Communion In Austria

A reader writes:

I was recently visiting relatives in a small town outside Vienna, Austria, called Hinterbruel, and on Sunday assisted at Mass at the local parish, along with my family, to fulfill our Sunday obligation.  Though the Mass in German and so I could understand little of what was said, nevertheless the sacramental graces available through Holy Communion would still be efficacious.

But during distribution of Communion I got a shock.  The pastor, with the Altar servers, stood at the head of aisle holding a large bowl of consecrated hosts about waist level.  An altar server next to him held the chalice down low also.  People processed up, plucked a host out of the large bowl and intinctured it in the chalice themselves.  They then consumed the intinctured host.  The priest did nothing but hold the bowl of hosts out for them.

I was shocked.  The thought immediately struck me that this was an unlawful way of distributing communion.  Given what I thought was this illicitness, I did not feel I could participate, and that to do so knowing it was illicit would itself be a grave sin.  I also told my family not to participate, and explained after the Mass what the problem was.

I know this practice is contrary to the norms for the Latin Rite.  Is it properly termed "illicit"?  If it was illicit, would it not be a grave sin to knowingly receive communion under these circumstances?

It does appear that the situation was illicit, unless Austria has particular law that has been approved by the Vatican to allow such a situation. Here is what the universal law, as found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) says:

160. The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.

The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another.

So that would prevent them taking the Host from a bowl or ciborium being held by the priest or other minister.

Regarding Communion by intinction, the GIRM says:

287. If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a communion-plate under the chin, approaches the priest, who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The priest takes a host, dips it partly into the chalice and, showing it, says, Corpus et Sanguis Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ). The communicant responds, Amen, receives the Sacrament in the mouth from the priest, and then withdraws.

There may be variation to allow others to perform the intinction, but the law does not envision the communicant himself doing so. So it looks like we have a case of illicit distribution of Holy Communion, barring Austria having particular law allowing this.

That being said, would it be a grave sin to receive under these circumstances?

No.

The faithful have a right to receive their Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion that is not trumped by local officials’ insistence on distributing this in an illicit manner. If there are no alternatives, your need and right to receive the Lord Jesus Christ trumps the fact that they insist on an illicit manner of distribution. If the only way to receive Communion is via their illicit method, it is morally licit for you to do so.

That being said, there are several considerations to add:

1) The fact that you were not parishioners but only temporary visitors made it reasonable for you to simply not go to Communion as you would not be deprived of licitly-distributed Communion for a long period, as parishioners might be.

2) If there was a possibility of changing the practice of the parish by refusing to participate then doing so would become more reasonable.

3) There may have been other options that would allow one to receive Communion without making use of the illicit process the parish had established: For example, going up and standing in front of the priest with one’s mouth open (or, if Communion in the hand is allowed in Austria, with one’s hand out) and not moving until Communion is given in a licit manner.

Similarly: Either standing in front of the minister of the chalice with one’s hands out to receive the chalice until one receives it or, if one has received Communion in the hand, approaching the minister of the chalice with hand extended and mouth open until the minister performs the intinction. Or simply not receiving Communion under the form of wine.

The latter (#3) would have been my preferred option, but then I’m an uppity American.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin