At the Mass for St. Peter and St. Paul on June 29, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI distributed Holy Communion only to people who are kneeling and on the tongue only...

In light of a widespread lack of reverence for the Eucharist, the archbishop suggests that it is "high time to review" the policy

Vatican official suggests reconsidering Communion in the hand...

Catholic World News reported on February 1, 2008:

The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship has called for reconsideration of the practice of Communion in the hand.

In the preface to a new Italian-language book on the Eucharist, written by a bishop from Kazakhstan and released in January by the Vatican's official publishing house, Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don suggests that the reception of Communion in the hand has contributed to a general sense of "carelessness" about the Eucharist, as well as some flagrant abuses. The archbishop makes his remarks in the preface to Dominus Est, by Bishop Athanasisus Schneider.

The practice of receiving Communion in the hand was not mandated by Vatican II, nor was it introduced in response to calls from the laity, Archbishop Ranjith writes. Instead, he argues, an established practice of piety-- receiving the Eucharist kneeling, on the tongue-- was changed "improperly and hurriedly," and became widespread even before it was formally approved by the Vatican.

In light of a widespread lack of reverence for the Eucharist, the archbishop suggests that it is "high time to review" the policy. While he does not condemn the practice of Communion in the hand, the Vatican official praises Bishop Schneider for arguing in favor of the older practice, saying that it helps to foster a proper sense of reverence and piety.

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Vatican newspaper article says Catholics should receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue...

LifeSiteNews reported on January 9, 2008:

Although it may seem a little strange, there is a definite battle being waged within the Catholic Church. It is the same "culture war" being waged by secular moderns against those who uphold traditional morality, it is pro-life vs. pro-choice. But within the Catholic Church the same battle is fought along liturgical lines, and the publication in the Vatican newspaper of an article calling for Catholics to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue is telling.

"If some nonbeliever arrived and observed such an act of adoration perhaps he, too, would 'fall down and worship God, declaring, God is really in your midst,'" explained Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Karaganda, Kazakhstan in the pages of L'Osservatore Romano.

The Catholic News Service reports that in the January 8 edition of the Vatican paper, Bishop Schneider noted that the reverence and awe of Catholics who truly believe they are receiving Jesus in the Eucharist should lead them to kneel and receive Communion on their tongues. "The awareness of the greatness of the eucharistic mystery is demonstrated in a special way by the manner in which the body of the Lord is distributed and received," the bishop wrote.

Although in all likelihood most Catholics are oblivious to it, the decision to receive Communion on the tongue, versus in the hand and the decision to receive Communion standing rather than kneeling is a significant fault line in the culture war.

Modernizers who relentlessly work to have the Catholic Church move away from so-called 'archaic' positions on sexuality, (forbidding contraception, pre-marital sexual activity, homosexuality etc.) also rail against 'archaic' piety in worship.

However, the culture war at least in terms of liturgical issues was nearly lost in the West until the advent of Pope Benedict.

In the United States for instance, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on the Liturgy wrote in its July 2002 newsletter: "Kneeling is not a licit posture for receiving Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States of America unless the bishop of a particular diocese has derogated from this norm in an individual and extraordinary circumstance."

The majority of the faithful have since adopted the practice of standing and receiving Communion on the hand.

However, some traditional Catholics, often derisively referred to as "pre-Vatican II" Catholics have held to the practice of Communion kneeling and on the tongue. Those same Catholics are often the most vociferous defenders of life and family within and without the Church.

While many valiant Catholic activists who work in the pro-life and pro-family battles receive Communion in the common fashion, they nonetheless respect the right of those who wish to receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue.

Not so for those within the Church seeking to get the Church in line with the times.

Certain Church leaders, priests and even bishops who are zealous in their attempts to modernize the Church have gone so far as to attempt to enforce modernism by refusing Communion to those who kneel for Communion.

One prominent example of such was Orange County Florida Bishop Tod Brown who was caught on video last year refusing Communion to a woman who was kneeling. Brown is also known for refusing in 1994 to back an Idaho measure to deny homosexuals special privileges. Explaining his actions he said the law "would contribute to attitudes of intolerance and hostility in Idaho directed at homosexual citizens and is potentially discriminatory."

