Justin Petipeu -  2003-04-04 07:35:48

Stand for communion










Standing Up for the Church
by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr.


Originally published in the National Catholic Register, January 26, 2003

The pinnacle of Christian living consists in receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion. In what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls “so great and so holy a moment” (no. 1385), Jesus Christ comes to each of us personally as the Bread of Life and the Bride-groom of our souls. No wonder, then, that the manner of receiving Communion is so significant to Catholics.

In recent decades the procedure in the United States has generally been to make some sign of reverence, such as a genuflection or bow, and then receive Communion standing. Prior to that time, the long-standing tradition in the Western Church was to receive Communion kneeling.

Now with the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and the Vatican-approved adaptations issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the issue of posture for receiving Holy Communion has gradually elbowed its way amidst the scandals and international conflicts back onto the radar screen of many Catholics. What posture should the lay faithful now adopt when receiving Communion?

The GIRM in layman’s terms is the liturgical rule book for the entire Latin rite Church throughout the world. It’s where one turns to find directions for celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The new edition of the GIRM provides that the faithful may receive Communion standing or kneeling, as established by the conference of bishops in a given geographical area. It also recommends that if the faithful receive standing, they should first make an appropriate gesture of reverence.

The U.S. bishops last year established norms in keeping with their obligation under the GIRM. The bishops specify that “the norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing.” The bishops go on to say that no one should be denied Communion because they kneel, but rather these instances “should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.”

The bishops also established a bow of the head as the sign of reverence before receiving Communion (under either or both species), and they reaffirm the right to receive Communion on the tongue or in the hand, at the communicant’s option.

On paper this seems straightforward enough, but in some dioceses and parishes and among rank and file Catholics, it hasn’t been quite so simple.

One widespread misinterpretation of the new instruc-tion and American adaptation by pastors has been that the faithful who kneel for Com-munion may be denied the Sacrament on that basis.

The Holy See, using remarkably strong language, has affirmed in recent months that the faithful cannot be denied Communion simply because they kneel. This point is explicit in the Vatican-approved norms adopted by the U.S. bishops, which I just noted. Even more, the Holy See considers the denial of Communion in such instances a serious violation of canon law and an egregious infringement upon the faithful’s right to the sacraments. This Vatican response came from none other than Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez while he was still the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Church’s liturgical governing body that promulgated the GIRM.

This doesn’t let the faithful off the hook, such that they’re free to kneel or stand at their pleasure. While the faithful cannot lawfully be denied the Eucharist when they kneel, they nonetheless are called to stand for Communion in humble, faithful obedience to legitimate Church authority.

From biblical times to the present, kneeling has been considered not merely a penitential posture in the Church, but also a posture of adoration and profound reverence. This is reflected in the U.S. norm of kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer, from after the Holy, Holy to after the Great Amen. Cardinal Ratzinger has emphasized that the practice of kneeling for Communion has in its favor a centuries-old tradition and is a particularly expressive means of adoring Our Lord, who is really present in the Eucharist. Those who favor kneeling for Communion can offer many compelling theological and practical arguments to support their position. Yet, standing is also considered a reverential posture in society and in the Church. We stand at several key times during the Mass, such as during the proclamation of the Gospel.

The bishops, then, were left with choosing among two legitimate ways of physically expressing reverence during Communion and selected one of them. The Church desires uniformity in bodily gestures and postures as a sign of unity among members of Christ’s body. We are called to crucify our own individual preferences or inclinations and strive to joyfully embrace the Church’s liturgical norms and directives for the love of Christ.

Those who receive Communion kneeling are supposed to receive “proper catechesis on the reasons for [standing during Communion].” This catechesis is not a license to impose an “anti-kneeling” theology upon the faithful. Rather, it seems that such catechesis would include the importance of a uniform posture, the Church’s authority to regulate liturgical actions, the reverential nature of standing, and the appropriate response of the laity to liturgical norms. Doing one’s “own thing” during Mass—as celebrant or as participant—diverts attention away from Christ and instead focuses attention on oneself.

The best way pastors of souls can foster a uniform practice of receiving Communion is through their own consistent example of fidelity to liturgical norms. Those who kneel for Communion are sometimes singled out for correction, while other more sig-nificant deviations from the rite are ignored or even encouraged and mandated by local Church officials. One example is the Eucharistic Prayer, where the norm in the U.S. is for the faithful to kneel, yet some priests and bishops routinely require the faithful to stand, which inevitably leads to confusion, cynicism, and conflict.

Catholic worship allows ample room for diversity of expression, but when it comes to gestures and postures at Mass, if Simon (Peter) says stand, we stand. If Simon (Peter) says kneel, we kneel. Anything else is a recipe for liturgical anarchy and ultimately a divided Church.