Transcript:
A form of receiving Holy Communion is directly in the hand, where the communicant touches the host with their fingers from the palm of their hand, and then places the Communion in their mouth.
There are several consequences that flow from this practice. I will mention four, which are evident and undeniable.
Firstly, there is the loss of small fragments of the host. This loss is significant because each tiny fragment contains the whole of Christ, His full divinity, truly and really present. Sometimes people mistakenly think that if a fragment breaks off, it is no longer the Eucharist, but this is false. The Council of Trent teaches that even the smallest part of the host contains the entire Christ. This is a dogma of our faith, and our behavior must reflect that.
When Communion is received in the hand this way, there is a great risk of fragments falling, either onto the palm or between the fingers, or even to the floor, especially since there is often no paten (a plate used to catch fragments) between the priest and communicant.
In our country, thankfully, Communion in the hand is not allowed, and a paten is always used. After every Mass, I often find fragments on the paten. But when Communion is received in the hand without a paten, fragments fall to the ground and are often crushed by the feet in the church.
This is unacceptable. We cannot remain silent and simply say, “It is licit.” Yes, it is legally permitted in some places, but we must reflect on the gravity of this consequence. This is the first and very serious consequence.