Libreria Editrice Vaticana har utgitt ei bok, Dominus Est, skrevet av biskop Athanasius Schneider, der biskopen analyserer spørsmålet om å motta kommunion knelende og på tungen. Erkebiskop Malcolm Ranjith, i kongregasjonen for liturgien, har skrevet forordet til denne boka, han støtter en slik praksis og sier bl.a.:
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).
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. ….
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.
Les hele dette forordet.
Msgr. Schneider er Volgatysker, tvangsforflyttet av kommunistene til Khazakstan. Khazakstan har forbausende flotte biskoper. Under bispesynoden i 2005, så var den khazakstanske delegaten den eneste som holdt sitt innlegg på latin (slik det pleide å være) og som talte om å motta kommunionen knelende. Det var ikke Schneider, men hans kollega, så vidt jeg husker.
Flotte ord fra Biskopen, som jeg er helt enig i. Tror den enkleste måten og forandre denne praksisen på er å innføre knelere igjen (hvor en motar Jesu legeme og blod) Etter min mening så burde en innføre forbud mot å motta håndkommunion. Apostlene som mottok kommunion det siste måltidet var vel alle ordinert så, hvis de tok i Jesu legeme så er jo det ikke galt. Kirken har jo også forbedret sin forståelse av sakramentet gjenom tidene (desverre ikke i dag)
Det er flott måten både p.Moi og de som sender innlegg begrunner standpunktene (ofte med linker), slik at en kan forstå mer av bakgrunnen for ulik praksis. Det må være store ulikheter i de ulike menighetene. Jeg er enig med Christian at det burde innføres knelere i alle Kirker. Noe nytt fra Una Voce Norge?
Det er fortgang i sakene nå, Ingeborg!
Her er en interessant nyhetsreportasje fra New Zealand.
Kanskje den bare delvis passer i denne tråden, men man ser i alle fall ofte hvordan det foregår i tradisjonelle menigheter.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1561378