Communion in the Mouth allowed again in Manila

from the Archdiocese of Manila's website, rcam.org

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MINISTRY FOR LITURGICAL AFFAIRS

121 Arzobispo St., Intramuros, Manila 

CIRCULAR NO. 2009 – 27
23 July 2009 

TO: ALL PARISH PRIESTS, SHRINE RECTORS, CHAPLAINS, PARISH WORSHIP COORDINATORS, PARISH COORDINATORS OF EXTRA-ORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION, LECTORS AND COMMENTATORS, GREETERS AND COLLECTORS, MUSIC AND CHOIR, ALTAR SERVERS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA

RE: ALLOWING COMMUNION BY THE MOUTH  

Greetings of Christ’s Peace!

In June our Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales instructed that Holy Communion be given only in the hand in view of the increasing number of cases of infection with the Influenza AH1N1 Virus in our country, particularly in Metro Manila. [the issuance of which I found totally absurd and to say the least, over reacting!]

While there remain cases of the disease and its total containment has not been reached, the Department of Health has said that the disease is of a mild form and that proper precautions lessen its spread. Cardinal Rosales has now instructed that Holy Communion by the mouth be allowed, which means that the Communicants may now receive Holy Communion either by mouth or by hand. [even without the spread of the virus, Canon law prohibits a Catholic from receiving in the tongue which is still the traditional, time-honored and preferred manner of receiving Holy Communion.]

At the same time, the Cardinal advises Priests and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to continue to practice proper hygiene and wash their hands thoroughly before and after the Mass. [which must be done even without the directive from the archbishop or the news about the disease.] He likewise exhorts the faithful to observe all the practices recommended by the health authorities to prevent the acquisition and spread of the disease. 

Let us continue to pray that a way to combat the disease be discovered and that all those who are afflicted be restored to health soon. 

Thank you. 

REV. FR. GENARO O. DIWA 
Director
Ministry for Liturgical Affairs

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I had this unfortunate experience of a priest distributing communion, distributing the Hosts as if they were poker chips.  No exaggeration!  I stuck my tongue out and his hand was handing out the Host to me at my waist level.  He even forced the Host into my folded hands!  He was insistent that I receive only on the Hand and not on the mouth.

A(H1N1) or not, there are priests and EMHC who insist that Communion in the Hand be the norm.  Why because of this purported text from St. Cyril that instructs faithful how to receive Communion in the Hand.  I will dwell on this in a later post and how the liberals played on this text to suit their "creativities" and capriciousness.