Tonguers v. Handers. And the winner is ...

01/28/2026 • View profile

Tonguers v. Handers. And the winner is ...

Pax te cum!

The debate between those supporting Communion on the tongue and those in the hand has a clear winner: charity ... which must begin with charity to Jesus in the Eucharist!

To fully understand this article, it's important to read and take to prayer the previous ones on the topic:

Don't tread on Me, says ... JESUS !
Eucharistic miracle proves we are ALL stepping on Jesus!
http://www.catholic365.com/article/29922/the-popes-hidden-miracle.html

On one hand, heretics deny the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharistic particles, with the false argument that they are too small, while on the other hand, they correctly believe that a host can be consecrated with just one invisible atomic molecule of gluten (yet they don’t care about fake-consecration of so-callled “low-gluten hosts”, which have no gluten!):

Celiac hosts that are not capable of hosting Jesus
https://www.catholic365.com/article/50945/vatican-error-low-gluten-hosts-that-cant-host-jesus.html

--------------------------------------

Someone posted on facebook:

Communion in the Hand: A Satanic Inspired Desecration of the Holy Eucharist Rooted in Masonic Ideology:

https://www.facebook.com/CatholicTraditionEvangelization/photos/communion-in-the-hand-a-satanic-inspired-desecration-of-the-holy-eucharist-roote/1373068881526492/

Deacon Wally Calabrese, tried to rebute it:

https://www.catholic365.com/article/58275/communion-in-the-hand-communion-on-the-tongue-and-the-churchs-living-tradition.html

Though some parts of the facebook article are exaggerated, it's in line with the Peface by Cardinal Sarah of the 2018 book ‘The distribution of Communion on the hand: a historical, juridical and pastoral survey’ [La distribuzione della comunione sulla mano. Profili storici, giuridici e pastorali] by Father Federico Bortoli:

“We can understand how the most insidious diabolical attack consists in trying to extinguish faith in the Eucharist, sowing errors and favoring an unsuitable manner of receiving it. Truly the war between Michael and his Angels on one side, and Lucifer on the other, continues in the hearts of the faithful.”

Why do we not kneel down to receive Holy Communion on the example of the saints? Why do we insist on receiving Communion standing and on the hand? Why this attitude of lack of submission to the signs of God?”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-sarah-we-need-to-rethink-the-way-communion-is-distributed/

Interview with God: what do You think about communion in the hand?

Word of God (Douay Rheims)

John 13:26

Jesus gives the dipped bread to Judas at the Last Supper:"Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/50013.htm

Note: Jesus hands it directly to Judas’ mouth, just as inctincted hosts are never given in the hand.

Ezekiel 2

8 But thou, O son of man, hear all that I say to thee: and do not thou provoke me, as that house provoketh me: open thy mouth, and eat what I give thee.
9 And I looked, and behold, a hand was sent to me, wherein was a book rolled up: and he spread it before me,
10 And it was written within and without: and there were written in it lamentations, and canticles, and woe.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/31002.htm

Ezequiel 3

1 And he said to me: Son of man, eat all that thou shalt find: eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel.
2 And I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that book:
3 And he said to me: Son of man, thy belly shall eat, and thy bowels shall be filled with this book, which I give thee. And I did eat it: and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/31003.htm

Note: Jesus is the Word of God. When we communicate we eat all the Words from God1, all the books from the Bible, where Jesus is spiritually present in a special way.

Revelation 10:9-10

And I went to the angel, saying unto him, that he should give me the book. And he said to me: Take the book, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. And I took the book from the hand of the angel, and ate it up: and in my mouth, it was sweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/73010.htm

Note: unlike Ezekiel, a prophet from the Old Covenant, it was given in the hand by an angel, because John was a Bishop from the New Covenant, thus his hands were consecrated to act as those of Jesus.

Psalm 81:10

I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Related to:

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me a joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name, O Lord God of hosts, I am called.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words to my palate! more than honey to my mouth.

Psalm 119:131 I opened my mouth and panted: because I longed for thy commandments.