In Brown's diocese there has been considerable intolerance toward Catholics who kneel for Communion and some traditional Catholics have been asked to leave the diocese.

Another prominent example was the denial of Communion to Virginia House of Delegate member Richard Black by Arlington's St. Thomas More Cathedral Rector, Fr. Dominic Irace in 2002. Black was one of the strongest defenders of life in the legislature. As Delegate Black left the Cathedral, Fr. Irace loudly called him a "conservative idiot." (see coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/oct/02101001.html )

These types of situations caused the Vatican to react rather strongly in 2002. Jorge A. Cardinal Medina Estévez, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which addresses liturgical matters, wrote a bishop about reports received of a priest denying Communion to faithful because they were kneeling.

The Cardinal called such denial "a grave violation of one of the most basic rights of the Christian faithful," and directed the bishop to investigate the case. The letter said that the Vatican regards such abuses of the faithful as very grave. The letter said, the Congregation, if such actions are verified, "will regard future complaints of this nature with great seriousness, and if they are verified, it intends to seek disciplinary action consonant with the gravity of the pastoral abuse."
(see the letter: http://www.adoremus.org/Notitiae-kneeling.html )

Despite this letter from the Vatican, the suppression of kneeling remains strong.

The article in the Vatican newspaper advocating kneeling however signals a sea change.

Those who kneel have a champion in Pope Benedict who prior to his elevation to the pontificate wrote of kneeling and its tie to culture in his book 'The Spirit of the Liturgy" (Ignatius Press, 2000) "There are groups, of no small influence, who are trying to talk us out of kneeling," wrote then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. "'It doesn't suit our culture', they say (which culture?) 'It's not right for a grown man to do this -- he should face God on his feet'."

Cardinal Ratzinger continued: "The kneeling of Christians is not a form of inculturation into existing customs. It is quite the opposite, an expression of Christian culture, which transforms the existing culture through a new and deeper knowledge and experience of God.

Kneeling does not come from any culture -- it comes from the Bible and its knowledge of God . . . The Christian Liturgy is a cosmic Liturgy precisely because it bends the knee before the crucified and exalted Lord. Here is the center of authentic culture - the culture of truth. The humble gesture by which we fall at the feet of the Lord inserts us into the true path of life of the cosmos."

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Knees to love Jesus...

Bishop Thomas Olmsted, of Phoenix, addressed the significance of kneeling in the Phoenix diocesan publication, The Catholic Sun, in a two-part article that appeared February 17 and March 3, 2005.

Knees symbolize both strength and humility. Athletes use strong knees to run for touchdowns in football and to block shots and to slam-dunk in basketball. Knees also bend in adoration of the Eucharistic King and in recognition of the grandeur and majesty of the Most High God.

Already in Biblical times, knees were a symbol of humility and strength. To bend one's knee before God was a profound act of worship; it stated boldly yet simply that God is the source of all power and that the one on bended knee is ready to place his life and all his energy at the service of the Lord.

What we do with our knees gives evidence of what we believe in our hearts. When we kneel down beside the bed of a dying person, when we stand up for the dignity of the unborn child, when we genuflect before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we say louder than any rhetoric what matters most in our lives. Knees express what we believe and make clear what we will live and die for.

Not surprisingly, then, knees play an important role in the Church's Sacred Liturgy, especially during the season of Lent. What we do with our knees during worship is anything but trivial. It rivals in importance what we do with our voices and our ears, what we do with our hands and our hearts.

When we gather at the Eucharist, our attention is drawn with awe and devotion to the sacramental presence of Christ. While the Body of Christ far exceeds the value of our own bodies, it also gives meaning to them. It reminds us, too, of the human body's vital role in that "full, conscious and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy" called for by the Church at the Second Vatican Council.

It is understandable then why our posture at Holy Mass stirs such deep emotion within us who cherish our Catholic faith, and who know that our greatest treasure is the Eucharist. In three liturgical postures at Mass, our knees play a central role: kneeling, standing, and genuflecting.

