Archbishop Ranjith on kneeling for Communion during the liturgy and Communion on the Tongue

posted by Shawn Tribe

Libreria Editrice Vaticana has published a book, Dominus Est by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, where that Bishop analyzes the question of communion recieved kneeling and on the tongue.Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith has written the foreward to this book,and we present an unofficial translation here to follow.

(Many thanks to a good friend for providing the link to this, which came originally through, Associazione Luci sull'Est.Without further ado, the foreword of Msgr. Ranjith, Secretary to the CDW:

In the Book of Revelation, St. John tells how he had seen and heard what was revealed and prostrated [himself] in adoration at the foot of the angel of God (cf. Rev 22, 8). Prostrating, or getting down one one's knees before the majesty of the presence of God in humble adoration, was a habit of reverence that Israel brought constantly to the presence of the Lord. It says the first book of Kings, "when Solomon had finished putting this prayer to the Lord and this plea, he stood up before the altar of the Lord, where he was kneeling, with palms stretched heavenward, and blessed the whole assembly of Israel "(1 King 8, 54-55). The position of supplication of the King is clear: He was kneeling in front of the altar.The same tradition is also visible in the New Testament where we see Peter get on his knees before Jesus (cf. Lk 5, 8); when Jairus asked him to heal her daughter (Luke 8, 41), when the Samaritan returned to thank him, and when Mary the sister of Lazarus asked for the life of her brother (John 11, 32). The same attitude of prostration before the revelation of the divine presence and is generally known in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 5, 8, 14 and 19, 4).Closely linked to this tradition was the conviction that the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God and therefore, in the temple it was necessary to prepare one's disposition by corporal expression, a deep sense of humility and reverence in the presence of the Lord.Even in the Church, the deep conviction that in the Eucharistic species the Lord is truly and really present, along with the growing practice of preserving the Holy Sacrament in tabernacles, contributed to practice of kneeling in an attitude of humble adoration of the Lord in the Eucharist.[...]...faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species already belonged to the essence of the faith of the Catholic Church and was an intrinsic part of Catholicism. It was clear that we could not build up the Church if that faith was minimally affected.Therefore, the Eucharist, bread transubstantiated in Body of Christ and wine into the Blood of Christ, God among us, is to be greeted with wonder, reverence and an immense attitude of humble adoration. Pope Benedict XVI... points out that "receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive [...] only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature."(Sacramentum Caritatis 66).Following this tradition, it is clear that it became coherent and indispensable to take actions and attitudes of the body and spirit which makes it easier to [enter into] silence, recollection, and the humble acceptance of our poverty in the face of the infinite greatness and holiness of the One who comes to meet us in the Eucharistic species. The best way to express our sense of reverence to the Lord in Mass is to follow the example of Peter, who as the Gospel tells us, threw himself on his knees before the Lord and said, 'Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinner " (Luke 5, 8).As we see in some churches now, this practice is decreasing and those responsible not only require that the faithful should receive the Holy Eucharist standing, but even eliminate all kneelers forcing the faithful to sit or stand, even during the elevation and adoration of the [Sacred] Species. It is ironic that such measures have been taken in [some] dioceses by those responsible for liturgy, or in churches, by pastors, without even the smallest amount of consultation of the faithful, even though today, more than ever, there is an environment desiring democracy in the Church.At the same time, speaking of communion in the hand, it must be recognized that the practice was improperly and quickly introduced in some quarters of the Church shortly after the Council, changing the age-old practice and becoming regular practice for the whole Church. They justified the change saying that it better reflected the Gospel or the ancient practice of the Church... Some, to justify this practice referred to the words of Jesus: "Take and eat" (Mk 14, 22; Mt 26, 26).Whatever the reasons for this practice, we cannot ignore what is happening worldwide where this practice has been implemented. This gesture has contributed to a gradual weakening of the attitude of reverence towards the sacred Eucharistic species whereas the previous practice had better safeguarded that sense of reverence. There instead arose an alarming lack of recollection and a general spirit of carelessness. We see communicants who often return to their seats as if nothing extraordinary has happened... In many cases, one cannot discern that sense of seriousness and inner silence that must signal the presence of God in the soul.Then there are those who take away the sacred species to keep them as souvenirs, those who sell, or worse yet, who take them away to desecrate it in Satanic rituals. Even in large concelebrations, also in Rome, several times the sacred species has been found thrown onto the ground.This situation not only leads us to reflect upon a serious loss of faith, but also on outrageous offenses...The Pope speaks of the need not only to understand the true and deep meaning of the Eucharist, but also to celebrate it with dignity and reverence. He says that we must be aware of "gestures and posture, such as kneeling during the central moments of the Eucharistic Prayer." (Sacramentum Caritatis, 65). Also, speaking about the reception of the Holy Communion he invites everyone to "make every effort to ensure that this simple act preserves its importance as a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ in the sacrament." (Sacramentum Caritatis, 50).In this vein, the book written by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganda in Kazakhstan entitled Dominus Est is significant and appreciated. He wants to make a contribution to the current debate on the real and substantial presence of Christ in the consecrated species of bread and wine... from his experience, which aroused in him a deep faith, wonder and devotion to the Lord present in the Eucharist, he presents us with a historical-theological [consideration] clarifying how the practice of receiving Holy Communion on the tonue and kneeling has been accepted and practiced in the Church for a long period of time.Now I think it is high time to review and re-evaluate such good practices and, if necessary, to abandon the current practice that was not called for by Sacrosanctum Concilium, nor by Fathers, but was only accepted after its illegitimate introduction in some countries. Now, more than ever, we must help the faithful to renew a deep faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in order to strengthen the life of the Church and defend it in the midst of dangerous distortions of the faith that this situation continues to cause.The reasons for this move must be not so much academic but pastoral - spiritual as well as liturgical - in short, what builds better faith. Mons. Msgr. Schneider in this sense shows a commendable courage because he has been able to grasp the true meaning of the words of St. Paul: "but everything should be done for building up" (1 Cor 14, 26).

