience
00:23:36.280 right now,
00:23:37.000 just speaking for myself,
00:23:37.900 Dr. Krasnetsky,
00:23:39.020 I could not receive
00:23:40.840 in the hand,
00:23:41.460 I would feel like
00:23:42.080 it was sinful
00:23:42.660 to receive in the hand.
00:23:44.120 Yeah,
00:23:44.960 yeah,
00:23:45.200 no,
00:23:45.440 I'd be exactly the same
00:23:46.780 and not only that,
00:23:48.280 I wonder though
00:23:49.260 that has to be parsed
00:23:50.340 a little bit
00:23:50.840 because of the,
00:23:52.080 you know,
00:23:52.720 the faithful are being told
00:23:54.200 they should receive this way
00:23:55.460 and some of them told,
00:23:56.960 especially now
00:23:57.500 during the coronavirus pandemic,
00:23:59.260 they may not receive
00:24:00.560 any other way,
00:24:01.480 they'd have to just make
00:24:02.340 a spiritual holy communion
00:24:03.140 and that this is right
00:24:04.280 and good
00:24:04.640 so for those people
00:24:06.740 who don't know,
00:24:08.260 is it still a sin
00:24:09.060 and if it is
00:24:11.480 on the part of the bishop
00:24:12.520 or the priest,
00:24:13.560 is it a sin for them?
00:24:16.140 Yeah,
00:24:16.500 yeah,
00:24:16.900 I think,
00:24:17.440 so these are obviously
00:24:18.860 getting to some
00:24:19.600 much more controversial
00:24:20.720 topics
00:24:21.740 and I,
00:24:22.680 you know,
00:24:22.880 I'm going to say
00:24:23.560 what I think is the case
00:24:24.620 although,
00:24:25.460 you know,
00:24:25.920 somebody might be able
00:24:26.700 to refute me on this.
00:24:28.480 I think that
00:24:29.580 the bishops,
00:24:30.560 many bishops
00:24:31.020 are abusing
00:24:31.580 their authority right now
00:24:32.580 because their authority,
00:24:34.120 first of all,
00:24:34.720 they're supposed
00:24:35.040 to uphold canon law
00:24:36.360 and canon law
00:24:37.560 is really clear
00:24:38.580 that the faithful
00:24:40.580 have the right
00:24:41.260 to receive communion
00:24:42.020 on the tongue.
00:24:42.900 That's spelled out
00:24:43.940 without any exceptions.
00:24:45.740 As long as the faithful
00:24:46.820 are properly disposed
00:24:47.920 to receive the sacraments,
00:24:49.220 they cannot be denied
00:24:50.300 the sacraments
00:24:51.140 and,
00:24:52.940 you know,
00:24:53.640 when bishops invoke
00:24:54.920 the canon about,
00:24:56.140 you know,
00:24:56.600 a bishop can decide
00:24:57.600 how the rights
00:24:58.260 of the faithful
00:24:58.840 are to be,
00:24:59.720 you know,
00:25:02.200 exercised,
00:25:02.940 there is a canon
00:25:03.640 that says that.
00:25:04.960 It's not a blanket statement.
00:25:06.540 I mean,
00:25:06.760 the bishop can't tell me
00:25:07.760 that I'm not allowed
00:25:08.400 to get married
00:25:09.020 or that I have to become
00:25:09.880 a monk or something like that.
00:25:10.880 I mean,
00:25:11.040 those are my rights
00:25:11.940 but he can't determine
00:25:12.820 the exercise of those rights.
00:25:14.120 So,
00:25:14.580 that's a general statement
00:25:15.800 but it doesn't necessarily,
00:25:17.660 I mean,
00:25:17.860 without a clarification,
00:25:18.980 it wouldn't apply
00:25:19.660 in this case.
00:25:20.440 The default position
00:25:21.600 is that the faithful
00:25:22.300 should be able
00:25:22.840 to receive on the tongue.
00:25:25.160 But,
00:25:25.840 more deeply than that,
00:25:27.200 I think what this
00:25:27.900 coronavirus
00:25:28.380 is bringing out
00:25:29.440 is a real crisis
00:25:30.380 in the faith
00:25:32.700 of the bishops
00:25:33.440 in the real presence
00:25:34.680 of our Lord
00:25:35.300 and in the reverence
00:25:36.140 and adoration
00:25:36.600 we owe him.
00:25:37.720 Why do I say that?
00:25:38.840 Because they've been
00:25:40.320 acting for months
00:25:41.420 as if physical health
00:25:42.640 is the highest good,
00:25:43.960 as if it's the sumum bonum.
00:25:45.580 The number one thing
00:25:46.720 we have to do
00:25:47.300 is to protect ourselves
00:25:48.340 from the coronavirus
00:25:49.000 and therefore
00:25:49.960 how we treat the Eucharist
00:25:51.340 should be dictated
00:25:52.180 by preventing
00:25:53.180 the coronavirus.
00:25:54.580 I mean,
00:25:55.120 that's such a backwards 1.00
00:25:56.380 way of thinking.
00:25:57.180 It's completely upside down
00:25:58.440 and it sends
00:25:59.260 to the faithful,
00:25:59.940 I mean,
00:26:00.200 you know this,
00:26:00.880 I'm just,
00:26:01.280 you know,
00:26:01.860 telling you things
00:26:02.800 you already know,
00:26:03.180 but this,
00:26:04.100 you know,
00:26:04.420 it sends to the faithful
00:26:05.420 that the signal
00:26:06.140 that,
00:26:06.520 you know,
00:26:06.760 this sacrament
00:26:07.460 is kind of a means
00:26:08.860 to some end
00:26:09.780 that the church
00:26:10.800 gets to determine.