Psalm 19:10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves. More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

John 6:12

Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.

Multiplication of the Loaves, with Eucharistic foreshadowing as the following:

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/50006.htm

Matthew 14:20

And they did all eat, and were filled. And they gathered up what remained of fragments, twelve baskets full.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/47014.htm

Matthew 15:37

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets full.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/47015.htm

Mark 6:43

And they gathered up the remnants of the fragments of bread, twelve baskets full.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/48006.htm

Mark 8:8

And they did eat and were filled; and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/48008.htm

Luke 9:17

And they did all eat, and were filled. And there were taken up of fragments that remained to them, twelve baskets.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/49009.htm

Mark 1

6 And John (the Baptist) was clothed with camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and he ate locusts and wild honey.

7 And he preached, saying: There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/48001.htm

John 1:27

The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.

https://www.drbo.org/chapter/50001.htm

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich: Visions

Tongue: “The angel was clothed like a priest in a long floating garment, and bore before him, in his hands, a small vase, in shape resembling the chalice used at the Last Supper. At the top of this chalice, there was a small oval body, about the size of a bean, and which diffused a reddish light. The angel, without touching the earth with his feet, stretched forth his right hand to Jesus, who arose, when he placed the mysterious food in his mouth.” 1

Tongue: “Jesus broke the bread into several pieces, which he laid together on the paten, and then took a corner of the first piece and dropped it into the chalice. He took the paten with the pieces of bread (I do not know whether he had placed it on the chalice) and said: 'Take and eat; this is my Body which is given for you.' He stretched forth his right hand as if to bless, and, whilst he did so, a brilliant light came from him, his words were luminous, the bread entered the mouths of the Apostles as a brilliant substance, and light seemed to penetrate and surround them all, Judas alone remaining dark. Jesus presented the bread first to Peter, next to John and then he made a sign to Judas to approach. Judas was thus the third who received the Adorable Sacrament, but the words of our Lord appeared to turn aside from the mouth of the traitor, and come back to their Divine Author. ... Jesus then administered the Blessed Sacrament to the other Apostles, who approached two and two.” 2

Consecrated hands of Priests/Bishops: “Peter and John, vested in priestly robes, brought the Blessed Sacrament (consecrated Bread and Wine remaining from Jesus) from the Holy of Holies into the hall. Peter placed the plate with the Blessed Sacrament on a table, and Peter and John received it by bowing reverently and partaking. Peter then sent the plate around, and each Apostle communicated himself by taking from it.” 3

Tongue: “I saw the Blessed Sacrament entering the mouths of the Apostles in the form of a luminous body, and Jesus' words at the consecration of the wine flowing into the chalice like a stream of red light.” (Night before Ascension). 4

Tongue: “When Peter broke and distributed the bread that he had previously blessed, first to the Blessed Virgin, then to the Apostles and disciples who stepped forward confidently and received it on bended knee, bowing low, their hands crossed upon their breast.” (Pentecost) 5

Tongue: “Peter then gave her (Virgin Mary) Holy Communion. She raised herself to receive it, without supporting herself, and then sank back again. The Apostles continued to pray for a short time, and then rising, Peter gave her Extreme Unction. During the whole ceremony, the room was lighted only by the lamp which hung over her bed.” 6

Tongue. Venerable Therese Neumann, 1962 (stigmata) She lived only on the Consecrated Host for some 35 years and also saw Jesus distribute the bread into the mouths of the Apostles.7

Not loosing particles:

“I saw Claudia Procles, the wife of Pilate, send some large pieces of linen to the Mother of God... At the termination of the scourging, Mary came to herself for a time... I soon after saw Mary and Magdalen approach the pillar where Jesus had been scourged; the mob were at a distance, and they were partly concealed by the other holy women, and by a few kind-hearted persons who had joined them; they knelt down on the ground near the pillar, and wiped up the sacred blood with the linen which Claudia Procles had sent... Surrounded and hidden by the other holy women and some well-disposed people standing by, they cast themselves on their knees and soaked up the sacred Blood of Jesus with the linens until not a trace of it could be found.” 8

