Yet, they are not being totally forthcoming. The Archdiocese of Kingston in eastern Ontario has not banned Holy Communion on the tongue. There may be others, please advise me. Kingston's request is simply to come at the end of you wish to receive on the tongue and to a priest not an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.
We know that the Society of St. Pius X in Toronto, New Hamburg, St. Catharines and Orillia and elsewhere in their missions are following the occupancy guidelines but are giving Holy Communion on the tongue. It is after Mass with the priest having washed and wearing a mask, distributes. I have today watched a video from St. Aloysius the FSSP parish in the Diocese of St. Catharines from the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and the priest distributes Holy Communion on the tongue.
So what is the deal here? Is it banned by the government or isn't it?
My view is simple.
If the China Virus is as bad and transmissible as we are led to believe than Holy Communion by either hand or tongue is a risk of transmission. As someone who is 63 and with some conditions such as asthma, I understand the matter quite directly. For me, I will not attempt to receive Holy Communion during Mass. That is my choice. My right to decide.
The problem here is the alleged and subtle diktat of the bureaucracy and the acquiescence of our spineless episcopal leaders. If they did this the bishops should have said either, "we will not comply" or "we will get back to you with a plan of how we are going to do this safely."
Holy Communion does not need to be received at Mass. The Mass is not dependent on the laity nor is Holy Communion to the laity necessary for the Mass. The Sacrifice is complete upon the consumption of the Elements by the priest - just as in the ancient Temple.
If this was the diktat, Holy Communion in general should have been suspended at Mass and an alternative implemented. The bishops should have simply told the Government how it was going to be, not the other way around and challenged them to a court battle.
Since I advised on this blog in the middle of March that Mass should continue with a limit on building capacity and a ticket system and that has not been accepted by My Eminence, then allow me to again place done my lay mitre.
No communion during Mass on hand or tongue. People are encouraged to make a spiritual communion which the Bishop shall order read by the priest after the Our Father in both forms, OF and EF. Holy Communion is distributed on hand or tongue in the OF (given current Church provision) and only tongue in the EF, after Mass using the following practice.
- The Priest or Deacon only, no EMHC, shall wash their hands using soap and water and put on a mask.
- They shall then wash their hands again.
- They return to the sanctuary with the Sacrament and beside them have two pedestals or tables. On the right to hold the ciborium and on the left, an ablution cup, linen towel and bottle of hand sanitizer.
- A family comes up together and individual alone with proper distancing.
- The priest uses sanitzer and then provides Holy Conmmunion to each family/individual.
- He then washes his fingers in the ablutions cup and dries them to protect the integrity of the Sacrament. Once done, he then uses hand sanitizer again and repeats the above.
- The ablutions cup is then dealt with in the normal manner.
If Father needs to stand there for three hours, so be it. If people need to wait, so be it.
There is the solution. This is what should be done and the government should be told to sue us.
The faithful have been abandoned by spineless men.