In this case, I believe that a seminarian's conscience tells him that receiving our Lord by the hand is not proper and reverent. Then, he has to follow his conscience, and in this case, he has to be sincere and uncompromising. There is no divine vocation to be in a concrete diocese; there is only a divine vocation to the priesthood. It is not the main point to be a priest in this place, but to be a priest of the Catholic Church, because the Catholic Church is universal. We are not like a Protestant community.
In this case, I think that it should be the priest’s priority to defend our Lord in the Holy Eucharist without compromise. When somebody takes their holiness and the sacredness of the Holy Eucharist seriously, that, in my opinion, is a higher cause than being a priest from a concrete diocese. God will provide priests in this diocese. So, I would advise this seminarian to pray to God for guidance and to continue to consult with his spiritual director. If his conscience still says he should not receive Holy Communion in the hand, then he should follow his conscience because it made the right judgment, I would say. Then trust in the Lord to go to another place of formation where he has the guarantee to receive the Lord on the tongue, which is reverent.
Dear visitors of Gloria Dei and all who have already written or who will write a personal message to me. I am grateful for your attention, your kindness, for your spiritual support and especially for your sacrifices and prayers for me. God may reward you!
