Editor's Note: A major frustration facing many Catholics who strive for truth is the amount of misinformation in the world.  Even worse is that often this misinformation comes from a source thought to be reliable, say a diocesan newspaper for example.

To the Editor of the Texas Catholic, the diocesan newspaper for the Dallas diocese,

I was dismayed to find in the March 21 issue of the Texas Catholic a considerable error in the "Church Etiquette" article.

Near the end of the second column Mr. Circelli states that "As for receiving the Eucharist, the directives are clear that people should be in a standing position, not kneeling, and the bread should be placed in the hand or on the tongue . . .the document does not direct people to make the sign of the cross."

In the official documents on the liturgy, the directives allow both kneeling and standing to receive communion:  In "The Priceless Gift of the Eucharist" issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship in 1980, it is stated "As far as the manner of approaching Communion is concerned, the faithful may receive the sacrament either while kneeling or while standing, according to the norms set down by the episcopal conference.  When the faithful communicate kneeling, no other sign of reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament is required, since kneeling is itself a sign of adoration."  Notice, there is no preference given to the manner of receiving Communion unless it be that kneeling is mentioned first.

While the documents do not say that the faithful should make the sign of the cross after receiving Communion, "The Priceless Gift" does say that "When they receive Communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the Blessed Sacrament."  Since the standard gesture of reverence before the Blessed Sacrament both in a tabernacle and during adoration is a genuflection, it seems that such a gesture is also appropriate at this solemn moment of the Mass.

I was also disappointed that other facets of "etiquette" were passed over, especially gestures of respect and devotion that are included in the rubrics for Mass.  Among them, bowing at the words "and he became man" in the Creed, a bow at the names of Jesus and Mary, and when all persons of the Holy Trinity are named. The appendix to the General Instruction stresses that "All the more care should be taken about this because the gestures now prescribed since the reform of the liturgy are fewer and simpler."

A final point that disturbed me was that standing for communion was included as one of the "polite things to do."  The reason given for this, that the person behind might trip over someone who kneels, is rather weak.  I have never been to a Mass where people are moving so fast and are so oblivious to what is going on that they run over the person in front of them.

On the other hand, kneeling before God has long been a sign of devotion and reverence which seem to ride far above "polite."  If people are tripping over each other at Communion they need to reconsider why they are going.  Communion is not fast food and should be approached in a manner worthy of the greatest gift God gave us.

Ian Rutherford
March 23, 1998