00:26:11.700 It's not God himself,
00:26:12.880 the end,
00:26:13.580 the ultimate good,
00:26:14.680 but it's just one more,
00:26:16.220 you know,
00:26:17.340 negotiable item
00:26:18.420 in Catholic life,
00:26:19.680 like a parking spot
00:26:20.940 or,
00:26:21.820 you know,
00:26:22.280 I mean,
00:26:22.600 it's,
00:26:23.240 in a certain sense,
00:26:24.500 it's like saying
00:26:25.360 mass is a non-essential
00:26:26.740 service.
00:26:27.180 Right?
00:26:28.440 You know,
00:26:29.120 the groceries are essential,
00:26:30.780 food for your body
00:26:31.460 is essential,
00:26:32.000 but food for your soul
00:26:32.980 is not essential.
00:26:34.220 That's the message
00:26:34.860 that's been sent.
00:26:36.020 And similarly,
00:26:37.040 you know,
00:26:37.660 well,
00:26:37.920 the blessed sacrament,
00:26:38.880 yes,
00:26:39.080 it's a very special thing.
00:26:40.360 It's a really important
00:26:41.120 symbol for us,
00:26:41.980 but it's not almighty God
00:26:43.260 and therefore it takes
00:26:44.300 second place
00:26:44.880 to physical health.
00:26:46.120 Right?
00:26:46.560 So I think that this,
00:26:47.700 this is a terrible message
00:26:49.040 to be sending
00:26:49.620 and it's wrong
00:26:50.740 for that reason.
00:26:51.780 It's wrong for that reason.
00:26:53.840 Reverence is more important
00:26:55.560 than it,
00:26:58.340 and there's a paradox here,
00:27:00.040 right?
00:27:00.180 The faithful,
00:27:00.900 they're hungry
00:27:01.340 for their blessed sacrament.
00:27:02.600 They desperately want to receive,
00:27:04.900 they want to go back to mass.
00:27:05.880 I feel the same way.
00:27:06.720 I've been able to go back to mass
00:27:08.200 and communion,
00:27:09.080 thanks be to God.
00:27:09.620 But we should never place
00:27:13.080 our own private good
00:27:14.620 over the common good
00:27:15.640 of the church
00:27:16.200 and over the homage
00:27:18.280 and worship
00:27:19.420 that we owe to God.
00:27:20.860 I mean,
00:27:21.140 even if that meant
00:27:21.960 sacrificing,
00:27:22.860 reception of communion,
00:27:23.840 I think it's more important
00:27:25.100 to,
00:27:26.260 I think we will actually
00:27:27.460 merit more
00:27:28.240 in the sight of our Lord
00:27:29.140 if we,
00:27:30.320 if we defend
00:27:31.860 his right
00:27:32.680 to be treated
00:27:33.400 with due honor
00:27:34.420 than if we insist,
00:27:36.440 I have to receive
00:27:37.320 at any cost
00:27:38.220 and I'll do whatever
00:27:38.940 they tell me to do.
00:27:40.440 Right, right.
00:27:41.820 So,
00:27:42.420 just to make that point clear,
00:27:44.260 is it then
00:27:45.940 the case
00:27:46.500 that a bishop
00:27:47.700 cannot really
00:27:49.860 refuse
00:27:50.740 or forbid
00:27:52.060 Holy Communion
00:27:52.840 on the tongue?
00:27:56.340 Yes,
00:27:56.860 that's my position
00:27:57.900 and I've tried
00:27:58.920 to document that.
00:28:00.580 I've got an article
00:28:01.540 at 1 Peter 5
00:28:02.380 that gives
00:28:03.860 all of the quotations
00:28:04.760 from different
00:28:05.220 Vatican documents
00:28:06.120 that make it clear
00:28:07.100 that this is not,
00:28:08.780 this is not just,
00:28:12.020 how should I put it?
00:28:13.160 They make it clear
00:28:13.900 that the normative
00:28:14.800 and universal manner
00:28:16.200 of reception
00:28:16.720 is on the tongue.
00:28:19.060 And that remains
00:28:19.980 the case.
00:28:20.700 That's never been changed.
00:28:23.180 The communion
00:28:23.840 in the hand
00:28:24.280 is an exception.
00:28:25.380 It's what's called
00:28:26.200 an indult.
00:28:26.840 It's a permission.
00:28:27.860 It's a permission,
00:28:28.700 in my opinion,
00:28:29.040 that should never
00:28:29.520 have been granted,
00:28:30.200 but that's all it is.
00:28:31.660 It's saying,
00:28:32.420 you don't have to do
00:28:33.200 the universal norm.
00:28:34.580 You can do this
00:28:35.280 particular exceptional way.
00:28:37.300 And so,
00:28:37.660 what bishops are doing
00:28:38.400 is they're flipping
00:28:38.960 that around
00:28:39.480 and saying,
00:28:40.360 the universal norm
00:28:41.340 now is communion
00:28:42.320 in the hand
00:28:42.920 and,
00:28:43.440 you know,
00:28:43.700 by exception
00:28:44.360 or by permission
00:28:45.040 on the tongue.
