Bishop Schneider: We noticed that, especially at the moment of Holy Communion, it became so superficial, so banal, especially in the form of receiving Holy Communion directly in the hand, touching the host with the fingers, and then putting it in your mouth. And there are many consequences that flow from this. I will mention four that are evident and undeniable. First, the loss of fragments of the host. This loss is very significant. Each little fragment still contains the whole divinity, fully present, and by losing even a fragment, we expose our Lord.
Fr. Mitch Pacwa: That is an important point. Sometimes it seems people think that if a fragment breaks off, it is no longer the Eucharist. It is still fully the Eucharist.
Bishop Schneider: Yes, because this is a dogma of our faith, confirmed by the Council of Trent. In each, even the smallest part of the host, the whole Christ is present. We must behave according to our dogma. Receiving Holy Communion in the hand exposes our Lord to a great loss of fragments. Fragments can stick to the palm or fingers, or fall between the priest and the communicant. In our country, we have no Communion in the hand, thanks be to God. We always use a paten. Even from my experience, after each Mass, there are fragments on the paten. But without a paten, fragments fall to the floor, and our Lord is thus dishonored in His Church in many places. This cannot be ignored. It may be legal or illicit, but we must reflect on it. This is the first very grave consequence of this manner of receiving Holy Communion, which is now widespread worldwide.
The second consequence is the increase in theft of the host, which is rising in many countries. We expose our Lord to this risk. The third consequence, objectively speaking, not regarding the interior attitude of the faithful, is that this manner of receiving the holiest of the holy creates minimal gestures of adoration. When the holiest of the holy is present, we must give the maximum. Putting the host in the palm and allowing the faithful to take it with their fingers and place it in their mouth resembles handling ordinary food in a kitchen or cafeteria. It lacks clear, sacred gestures.
We need to reflect seriously on this and wake up. Kneel down and adore our Lord. This is logical. Even the angels in heaven, in the Apocalypse, prostrate themselves in front of the lamp of God. But we do not prostrate ourselves before the Host. Why not?