“Seraphia was the name of the brave woman who thus dared to confront the enraged multitude; she was the wife of Sirach, one of the councillors belonging to the Temple, and was afterwards known by the name of Veronica... She made her way through the mob... reached Jesus, fell on her knees before him, and presented the veil, saying at the same time, ‘Permit me to wipe the face of my Lord.’ Jesus took the veil in his left hand, wiped his bleeding face, and returned it with thanks.” 9

“In a mysterious manner, the angels gathered up all the sacred substance, the flesh and the blood, that had been torn from Jesus during His Passion. I saw that the nailing to the cross, the raising of the same, the opening of the sacred side, the taking down from the cross, and the preparing of the holy body for burial, were shown to the souls in Jesus' train. The Blessed Virgin also saw it all in spirit. She loved and adored. Afterward it was as if the Lord's body rested again in the holy sepulcher. With it was all that had been torn from it during the Passion and replaced in an incomprehensible manner by the angels.” 10

“The angels who accompanied them gathered sacred flesh which had been torn off by the frequent blows … “ 11

1 http://annecatherineemmerich.com/complete_visions/volume_11_the_bitter_passion_of_our_lord_jesus_christ/the-bitter-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-part-2

2 https://www.ecatholic2000.com/anne/passion12.shtml

3 http://annecatherineemmerich.com/complete_visions/volume_12_from_the_resurrection_of_jesus_christ_to_the_assumption_of_the_most_holy_mary/from-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-to-the-assumption-of-the-most-holy-mary-part-1

4 https://tandfspi.org/ACE_vol_04/ACE_4_0421_out.html

5 Ibid.

6 https://www.ecatholic2000.com/anne/lom179.shtml

7 https://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/137753-the-divine-substance-on-the-subject-of-hand-communion

8 https://tandfspi.org/ACE_vol_04/ACE_4_0201_out.html

9 https://sacred-texts.com/chr/pjc/pjc48.htm

10 https://tandfspi.org/ACE_vol_04/ACE_4_0361_out.html

11 http://annecatherineemmerich.com/complete_visions/volume_11_the_bitter_passion_of_our_lord_jesus_christ/the-bitter-passion-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-part-15

Evolution of Eucharistic discipline

Communion in the hand was tolerated but never recommended over communion on the tongue by Saints. No one ever suggested not taking care of the crumbs, on the contrary:

Tertulian (155–220): “We take also, in congregations before daybreak, and from the hand of none but the presidents, the sacrament of the Eucharist … We feel pained should any wine or bread … be cast upon the ground.” 1

St. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 215 AD), Apostolic Tradition (ch. 37):

“All shall be careful so that no unbeliever tastes of the eucharist, nor a mouse or other animal, and that none of it falls and is lost. For it is the body of Christ, to be eaten by believers, and not to be despised. … Therefore do not spill from it, for some foreign spirit to lick it up because you despised it.” 2

At least from the 4th century onward, the Corporal (square linen on the altar) was used to collect fragments during the fraction and distribution.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD), Mystagogical Catecheses (Catechetical Lectures on the Mysteries), Lecture 23 (also called the Fifth Mystagogical Lecture), paragraph 21–22, ca. 350 AD, addressed to newly baptized Christians in Jerusalem.

“In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen.
So then after having carefully hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest you lose any portion thereof; for whatever you lose, is evidently a loss to you as it were from one of your own members.

For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from you of what is more precious than gold and precious stones?”

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310123.htm

Optatus of Milevis (c. 367–385), Against the Donatists, Book 6: “What Christian is unaware that in celebrating the Sacred Mysteries the wood [of the altar] is covered with a linen cloth?” 3

400 AD. St. Augustine, Answer to Petilian the Donatist (Book 2, chapter 23, paragraph 53):

“Think of what you receive in your hand and keep it clean of all greed and theft. Consider that you not only receive this gift in your hand, but that you also bring it up to your mouth, and keep your tongue clean of all disgraceful and outrageous words, blasphemy, perjury and all other sins of this sort.”