00:28:45.840 That's just,
00:28:46.360 that's completely
00:28:46.900 to invert
00:28:47.380 all that the church
00:28:48.140 documents have ever
00:28:48.940 said about this.
00:28:50.440 And that being said,
00:28:51.740 they could,
00:28:52.460 a bishop then
00:28:53.300 could legitimately
00:28:54.280 forbid completely
00:28:56.720 communion on the hand.
00:29:00.640 Are you saying,
00:29:02.020 so on what basis?
00:29:03.340 What are you saying?
00:29:03.740 Could a bishop
00:29:04.420 then forbid
00:29:05.560 in his diocese
00:29:06.840 communion on the hand?
00:29:08.300 Oh, yes,
00:29:08.820 absolutely.
00:29:09.600 Yeah,
00:29:09.880 that's possible
00:29:10.780 because that's only
00:29:11.800 a permission.
00:29:13.040 It's a permission
00:29:13.760 that has to be requested
00:29:14.700 from the Vatican
00:29:15.420 and nobody needs
00:29:16.860 to take advantage
00:29:17.620 of a permission.
00:29:18.520 In fact,
00:29:18.800 there have been
00:29:19.200 a few bishops
00:29:19.820 in the world.
00:29:21.080 I forget,
00:29:21.720 there was one
00:29:22.200 most recently,
00:29:23.240 I think in South America
00:29:24.260 who actually said,
00:29:26.260 in my diocese,
00:29:27.080 we are only receiving
00:29:27.940 on the tongue.
00:29:29.120 That's just the,
00:29:30.020 that's what we're doing.
00:29:30.540 We're following
00:29:31.180 the church's
00:29:31.760 universal norm
00:29:32.520 with no exceptions.
00:29:34.360 That's a quite
00:29:35.060 different situation.
00:29:37.040 Right.
00:29:37.800 The other thing
00:29:38.480 I just wanted to mention
00:29:39.360 about all of this
00:29:40.340 is that it does seem
00:29:41.740 to me important
00:29:42.480 to recognize
00:29:43.980 that it's not just
00:29:46.340 about communion
00:29:46.840 on the tongue,
00:29:47.420 but also communion
00:29:48.040 on the tongue kneeling.
00:29:49.640 The kneeling part
00:29:50.400 is very important
00:29:51.240 for this reason,
00:29:53.800 that, you know,
00:29:54.360 St. Augustine,
00:29:55.080 already way back,
00:29:56.580 you know,
00:29:56.880 in the 6th century,
00:29:57.760 St. Augustine says,
00:29:58.520 if we do not adore
00:30:00.800 the Eucharist
00:30:02.600 before we receive it,
00:30:04.000 we sin.
00:30:04.860 He said this,
00:30:05.600 this is, you know,
00:30:06.520 we would sin
00:30:07.680 if we did not adore it.
00:30:09.700 And so,
00:30:10.320 that's why,
00:30:11.540 technically,
00:30:12.120 on the books,
00:30:13.320 even in the Novus Ordo,
00:30:14.380 everyone is supposed
00:30:14.980 to make a sign
00:30:15.780 of adoration
00:30:16.420 towards the Blessed Sacrament
00:30:17.580 before they receive.
00:30:18.840 Some people,
00:30:19.520 I've seen,
00:30:19.980 genuflect,
00:30:20.640 some people bow,
00:30:22.220 but they're supposed
00:30:23.460 to make some kind
00:30:24.240 of sign of adoration.
00:30:25.320 If they don't do that,
00:30:26.420 they're sinning.
00:30:26.960 Now, they may not know, 0.99
00:30:27.900 they may be completely ignorant, 0.97
00:30:29.500 nobody's told them anything, 0.99
00:30:31.300 so they might not be
00:30:31.940 personally culpable,
00:30:33.280 but it's objectively wrong
00:30:34.720 not to show a sign
00:30:36.000 of adoration
00:30:36.720 towards our Lord
00:30:37.980 in the Blessed Sacrament.
00:30:39.040 Now,
00:30:39.520 kneeling was the traditional
00:30:40.480 way of doing that
00:30:41.100 because when you get down
00:30:41.860 on your knees,
00:30:42.440 that's why you're doing it.
00:30:43.920 You're not,
00:30:44.400 you know,
00:30:44.660 you're not getting
00:30:45.040 on your knees
00:30:45.440 to propose
00:30:45.980 to your wife-to-be.
00:30:47.420 You're getting down
00:30:48.080 on your knees
00:30:48.560 to worship God,
00:30:49.500 and that's in the context
00:30:50.340 of the Church.
00:30:50.920 We all understand
00:30:51.540 that that's what it means.
00:30:53.640 But practically speaking,
00:30:55.300 it's much easier
00:30:56.400 for the priest
00:30:57.100 to give communion
00:30:57.980 to someone who's kneeling.
00:30:59.420 The priest is standing
00:31:00.540 and his hand
00:31:01.100 is at just the right level
00:31:02.320 to put the host
00:31:03.640 on the tongue
00:31:04.160 without any contact
00:31:05.120 of the tongue.
00:31:05.960 You know,
00:31:06.180 I've been receiving this way
00:31:07.080 for decades,
00:31:07.900 and I think,
00:31:08.680 you know,
00:31:08.980 twice in 20 years
00:31:10.420 have I ever noticed
00:31:11.680 a priest's finger
00:31:12.260 touch my tongue.
