Communion in the Hand

Communion on the tongue is the universal norm in the Roman Rite. Paul VI permitted communion in the hand by way of exception. Now, as a result of COVID-19, some bishops are insinuating and others stating openly that the faithful must receive in the hand. This is false.  The right of the faithful to receive on the tongue is upheld by Redemptionis sacramentum 92. A diocesan bishop does not have the right to set aside this law on his own authority. Besides, given the moral certainty of desecration when communion is distributed in the hand a command to distribute or receive on the hand would be invalid even if it came from Rome. This virus has exposed a number of errors endemic in the contemporary episcopate not least an acceptance of the inferiority of the spiritual to the temporal power and an estimation of the sacraments as ‘non essential’ and inferior in importance to groceries. We must not permit these half-believing prelates to impose further outrages upon the Body of Christ.

 

In Sinu Iesu and Amoris laetitia

A remarkable book was published just over a year ago, called In Sinu Iesu. The title is a quotation from Jn. 13:23: Now there was reclining on Jesus’s breast one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. The book consists of an internal colloquy taking place over several years between the author, named simply as ‘a Benedictine monk’ and ‘a priest’, and our Lord. In that respect it resembles somewhat The Imitation of Christ.  It has already been translated into Czech, and I have met someone who is translating it into German.

The dominant theme of the book is Christ’s desire for His people, and especially His priests, to seek out His friendship by spending time before the Blessed Sacrament. Other themes include the lamentable state of much of the Church, the lukewarmness and scanty faith of priests, the role of our Lady in the spiritual life, the future renewal of the priesthood and the Church, and the four last things. The words in which Christ is represented as speaking, by their union of loving simplicity and gravity of tone, of antiquity of content and freshness of appeal, have, to my mind, all the marks of authentic private revelation.

The last date ascribed to the words of our Lord is April 14th, 2016. Amoris laetitia was published on April 8th. Neither here nor anywhere else does the book mention Amoris laetitia, nor, as far as I remember, the present papacy or the synods on the family. But this last entry of the book contains these words:

Consecrate yourself to My Mother, and lift your eyes to her all-pure countenance. She is the star whom I have set in the darkness of the firmament, lest those who belong to Me lose hope and perish in the tempest that threatens the very survival of all that I have done and of the works of My saints. Those who flee to My Immaculate Mother and cling to her mantle of protection will emerge from the sorrows of this time, and, after the raging tempest, will rejoice in a  peace that the world cannot give.

Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the worlds shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

 

 

 

Bishops

With the resignation of Bishop Conry, I am praying for new Bishops with a Eucharistic faith.

Bishop Conry was the chosen disciple of Cardinal Murphy O’Connor – we can pray that an important characteristic of new appointments may be that they hold no favour with such people.

Let us pray that the Lord preserves his Bishops who love him; protect them from harm so that we may be guided by them to eternal life.

Please God, send us more Bishops like this:

 

A Eucharistic Faith

Bishop Athanasius Schneider is fast becoming one of my favourite Catholics. In this video, from EWTN 2013, he discusses reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.

I’m interested in opinions on how we might restore a Eucharistic faith to Britain and Ireland?

I wonder if our Bishops would be moved by watching this?