Let us look, for a moment, at the practice of kneeling.

Kneeling for the Eucharistic Prayer
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (third edition) speaks of the proper posture for the laity during the Eucharistic Prayer. In paragraph 42, it states: "In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise".

It is expected, then, that the lay faithful kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer and after the Agnus Dei, unless they are prevented "on occasion" from doing so. It is only in exceptional situations and on extraordinary occasions that the laity stand during the Eucharistic Prayer. Of course, it is understood that some of the elderly and disabled will not be able to kneel. In chapels in nursing homes and similar environments, kneeling is often not possible.

Special problems are also posed by those few churches and chapels that presently have no kneelers. In these cases, until the installation of kneelers can occur (which I hope will be soon), kneeling may not be possible.

The practice of kneeling assists our whole person to be attentive to the Lord, to surrender to His will, to lift our soul and our voices in worship. Indeed, it points to the heart of what faith in Christ is all about. We see this reflected already in the earliest days of the Church. In the Acts of the Apostles we are told that Saint Peter "knelt down and prayed" (9:40), and that Saint Paul "knelt down and prayed with them all" (20:36); we see how the first Christian martyr Saint Stephen fell to his knees and prayed that his enemies be forgiven (cf. 7:60), and we see how the whole community, men and women and children, prayed on their knees. (cf. 21:5)

Even Jesus Knelt to Pray
Jesus Himself knelt to pray to His beloved Father. We see this most dramatically in the Garden of Gethsemane where, on His knees, He speaks those deeply moving words: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done". (Luke 22:42)

The passage of Sacred Scripture that gives the strongest theological foundation for kneeling is that famous hymn found in Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippians, 2:6-11, where we are told that, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".

Kneeling is more than a gesture of the overly pious. It is a fundamental act of faith, a strong expression about Who stands at the center of one's life and Who stands at the center of all creation. Bending the knee at the name of Jesus is a decisive act of those with athletic souls and humble hearts. There is nothing passive about kneeling in humility and adoration. When the knees act in response to a heart that loves Christ, there is unleashed a force so strong it can change the face of the earth. Grace is the name we give to this force.

The Devil Has No Knees
According to Abba Apollo, a desert father who lived about 1,700 years ago, the devil has no knees; he cannot kneel; he cannot adore; he cannot pray; he can only look down his nose in contempt. Being unwilling to bend the knee at the name of Jesus is the essence of evil. (Cf. Is 45:23, Rom 14:11) But when we kneel at Jesus' name, when we bow down in service of others, and when we bend the knee in adoration, we are following in the footsteps of the Magi, we are imitating Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and all the saints and angels in heaven.

"Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord who made us".

Why We Kneel during Mass
Our knees play an important role in our life in Christ, in our service to others and in our worship of the Lord. Kneeling has always held such a prominent role in the prayer of the Church .

Now, let us consider the other two postures that our knees perform in the Sacred Liturgy: standing and genuflecting.

At key points of the Eucharist, we use our knees to express attentiveness, reverence and love. As we enter and as we exit a church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, we genuflect as a reverential greeting of Christ, who is truly present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

This action toward Christ in the Tabernacle prepares us to begin to pray as we enter the church and makes us ready to witness to Christ as we leave it. Indeed, to bend the knee before Our Blessed Lord in the Tabernacle also shows a desire to bend our will to God's plan for us each and every day.

Standing out of Love for Christ
While we remain seated to listen to God's word in the first readings of the Sacred Scriptures at Mass, we rise to our feet and stand for the proclamation of the Gospel. Our standing in attentive and prayerful expectation is often accompanied by the singing of an acclamation, a procession with the Book of the Gospels and the use of incense. We always stand, too, at times of intercessory prayer, to show how we anticipate that the Father will hear and answer the petitions we bring with confidence before Him.

The priest stands during the Eucharistic Prayer as he acts in the person of Christ, in what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls "so great and so holy a moment". (#1385) The posture of standing reminds us of that great multitude from every nation and race that "stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes " joyfully crying aloud in praise of God the Father on His heavenly throne and in praise of Jesus, the Lamb of God. (cf. Revelations 7:9) We also remember the words of the Second Eucharistic Prayer in which the priest prays to the Father, "We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you".

