Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganda in Kazakhstan, has written a book called Dominus Est, published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Bishop Schneider looks particularly at the question of how we should receive Holy Communion, favouring the practice of kneeling and receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. Not only has the book been published by the Vatican press, it also has a Foreword by Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.The Associazione Luci sull'Est has the publisher's description and the text of the Foreword by Archbishop Ranjith. Shawn Tribe at the New Liturgical Movement has an (unofficial) translation of the Foreword. Here is my (unofficial) translation of the publisher's description:
Holy Communion is not simply a convivial moment of spiritual nourishment but also the closest possible personal encounter for the faithful in this life with their Lord and God. The most authentic interior attitude in this encounter is that of receptivity, of humility, of spiritual infancy. Such an attitude demands on our part gestures of adoration and reverence. We have eloquent witnesses in the two thousand year tradition of the Church characterised by the sayings "with love and fear" (first millennium) and "as much as you can do, so much dare to do" [quantum potes, tantum aude] (second millennium). The author also recounts the example of the three "eucharistic women" of his acquaintance from the clandestine time of the soviet era. Such witnesses can encourage and instruct Catholics of the third millennium on how they should treat our Lord in the august moment of Holy Communion.The book is in Italian but I hope that it will be translated into English. I am ordering a copy straight away (Paxbook handles online ordering for the Libreria Editrice Vaticana). Say a prayer for the Church in Kazakhstan.
5 comments:
Could you provide a website to order from,please?
I know someone who could help plod through until a translation is available.
Tried to find it online with no luck.
Sorry, I forgot to put that link in. The book can be ordered from Paxbook. I've put the link into the post now as well.
Thank you Father Tim. An interesting book store site, indeed1
As much as I like to dream many things - communion in the hand going away is unfortunately not one of them. The current pope sees nothing wrong with it and says in his book "God Near Us" (2001) that it is "legitimate" because it was done till the ninth century (that being the only reason for communion in the hand, as opposed to the hundreds of reasons against it).
Also we have to remember that Benedict XVI extended communion in the hand to Poland in 2006 - something that his more progressive predecessor didn't allow.
These actions do not indicate that Pope Benedict sees anything wrong with it... sadly.
Ottaviani - I know of Cardinal Ratzinger's comments but I think there is a difference between allowing that Communion can be received reverently in the hand and actually preferring it in practice. The fact that Archbishop Ranjith is commenting on this is a good sign.
What it allows a parish priest to do is to give much grater encouragement to communion on the tongue with support from a senior Vatican official.
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