00:31:12.920 It's a very safe way
00:31:14.140 of giving communion,
00:31:15.520 but that's because
00:31:16.300 there's a perfect
00:31:17.060 height relationship
00:31:18.200 between the minister
00:31:19.440 and the recipient.
00:31:20.260 In the Novus Ordo,
00:31:21.940 when people are
00:31:22.500 queuing up in lines,
00:31:24.700 you know,
00:31:25.760 as if they're going
00:31:26.620 to buy tickets,
00:31:27.900 you know,
00:31:28.240 bus tickets or something,
00:31:30.200 there's actually
00:31:31.520 a really weird relationship
00:31:32.740 then between the dispenser
00:31:34.320 and the recipient.
00:31:35.120 Often the priest
00:31:36.240 or the minister
00:31:37.440 is shorter
00:31:38.280 than the one receiving,
00:31:39.340 and they have to reach up,
00:31:40.580 you know,
00:31:40.900 and that's not really
00:31:42.780 a safe way
00:31:44.080 to do communion
00:31:45.160 on the tongue.
00:31:45.960 So if you're going
00:31:47.040 to receive communion
00:31:47.660 on the tongue,
00:31:48.440 kneel.
00:31:49.120 You've got to kneel.
00:31:49.740 That's what makes it
00:31:51.040 work practically.
00:31:52.240 Yeah.
00:31:52.840 And also,
00:31:53.660 it's the sign of adoration
00:31:54.600 that we owe.
00:31:56.400 Absolutely.
00:31:57.480 So there's also
00:31:58.940 this thing about
00:31:59.760 being unworthy
00:32:01.140 to receive altogether,
00:32:03.300 and people talk about,
00:32:04.980 well,
00:32:05.240 is my tongue
00:32:06.480 any more worthy
00:32:07.220 than my hand?
00:32:08.080 What's really
00:32:08.720 the problem there?
00:32:10.100 Yeah.
00:32:10.500 Oh gosh,
00:32:11.240 I've heard that
00:32:11.760 so many times.
00:32:13.140 And it's,
00:32:13.800 you know,
00:32:14.080 it's an absurd objection
00:32:15.600 because,
00:32:16.900 yes,
00:32:18.580 metaphysically speaking,
00:32:19.740 every creature
00:32:20.600 is unworthy of God.
00:32:22.520 So,
00:32:23.180 you know,
00:32:24.160 that's why we say,
00:32:25.120 Domine non subdenius,
00:32:26.320 Lord,
00:32:26.660 I am not worthy
00:32:27.340 that you should enter
00:32:28.140 under my roof,
00:32:28.980 but only say the word
00:32:29.700 and I shall be healed.
00:32:30.800 And that's true.
00:32:31.460 We're saying that
00:32:31.800 even if we're in a state
00:32:32.560 of grace,
00:32:33.120 you know,
00:32:33.780 even St. Thomas Aquinas
00:32:35.000 says,
00:32:35.460 Domine non subdenius,
00:32:36.560 right?
00:32:36.760 And so,
00:32:38.460 it's not,
00:32:39.620 but when we're talking
00:32:40.640 about,
00:32:41.380 we're talking about
00:32:43.020 something else,
00:32:43.500 we're talking about
00:32:43.920 fittingness,
00:32:44.680 about the way
00:32:45.620 we show
00:32:46.520 our humility
00:32:47.580 and our love
00:32:48.580 and our submission
00:32:49.500 and our worship
00:32:51.860 of the Lord.
00:32:52.620 We want to show that
00:32:53.980 in the best way
00:32:55.100 we can
00:32:55.700 and in that sense
00:32:56.640 make ourselves
00:32:57.320 more worthy.
00:32:58.400 So,
00:32:58.780 St. Thomas says,
00:32:59.400 a worthy communion
00:33:00.060 means that you receive
00:33:01.800 with lively faith
00:33:03.820 and actual devotion.
00:33:06.780 So,
00:33:07.100 what he means
00:33:07.660 is that you don't
00:33:08.160 just go up
00:33:08.700 by routine,
00:33:10.180 you know,
00:33:10.460 because everyone else
00:33:11.100 is going up
00:33:11.700 and you just receive
00:33:12.360 this thing
00:33:12.740 because,
00:33:13.160 you know,
00:33:13.300 your parents
00:33:13.720 are receiving it
00:33:14.380 or your neighbors
00:33:14.800 receiving it.
00:33:15.460 You don't even know
00:33:15.940 what it signifies.
00:33:17.080 That would be
00:33:17.680 without faith,
00:33:18.980 right?
00:33:19.140 We need to have
00:33:19.660 real conscious faith
00:33:20.920 that we're going
00:33:21.560 to receive the Lord,
00:33:22.860 Jesus.
00:33:23.700 And then actual devotion,
00:33:25.420 meaning not just
00:33:26.040 habitual devotion,
00:33:26.780 like I was devout
00:33:27.600 last week
00:33:28.200 or I'm capable
00:33:28.940 of being devout,
00:33:30.060 but I'm actually,
00:33:31.280 I'm encouraging
00:33:33.560 myself right now
00:33:34.660 to make acts
00:33:35.340 of faith,
00:33:35.780 hope,
00:33:35.960 and charity,
00:33:36.560 you know,
00:33:36.760 and asking the Lord,
00:33:37.600 please,
00:33:38.060 you know,
00:33:38.700 sanctify me
00:33:39.400 and cleanse me
00:33:40.120 and transform me,
00:33:40.960 right?