Clearly, both the Sacred Scriptures and our liturgical tradition look upon standing, comparable to genuflecting and kneeling, as a reverential posture to express our faith in God and our love for Him. We should keep this in mind when we process forward and stand to receive Holy Communion, with a bow of the head as a sign of reverence prior to reception.

You have probably noticed that priests genuflect before receiving Holy Communion, rather than bowing their head.

Why would priests genuflect at this time but the laity only bow their heads? Because the laity were kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer while the priest was standing. Since he has not been kneeling prior to Holy Communion, it is appropriate that the priest genuflect at this point to express his belief in the Real Presence of Christ and to manifest his reverence.

A few of our laity still kneel or genuflect prior to receiving Holy Communion, and rightly they are not denied the Blessed Sacrament. While I appreciate the good intentions that prompt these actions, I invite them to consider again the reverential nature of standing during the Sacred Liturgy and the real value of a unified expression of our fraternal communion in Christ. Taking exception to liturgical norms can distract others and even divert their attention during this most sacred moment of communing with our Savior. It can draw undue attention to oneself. Receiving Communion is also a statement of our union with the entire Church, not just a time of individual experience.

Nine Postures of Saint Dominic
We are told that Saint Dominic had nine different ways of praying, each marked by a different bodily posture. This great saint, who is associated with beginning the Rosary, knew well that praying involves more than just the soul.

Our body plays an important role in our communication with the Lord. Far from being trivial, what we do with our knees, whether we sit or stand, whether we genuflect or kneel, greatly impacts on our inner attitude before the Lord. It can stir our devotion or diminish it. If done sloppily or ignored, it hinders our openness to God's grace. But if done out of love, it assists us in humbly seeking God's mercy and in entering into loving communion with the Lord.

As we celebrate the Sacred Liturgy, then, whether at daily Mass or on a more solemn occasion, let us aim at more than external compliance with rubrics. Let us practice deep reverence before these Sacred Mysteries. Let us use our knees to live our faith every moment of every day and to express our love for Christ.

"Why must you insult My Son? Can you not bend your knees? Is He not your King?" - Our Lady of the Roses, November 21, 1970

The amazing Bayside Prophecies...
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.

YOUR KING
"Why must you insult My Son? Can you not bend your knees? Is He not your King?" - Our Lady, November 21, 1970

BOW YOUR KNEES
"Remember, My child, shout it from the roof. My Son is with you until the end of your time. It is truly His Presence, His Real Presence, His divine Presence, His Body and His Blood. Do not treat Him with disrespect! Bow your knees; cover your head! Do not chew Him!" - Our Lady, June 8, 1974

REAL PRESENCE
"You violate your sacred trust. You have taken the Body of your Creator, the Son of your God in the Trinity, and violated Him. You must do your eating at home! When you come to the great Sacrifice, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, you come in reverence. You must go down upon your knees and do penance now for the offenses to your God! ...
"As in the past, cannot you recognize the mystery of Heaven and earth? Did not the staff of Moses turn into a serpent in the will of God? Did not the river in Egypt turn into blood in the will of God? And cannot God, in His will, come to you changing the bread and wine into the actual Presence, the real Presence, the factual Presence of His Body and Blood?" - St. Michael, February 1, 1977

HONOR
"All honor must be given to My Son in the Eucharist. Man must kneel. My Son's House is the House of God and a house of prayer, and it must not be turned into a meeting hall." - Our Lady, July 25, 1979

RESTORE HOLINESS
"In the beginning I gave to you, through your prophets, the establishment of My Church upon earth. The rules were simple but now have become changed and defiled to please the carnal nature of mankind. You must restore the holiness to My House! You must bend your knees in humility and penance." - Jesus, December 31, 1975

RESTORE ALTAR RAILINGS
"I have asked you to get down on your knees. Clergy in My Son's House, His Church, restore the altar railings, that man may be on his knees. For many shall crawl on their knees in desperation seeking to flee, but nowhere shall they escape the flames. Restore My Son's Church while there is time. Return the railings! Have the people make atonement upon their knees to their God!" - Our Lady, May 30, 1981

Directives from Heaven... https://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D1 - The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass PDF
D2 - The Holy Eucharist PDF
D3 - Communion in the Hand? PDF
D146 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 1 PDF
D147 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 2 PDF
D184 – Church of Man, Part 1 PDF
D185 – Church of Man, Part 2 PDF
D198 - Kneel before your God PDF

Articles...