4 Steps to Making Missionary Parishes

4 Steps to Making Missionary ParishesVatican Aide: Evangelization Not a Choice, But a Mandate

By Gisèle Plantec ROME

JAN. 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- If a parish does not evangelize, it is nothing more than a building, said a Vatican official, who offered four practical steps for transforming a parish into a missionary center. Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, affirmed this today at a conference under way in Rome on "The Parish and the New Evangelization." The congress is organized by the Emmanuel Community and the Pontifical Institute Redemptor Hominis. It ends Friday."Why should a parish be missionary," Archbishop Ranjith asked. He explained that God's call of love mandates a missionary characterfor Christians: "Jesus loved his brothers and sisters to the extent that he was dedicated totally to their salvation -- this is the basis of evangelization." The archbishop, who led the Diocese of Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, before being named to the Roman Curia, called evangelization a "sign of the maturity of our faith." "The Church exists only if it evangelizes, and the same is true for theparish. If a parish does not evangelize, it is only a building," hesaid. "Evangelization is not a matter of free choice. It is an obligation of our faith, the perfect expression of our charity." Eucharist-centered Archbishop Ranjith highlighted the importance of the Eucharist for a parish focused on the mission.He offered the example of an Irish parish that organized "Eucharisticadoration in all the parishes. As a result, there are more vocationsnow. The Eucharist attracts -- the Lord attracts people." "The Eucharist is at the center of evangelization," the archbishopaffirmed. "The Eucharist must generate faith. In some parishes it iscelebrated in such a manner that it does not generate faith." The 60-year-old prelate also focused on the role of parish priests. Hesaid that priests should understand their role by saying, "'I am useless by myself but useful in his hands.'"Archibishop Ranjith also contended that parishes should not focus on their community alone, but "make a determined effort to reach the lost ones." Hints He offered some "practical steps" for giving parishes a missionary character."The parish community must move away from a maintenance model to a missionary model -- if the only thing we do is repair the buildings, this will kill us spiritually," the archbishop said.Secondly, he continued, parishes need "to move away from a spirit ofpessimism to a spirit of optimism." And he noted the danger of becoming the Gospel's example of a "lazy servant." The third practical step dealt with the role of laypeople. ArchbishopRanjith encouraged priests who still think the "mission is the soleresponsibility of clerics," and that "priests should decide everything by themselves" to "share with the laity." "Each layperson is a potential missionary," he affirmed. The fourth step was related to the third. The archbishop encouragedinvolving as many people as possible: "associations, groups, men, women, youth and even children -- and be courageous to go into uncharted areas, look for new methods and means." Why not me? Archbishop Ranjith answered questions from the conference participantsafter his address. A priest from the Netherlands, who presented his country as "the mostsecularized country in the world," asked for encouragement "because weare so marginalized -- we try to find any kind of means, like the media, to show our presence." Archbishop Ranjith answered, "It is good to use all the means availableand to think that sometimes 'dreams can become reality'" but "the mostimportant thing is to feel strong and trust in God and to pray." He gave the example of his diocese in Sri Lanka, which has a largenon-Christian population. Catholic laypeople go and visit the Muslim or Hindu families, he explained, and "they have tea together and discuss about religion." "The sad thing would be to give up," the archbishop affirmed. "Be strong, be courageous, you will succeed." A priest from Belgium asked if closing parishes reflected a lack offaith. Archbishop Ranjith offered the example of a spiritual partnership between a Sri Lankan diocese and a German one. When a German priest died, Sri Lanka offered: "I will send you the best priest I have." The German diocese considered the proposal but eventually decided toclose the parish. This "'we are managing on our own' means closing churches," Archbishop Ranjith lamented. Following his address, the archbishop told ZENIT that parish priests' zeal and spirit of love are key. He offered the example of St. JohnVianney, patron of priests, as an example. He also suggested Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and St. Francisco Xavier as models. If St. Francis could go to the other side of the world and proclaim Christ without even knowing the language, "if it was possible for him," he said, "why can't it be possible for me