Receiving Communion

There were two articles in Catholic Herald this weekend on this question.

The first was by Archbishop Vincent Nichols in which he posited the idea that both forms of reception - kneeling on the tongue and standing in the hand were of equal value. He then went on to, in my opinion, shoot himself in the foot by suggesting that receiving kneeling and on the tongue, as practiced by Pope Benedict when he distributes Holy Communion, we are "aware of coming to be fed  with the Food of Life, conscious of our utter dependence on the Lord. We know the Holiness of the One we receive, beyond our touch." "When we receive Holy Communion kneeling, we present ourselves with humolity and reverence, submitting our strength to Him, recognising that He is Lord of all." This must surely be the better way to receive our Lord and God.

His explanation for Communion standing and in the hand is that "we show we are ready to receive the Lord and to walk and act in His name."

Can we not, after kneeling before our God, stand renewed and then walk and act in His name?

The second article was Catholic Dilemmas by Fr Tim Finigan whose writings I have read before.

He tells us that, although the Holy See gave permission in the 1970s for Communion to be received in the hand "..it remains the case that receiving on the tongue is the universal practice in terms of liturgical law." Whilst the permission was implemented by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales any diocese may revert to reception on the tongue and, as more dioceses examine the situation, many throughout the world have reverted to the 'universal practice' of receiving on the tongue. Again Fr Finigan cites the lead given by the Holy Father.

Some bishops have in the past refused Communion to Faithful who approached for reception kneeling and on the tongue and my wife and I were shocked to be told by a senior prelate in the diocese that he would 'bless our hands' to enable us to go against our deeply held beliefs that lay hands are totally unworthy to touch the Body of Christ. He did, eventually, relent but insisted that we approached for Holy Communion after everyone else.

I find this dichotomy troubling and wonder whether anyone would help by commenting.

Requiem for Bishop Ambrose Griffiths OSB, KC*HS

Yesterday (1st July) we had the Requiem Mass for Bishop Emeritus Ambrose Griffiths OSB, KC*HS in St Mary's Cathedral in Newcastle. This was the third such Mass (previously in Leyland, then here on the day of the reception of his body) & was to be followed by yet another at his home monastery at Ampleforth where he is to be buried.

The Mass was (thank God) quite orthodox without the dancing & clapping to which Bishop Ambrose was attracted. Nor did we have official representation from the YMT which he founded. They were otherwise engaged.

Strange to say the Introit (in Latin) was from the Missa pro Defunctis as was the In Paradisum. It seems as if someone noticed late in the day (the night before actually) that the cathedral choir couldn't sing these items and so a small schola of Peter Locke, Lawrence Valentine & Gerry Langley were quickly recruited to fill the gap. Sad to say the In Paradisum wasn't good.

As Bishop Ambrose had been Prior to the Northumbrian Section of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem during his episcopy there was a small contingent of the Order (4 Knights and 1 Dame) present (including myself) to form a Guard of Honour as the hearse left after Mass. Although Bishop Ambrose was also a Member of Honour of the Knights of St Columba there was no official presence but 2 Brothers were in attendance personally.

Mgr Marini speaks out

Mgr Marini is the Papal MC and at a  recent conference spoke out regarding several points relating to how we, as Catholics, should be showing our focus during Holy Mass and Communion.

In the first instance he reminded us of the ancient tradition of focusing on Christ either through eastward orientation during the Eucharistic Prayer or towards a crucifix or other image of Christ which stood in for the eastward orientation.

We are in danger of losing this focus as, in the past, everyone (including the priest) prayed towards the same point - showing that the Lord was coming and that together we all looked towards Him.

He also posited that kneeling before the presence of the Lord makes it all the clearer that it really is Jesus and implies our adoration of Him.  Not just that we receive Him but that we kneel in worship before Him.

Mgr Marini also asked us to listen anew to what the Holy Father says both in his writings and through his example in the Papal liturgies.  The Pope distributes Communion to communicants who are always kneeling and who receive always on the tongue because - Indults and Permissions aside - this remains a law of universal character.  We should look on these examples not as the Pope's personal preference but rather that this is how he intends priests and people to follow his lead.

A Liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling would be sick to the core

 Thus said our Holy Father when still Cardinal Ratzinger. A photograph shows Pope John Paul II, shortly before his death, kneeling to receive Holy Communion from Cardinal Ratzinger.

I have personal experience of a high ranking diocesan priest chastising me for wanting to receive Communion on the tongue. He offered to 'bless' my hands so that they would be like those of a priest or deacon whose hands had been anointed to permit him to touch the Real Presence.

Let us pray that Pope Benedict forbids the reception of the Sacred Species  than on the tongue & kneeling.

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre

I am delighted to announce that on Saturday 4th June 2011 at St George's Cathedral, Southwark I was invested as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem by Archbishop McDonald the Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark Diocese.

Knight of the Holy Sepulchre

On Saturday 4th June 2011 in St George's Cathedral, Southwark in London I had the great privilege of being invested as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (KHS) by Archbishop Kevin McDonald KC*HS, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Southwark and Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy of England & Wales.

The Investiture was the culmination of 3 years of examination of my life in the Church as well as a nihil obstat  from my diocesan bishop Seamus Cunningham. On Friday 3rd June I spent the full day with other Postulants and Investees at a seminar on the Order and its work.

Saturday began at 8.00am with a Chapter Meeting at the cathedral followed by the Investiture Mass. Straight after Mass, which ended at 12 noon, we were transported to the Great Hall of Lincolns Inn for a very splendid lunch.

I ask for your prayers that I may be a worthy member of this ancient Order which was formed at the time of the First Crusade in the 11th Century. 

Masses for the Feast of Corpus Christi

Masses in the diocese of Hexham & Newcastle:

Morpeth, St Robert's Low Mass at 7.00pm
Barnard Castle, St Mary's Low Mass at 7.30pm
Coxhoe, SS Joseph, Patrick & Cuthbert Low Mass at 12 noon