00:33:41.340 So,
00:33:41.960 lively faith,
00:33:43.040 actual devotion,
00:33:44.020 that's what we need
00:33:44.700 for a worthy communion.
00:33:46.140 So,
00:33:46.380 in that sense,
00:33:46.780 we can have
00:33:47.300 a worthy communion
00:33:48.000 or an unworthy communion.
00:33:50.640 Now,
00:33:51.320 the thing about the tongue,
00:33:52.640 this is very interesting,
00:33:54.360 the traditional rite
00:33:57.520 of baptism,
00:33:58.940 the one that was used
00:33:59.940 in the church
00:34:00.400 from ancient times
00:34:01.300 all the way
00:34:01.760 until 1970
00:34:03.040 or so
00:34:03.760 when it was changed
00:34:04.740 and changed horribly,
00:34:06.600 I would say,
00:34:07.060 but that's another conversation.
00:34:08.300 We'll have to have
00:34:08.680 another time.
00:34:09.580 But in the traditional
00:34:10.500 rite of baptism,
00:34:11.840 the priest blesses
00:34:13.060 and exercises
00:34:14.140 some salt,
00:34:16.120 which,
00:34:16.540 as you know,
00:34:16.980 blessed salt
00:34:17.580 is used in the making
00:34:18.480 of traditional holy water
00:34:20.200 and it's also used
00:34:21.460 by exorcists as well.
00:34:23.160 So,
00:34:23.400 he blesses the salt
00:34:24.380 and then he puts
00:34:25.200 a little of the salt
00:34:26.100 into the mouth
00:34:26.920 of the child
00:34:27.720 or the adult
00:34:28.980 being baptized
00:34:29.640 and he says,
00:34:31.620 receive the salt
00:34:32.700 of wisdom,
00:34:33.420 may it be unto thee
00:34:34.160 a sign of reconciliation
00:34:35.160 unto life everlasting.
00:34:36.700 Amen.
00:34:37.380 And then he prays this,
00:34:39.140 God of our fathers,
00:34:40.240 O God,
00:34:40.820 thou source of all truth,
00:34:41.940 I'm reading from
00:34:42.460 the Rituale Romanum here,
00:34:43.800 Humbly we implore thee
00:34:46.440 to look with mercy
00:34:47.400 upon this thy servant
00:34:49.280 and no more let him hunger
00:34:51.300 who now tastes
00:34:52.220 this first nourishment
00:34:53.280 of salt,
00:34:54.260 but let him be enriched
00:34:55.240 with heavenly food
00:34:56.260 so that he may ever
00:34:57.180 be inflamed with zeal,
00:34:58.340 joyous and hope
00:34:59.000 constant in serving thee.
00:35:00.800 We bid thee, Lord,
00:35:01.820 lead him to the bath
00:35:02.880 where one is born anew
00:35:04.100 that in the company
00:35:05.540 of thy faithful
00:35:06.240 he may deserve
00:35:06.820 to win the everlasting reward
00:35:08.440 which thou hast promised
00:35:09.920 through Christ our Lord.
00:35:11.200 Amen.
00:35:11.540 And so the meaning of that
00:35:14.200 in the Rite itself
00:35:15.260 is that the tongue
00:35:16.100 is being blessed
00:35:17.260 for the eventual reception
00:35:18.700 of the bread of life.
00:35:20.540 And so again,
00:35:21.240 if you're baptized
00:35:22.260 in the traditional Rite,
00:35:23.200 your tongue is blessed
00:35:24.080 so that it may properly
00:35:25.240 receive the host
00:35:26.500 just as in the Rite of Ordination
00:35:28.300 the priest's hands
00:35:29.280 are properly blessed
00:35:30.280 and consecrated
00:35:31.020 so that he may handle it.
00:35:33.000 And this is very important.
00:35:34.260 I mean, just the Lex Orandi
00:35:35.980 of the Church said,
00:35:37.580 yes, there's a difference.
00:35:38.500 We're going to bless.
00:35:39.560 Just like the Church 0.72
00:35:40.200 also consecrates patents
00:35:41.500 because the host
00:35:42.280 will be put on them
00:35:42.960 so she blesses the tongue
00:35:44.620 of the one being baptized.
00:35:47.420 So in a way,
00:35:48.660 it seems to me
00:35:49.700 that we have to throw
00:35:50.860 that argument
00:35:51.380 right back in people's faces
00:35:52.620 and say,
00:35:53.060 no, the Church
00:35:53.660 for almost 2,000 years
00:35:55.720 blessed the tongue
00:35:56.760 for this reason.
00:35:58.260 Yeah.
00:35:59.680 One of the arguments
00:36:00.800 that's being made now, though,
00:36:02.420 is that in times
00:36:03.980 of this pandemic,
00:36:06.060 we need to do this
00:36:07.440 because communion
00:36:08.660 on the tongue
00:36:09.240 is far less hygienic,
00:36:11.380 say the bishops,
00:36:12.760 than, you know,
00:36:13.880 than communion in hand
00:36:14.760 and therefore
00:36:16.240 we have to do it this way.
00:36:17.660 How do you even respond
00:36:18.640 to that?
00:36:19.340 Right.