Kneeling:

Vatican official: Kneeling expresses meeting Jesus in the Eucharist
https://www.tldm.org/News9/KneelingMeetingJesus.htm

"Kneel before your God in the Eucharist"
https://www.tldm.org/News5/kneeling.htm

Pope Benedict on the theology of kneeling
https://www.tldm.org/News8/PopeBenedictXVITheologyOfKneeling.htm

Vatican defends the right to kneel for Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/News5/Vatican_kneeling.htm

Vatican on kneeling for holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/vatican%20letter.htm

Communion in the hand a sacrilege:

Communion in the hand should be rejected
https://www.tldm.org/News6/von-Hildebrand.htm

What the holy ones say about receiving Jesus
https://www.tldm.org/News6/holy-ones.htm

Communion in the hand is a sacrilege
https://www.tldm.org/news2/cih.htm

More reasons for rejection Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News5/CinH2.htm

Bishop Laise speaks out against Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Laise.htm

Communion in the Hand: Documents and History (Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise)
https://www.tldm.org/News4/BishopLaise.htm

Sacrileges due to Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/forms/sacrilege1.htm

The consecrated hands of a priest
https://www.tldm.org/News7/ConsecratedHands.htm

Modernist and Protestant revolutionaries were behind Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News7/CommunionInTheHand.htm

Fr. John Hardon speaks out against Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Hardon.htm

Bishop Bernard Stewart against Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News7/BishopStewart.htm

Cardinal Arinze speaks out against Communion in the hand
https://www.tldm.org/News8/CommunionInTheHandArinze.htm

Communion in the hand gets attention at Vatican Synod
https://www.tldm.org/News8/CommunionInTheHandVaticanSynod.htm

Archbishop Lenga proposes that Holy See issue a universal regulation, establishing the official way of receiving Holy Communion to be on the tongue and kneeling
https://www.tldm.org/News8/CommunionInTheHandArchbishopLenga.htm

Tradition:

Latin, the universal language of the Catholic Church
https://www.tldm.org/news5/latin.htm

The case for the Latin Mass
https://www.tldm.org/news5/latinmass.htm

Should women cover their heads in Church?
https://www.tldm.org/news6/veils.htm

"You cannot separate Tradition from your Faith"
https://www.tldm.org/news6/tradition1.htm

Vatican II, part 1: Infiltration of the Church
https://www.tldm.org/News6/VaticanII-1.htm

Vatican II, part 2: Dark clouds forming before Vatican II
https://www.tldm.org/News6/VaticanII-2.htm

Vatican II, part 3: the satanic revolution gains momentum at the Council
https://www.tldm.org/News6/VaticanII-3.htm

Links...
Letter on the posture of the people during Mass, Cardinal Medina Estévez, November 7, 2000
Kneeling and Faith in the Eucharist, by Fr. Regis Scanlon
Standing or Kneeling during the Liturgy?, by Fr. Joseph Fessio, S. J.
Standing Up for Kneeling (Catholic Insight - December 1997)
Kneeling (EWTN Library - Winter 1991)
Kneeling after the Lamb of God (EWTN Library)
Kneeling and genuflection, Catholic Encyclopedia

We encourage everyone to print or email copies of this web page to all the Bishops and all the clergy. Also, email or send this web page to the news media and as many people as possible.

"My children, My little humble children, I appeal to you as your Mother, go forward on foot, knock on the doors; bring the light to your brothers and sisters. For those who have been given great grace, much is expected of them." - Our Lady of the Roses, May 26, 1976

"As disciples of the latter days, My children, much shall be asked of you, but I assure you: all that you give in faith and charity shall be returned to you threefold." - Jesus, June 1, 1978

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