00:36:19.840 Well, I guess, I mean,
00:36:20.800 I responded earlier
00:36:22.280 on the theoretical level
00:36:23.380 that we shouldn't
00:36:24.700 make health
00:36:25.360 into our God
00:36:26.240 and we shouldn't
00:36:27.300 make human life,
00:36:29.080 this mortal life,
00:36:30.020 into the ultimate
00:36:30.900 standard
00:36:32.340 of every decision
00:36:33.340 we make.
00:36:34.360 But practically speaking,
00:36:36.900 there are people
00:36:37.660 who disagree,
00:36:38.480 experts who disagree
00:36:39.420 with that claim
00:36:40.700 about communion
00:36:41.520 on the tongue
00:36:41.960 being less hygienic.
00:36:44.400 As you know,
00:36:45.340 there have been
00:36:45.760 a number of
00:36:46.740 doctors of medicine
00:36:48.260 as well as bishops
00:36:49.400 who have come out
00:36:50.600 and said,
00:36:51.760 you know,
00:36:52.660 it's no less hygienic
00:36:55.260 to give properly
00:36:56.220 onto the tongue
00:36:57.080 than to put the host
00:36:58.400 in someone's hand.
00:37:00.280 A hand, you know,
00:37:01.020 our hands are quite dirty.
00:37:02.360 I mean, let's face it.
00:37:03.080 That's why they're
00:37:03.640 always telling us
00:37:04.140 to wash them,
00:37:04.820 you know,
00:37:05.040 wash them all the time.
00:37:06.480 Well, that's because
00:37:07.420 you can hardly live
00:37:08.540 for 15 minutes
00:37:09.360 without getting germs
00:37:10.200 on your hands
00:37:10.780 from somewhere, right?
00:37:12.600 And I mean,
00:37:13.320 I wouldn't,
00:37:13.760 I won't even go
00:37:14.340 into some of the studies
00:37:15.220 that have been done
00:37:15.820 about how dirty
00:37:16.540 things are
00:37:17.620 that people are touching,
00:37:18.720 right?
00:37:19.260 So I'm not at all convinced,
00:37:21.220 especially if a priest
00:37:22.180 or another minister,
00:37:23.240 his hand comes into contact
00:37:24.620 with the communicant's hand,
00:37:25.720 which often happens,
00:37:26.620 unless you're going
00:37:27.020 to drop the host
00:37:27.860 and what kind of
00:37:28.340 absurd idea is that.
00:37:29.880 But,
00:37:30.380 or, you know,
00:37:31.360 use machines
00:37:32.140 or something like
00:37:32.720 the Germans are doing. 0.94
00:37:33.580 I mean,
00:37:33.740 there's all kinds
00:37:34.360 of weird stuff,
00:37:35.260 irreverent,
00:37:36.240 you know,
00:37:37.000 unfitting,
00:37:38.480 unworthy,
00:37:40.000 mechanistic treatments
00:37:41.320 of our Lord
00:37:41.940 that are happening
00:37:42.820 all because of this
00:37:43.600 panic and craze.
00:37:44.680 but, you know,
00:37:46.280 it's just,
00:37:47.080 it's not more hygienic
00:37:48.480 to give in the hand
00:37:49.600 and in fact,
00:37:50.460 if a priest knows
00:37:51.160 what he's doing
00:37:51.760 and the people are kneeling,
00:37:53.120 as I said before,
00:37:53.860 it seems to be much more hygienic
00:37:55.640 to give on the tongue.
00:37:56.740 As I said,
00:37:57.020 I've been going
00:37:57.740 for 20 years,
00:37:59.720 I've,
00:37:59.980 let's see,
00:38:00.400 probably more than 20 years
00:38:01.440 at this point.
00:38:03.200 Yeah,
00:38:03.420 25 years I've been receiving
00:38:04.820 communion on the tongue
00:38:05.620 without exception
00:38:06.860 and I think twice
00:38:08.280 in that whole period
00:38:09.140 have I ever actually felt,
00:38:10.700 you know,
00:38:11.160 the priest's finger.
00:38:12.940 You know,
00:38:13.500 maybe he was clumsy,
00:38:14.460 maybe I was being clumsy,
00:38:15.600 whatever the case might have been.
00:38:16.980 But that's a lot of communions,
00:38:19.000 right?
00:38:19.500 Whereas when I,
00:38:20.520 at the time
00:38:20.880 when I was receiving
00:38:21.720 in the hand,
00:38:22.640 at least like I can remember
00:38:23.840 growing up,
00:38:24.680 there was constant contact
00:38:25.960 happening.
00:38:26.560 So I think it's absurd.
00:38:28.020 I think people
00:38:29.220 who are saying that
00:38:30.060 they've either been tricked
00:38:31.720 by experts,
00:38:33.160 they've let themselves
00:38:33.740 be talked into it
00:38:34.640 by experts,
00:38:35.620 or,
00:38:36.140 and I hate to make,
00:38:36.860 you know,
00:38:37.000 to sound like a conspiracy
00:38:38.540 theorist or whatever,
00:38:39.340 but I wouldn't put it past
00:38:41.200 some prelates
00:38:43.560 to be taking advantage
00:38:45.020 of this situation
00:38:45.880 to try to put an end
00:38:47.320 to what they see
00:38:48.120 as an undesirable resurgence
00:38:50.040 of traditional practice.
00:38:51.920 I mean,
00:38:52.540 let's,
00:38:52.840 we've seen that.
00:38:53.420 We've seen that happen
00:38:54.060 in different areas
00:38:54.780 in different respects,
00:38:55.560 so why not this one?
00:38:57.240 Why not this one?
00:38:57.920 It's funny,
00:38:58.480 my own,
00:38:59.300 well,
00:38:59.760 a priest friend of mine
00:39:00.360 said something very similar.
00:39:01.540 He said,
00:39:02.120 you know,
00:39:02.500 how,
00:39:02.960 for how many years
00:39:03.540 he's been giving
00:39:04.200 Holy Communion on the tongue
00:39:05.780 and he says,
00:39:06.540 you know,
00:39:06.960 he can count on his hand
00:39:08.580 how many times
00:39:09.220 he's touched the tongue
00:39:10.040 of a,
00:39:10.940 of a parishioner,
00:39:12.100 but,
00:39:12.660 you know,
00:39:12.880 with communion on the hand,
00:39:13.880 it's every mass,
00:39:15.060 and,
00:39:15.460 and,
00:39:15.920 you know,
00:39:16.900 he went on to describe
00:39:18.480 in his bulletin
00:39:19.240 that he's seen people
00:39:20.680 do weird things
00:39:21.300 with their hands
00:39:21.760 in the church
00:39:22.640 and receive Holy Communion
00:39:23.980 with the same hand.
00:39:24.940 So,
00:39:25.320 I mean,
00:39:25.600 it,
00:39:25.820 it really is
00:39:26.480 all over the place.
00:39:27.160 Yeah,
00:39:27.220 exactly.
00:39:28.920 Exactly.
00:39:29.760 What advice do you have
00:39:30.700 for Catholics
00:39:31.380 in dioceses
00:39:32.920 where the bishop
00:39:33.460 has forbidden
00:39:34.620 communion on the tongue?
00:39:36.940 Yeah,
00:39:37.540 that's,
00:39:38.100 and that is
00:39:38.760 extremely painful.
00:39:41.380 That's a,
00:39:41.680 that's a very painful
00:39:42.440 cross to have to bear.
00:39:44.620 I,
00:39:45.360 I think that there are
00:39:46.780 a few things they can do.
00:39:49.200 The first thing is
00:39:50.320 that they can try
00:39:51.160 to find a priest
00:39:53.080 who's willing
00:39:53.580 outside of mass
00:39:54.580 to give communion
00:39:56.000 to them.
00:39:56.640 You know,
00:39:56.840 just as communion
00:39:57.480 outside of the mass,
00:39:58.780 you know,
00:39:58.960 there's a,
00:39:59.280 there's a little ritual
00:39:59.940 for it.
00:40:00.820 It's permissible.
00:40:02.360 And,
00:40:02.940 you know,
00:40:03.880 that could be,
00:40:05.380 I mean,
00:40:06.980 that's what,
00:40:07.340 that's what I would
00:40:07.860 start with first
00:40:08.720 because there are
00:40:09.300 many priests out there
00:40:10.400 who are fully aware
00:40:11.300 of the problem
00:40:12.040 of being forced
00:40:14.240 to do this
00:40:14.960 against their will
00:40:15.800 and against the rights
00:40:16.720 of the faithful.
00:40:18.140 But that may not be possible.
00:40:19.500 It may not be possible
00:40:20.160 to find a priest
00:40:20.820 who's willing to do that.
00:40:22.400 So then I think
00:40:23.520 another thing
00:40:24.040 that could be done
00:40:24.520 is,
00:40:24.880 you know,
00:40:25.220 is to,
00:40:25.980 you know,
00:40:26.940 just intensify
00:40:27.820 your prayer life
00:40:28.480 in other traditional ways,
00:40:29.660 right?
00:40:30.320 Embrace the rosary
00:40:31.300 anew.
00:40:32.880 Pray some part
00:40:33.400 of the divine office,
00:40:34.280 whether that's Prime
00:40:35.220 or Compline
00:40:35.980 or Lauds
00:40:36.580 or Vespers.
00:40:37.660 Read the Missal.
00:40:38.780 You know,
00:40:39.060 if you can't get
00:40:39.800 to daily Mass,
00:40:40.700 take a traditional Missal 0.54
00:40:42.120 and just read the prayers.
00:40:43.260 They're so rich
00:40:43.900 and you can make
00:40:44.460 a spiritual communion
00:40:45.280 that way.
00:40:46.140 A very heartfelt,
00:40:49.260 earnest,
00:40:49.740 spiritual communion.
00:40:50.600 The saints say
00:40:51.420 that that can bring us
00:40:52.260 as much grace
00:40:52.860 as sacramental communion.
00:40:54.080 It's not a long-term solution,
00:40:55.580 right?
00:40:56.120 Nobody is saying
00:40:57.060 that we should all,
00:40:58.260 you know,
00:40:58.540 just do spiritual communions
00:40:59.540 for the rest of our life.
00:41:00.180 But for a temporary solution,
00:41:02.380 if we're going to do that,
00:41:03.300 we should really prepare
00:41:04.060 ourselves for it
00:41:04.840 as well as possible.
00:41:05.920 And, you know,
00:41:06.540 like, for example,
00:41:07.140 some people will light
00:41:07.920 a couple of candles
00:41:08.980 and they'll, you know,
00:41:09.920 early in the morning,
00:41:10.660 they'll pray through
00:41:11.260 the prayers of the Mass
00:41:12.420 and they'll, you know,
00:41:13.120 they'll make a spiritual
00:41:14.160 communion and meditate.
00:41:15.800 So I think we have
00:41:16.940 to do what we can.
00:41:18.700 And then maybe once a month,
00:41:20.160 they could drive someplace,
00:41:21.360 you know,
00:41:21.680 at different diocese
00:41:22.900 or a chapel
00:41:24.540 or someplace
00:41:25.000 that is actually
00:41:25.980 giving communion
00:41:26.660 on the tongue.
00:41:28.000 So I think it's going
00:41:29.440 to be like,
00:41:30.040 we're kind of in a battle.
00:41:32.680 We're in a battle right now
00:41:33.900 where the different dioceses
00:41:35.780 are almost like
00:41:36.540 in rivalry with each other
00:41:38.660 because some have good policies
00:41:40.280 and some have bad policies
00:41:41.560 and some are confused.
00:41:43.440 And, you know,
00:41:44.140 and so it's not,
00:41:46.020 the idea of a monolithic
00:41:47.500 Catholic church
00:41:48.220 is not anymore the case.
00:41:49.860 There's a lot of diversity
00:41:51.260 right now.
00:41:52.460 And so I think the lay people
00:41:54.140 are becoming aware of this,
00:41:55.540 you know,
00:41:55.740 and instead of despairing about it
00:41:57.560 or becoming angry,
00:41:58.600 they should just take
00:41:59.300 whatever concrete steps they can.
00:42:01.480 Right.
00:42:01.920 And when you are given
00:42:03.280 the opportunity
00:42:04.060 to go to Mass,
00:42:06.660 attend in other words,
00:42:08.220 but only receive
00:42:10.940 on the hand,
00:42:12.600 would you still go
00:42:14.320 or maybe just watch it on TV
00:42:17.420 since you're not receiving anyway?
00:42:19.780 Yeah.
00:42:20.100 I mean,
00:42:20.300 I think,
00:42:21.080 so there's a huge benefit
00:42:22.320 just to being present at Mass,
00:42:24.040 assisting at Mass
00:42:24.920 as it used to be called.
00:42:26.460 And, you know,
00:42:27.200 I've got an article about this,
00:42:29.000 1 Peter 5,
00:42:29.640 that might help people,
00:42:30.760 where it just,
00:42:31.340 it just,
00:42:31.720 it's called,
00:42:32.740 there's nothing you can do
00:42:33.960 to glorify God more
00:42:35.340 than to assist
00:42:36.400 at the Holy Sacrifice,
00:42:37.360 the Mass,
00:42:37.700 even if you don't receive.
00:42:39.300 Because at that Mass,
00:42:40.600 the Lord is being offered up
00:42:41.840 in the all-pleasing,
00:42:43.260 all-sufficient sacrifice,
00:42:44.420 and we join ourselves
00:42:45.260 spiritually with that sacrifice.
00:42:47.000 In fact,
00:42:48.040 it's by joining ourselves
00:42:49.040 spiritually to it
00:42:49.960 that we make ourselves
00:42:51.100 ready to receive
00:42:52.300 the sacrament.
00:42:52.960 And so it's not necessary
00:42:54.780 always to receive sacramentally.
00:42:56.440 And as you,
00:42:57.100 as I'm sure you know,
00:42:57.980 in the history of the Church,
00:42:59.540 you know,
00:42:59.860 sacramental reception,
00:43:00.820 I mean,
00:43:01.000 it's good to receive
00:43:01.900 frequently if one is
00:43:03.560 well-disposed,
00:43:04.940 you know,
00:43:05.140 with faith and devotion.
00:43:06.520 But there have been
00:43:07.600 long spans in Church history
00:43:09.200 where even saints
00:43:10.160 have received
00:43:10.820 once a week
00:43:12.000 or less.
00:43:13.620 And so we,
00:43:14.700 I think sometimes
00:43:15.400 we can also
00:43:16.220 use that
00:43:17.720 almost Eucharistic fast
00:43:19.220 to intensify
00:43:20.980 our desire
00:43:21.640 to be united
00:43:23.340 to the Lord
00:43:23.920 and use it then
00:43:25.060 to purify
00:43:26.460 our own motivations
00:43:27.660 but also to make
00:43:28.840 reparation
00:43:29.480 for profanations
00:43:30.760 and sacrilegies.
00:43:32.020 We can really
00:43:32.540 offer this up
00:43:33.240 and say,
00:43:34.100 Lord,
00:43:34.380 you know how much
00:43:35.040 I want to receive you
00:43:35.720 but I'm not going to.
00:43:36.960 I'm going to offer this up
00:43:37.820 for those who are
00:43:39.400 committing sacrilege
00:43:40.280 and profanation.
00:43:41.780 Amen.
00:43:42.940 Amen.
00:43:44.340 Dr. Peter Kwasniewski,
00:43:45.680 thank you for joining us
00:43:46.580 on the John Henry Weston Show.
00:43:48.180 Yes,
00:43:48.440 it was a pleasure.
00:43:48.900 Thanks for having me.
00:43:50.600 Hello,
00:43:51.220 this is John Henry Weston.
00:43:52.520 I'd like to invite you
00:43:53.540 to subscribe
00:43:54.120 to the John Henry Weston Show
00:43:55.900 YouTube channel
00:43:56.680 if you haven't already done so.
00:43:58.740 There you will find
00:43:59.720 all the past episodes
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00:44:02.280 Thanks again for watching
00:44:03.420 and may God bless you.