Testamentum Domini (The Testament of Our Lord, 5th-century church order): "that nothing fall to the ground lest an evil spirit get possession of it.” 4

Communion cloth / houseling cloth mentioned in councils like Auxerre, c. 578 AD. 5 Some received in the hand covered by a linen cloth (dominicalis).

In order to avoid losing fragments in the breaking of the bread, by the 12th century the big communion waffers had been replaced by individual hosts the size of a coin. 6

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226): “Let all those who administer such most holy mysteries, especially those who administer them illicitly, consider how very dirty are the chalices, corporals, and altar linens, on which his Body and Blood are sacrificed.” 7

St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century): “out of reverence towards this Sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated … the priest’s hands ... it is not lawful for anyone else to touch it except from necessity.” (Summa Theologiae III, q. 82, a. 3) 8

Fast forward to 1969. Memoriale Domini (Instruction of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship):

“With a deepening understanding of the truth of the Eucharistic mystery ... and of the presence of Christ in it, there came a greater feeling of reverence … a deeper humility was felt to be demanded when receiving it ... the minister placing a particle of consecrated bread on the tongue of the communicant.

The motivation for this practice is two-fold:

a) first, to avoid, as much as possible, the dropping of Eucharistic particles;

b) second, to increase among the faithful devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist." 9

St. Pope John Paul II: “It is necessary for all of us who are ministers of the Eucharist to examine carefully our actions at the altar, in particular the way in which we handle that food and drink which are the body and blood of the Lord our God in our hands: the way in which we distribute Holy Communion; the way in which we perform the purification.” 10

1 Tertullian (c. 155–240 AD), De Corona (The Chaplet or On the Crown), Chapter 3
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0304.htm
https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian04.html
https://www.tertullian.org/lfc/LFC10-11_de_corona.htm

2 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61614/61614-h/61614-h.htm
https://www.stjohnsarlingtonva.org/Customer-Content/saintjohnsarlington/CMS/files/EFM/Apostolic_Tradition_by_Hippolytus.pdf

3 https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/optatus_06_book6.htm

4 https://archive.org/details/cu31924029296170/page/n77

5 The houseling cloth or communion cloth draped over the altar rail and held under the chin/hands) expanded in the medieval period and were widespread until the 19th–20th centuries, when metal communion plates/patens sometimes replaced them (introduced mid-19th century and mandated by 1929).

6 https://aleteia.org/2023/02/07/communion-wafers-instead-of-loaves-a-history/

7 https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2018/09/st-francis-of-assisi-eucharistic-mystic.html

8 For the organic development of the Eucharistic doctrine. Cf. Adrian Fortescue's The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy (1912/1917 editions). Also: https://www.ecclesiadei.nl/docs/timeline.html

9 https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/instruction-on-the-manner-of-distributing-holy-communion-2195

10 John Paul II, “Dominicae Canae: Letter to All Bishops of the Church in the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist", art 11.

Saints preferring communion on the tongue

This is a partial list that will keep growing:

330–379. St. Basil the Great (Doctor of the Church)

1225–1274. St. Thomas Aquinas (Doctor of the Church)

1774–1824. Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich (stigmatist)

1887–1968. St. Padre Pio (stigmatist)

1897–1978. St. Pope Paul VI

1898–1962. Ven. Therese Neumann (stigmatist)

1902–1975. St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

1914–1994. Bl. Álvaro del Portillo

1920–2005. St. Pope John Paul II

1927–2022. Pope Benedict XVI

Saints receiving communion on the tongue from angels or Jesus

c. 18 BC – c. 41 AD. Most Holy Virgin Mary: mystically received the Eucharist from Jesus or via angels.

c. 1190–1240. St. Agnes of Montepulciano: received from an angel on multiple occasions, placed directly into her mouth during ecstasies.

1221–1274. St. Bonaventure: an angel placed a portion of the consecrated Host directly into his mouth during Mass to overcome his scruples about receiving.

1322–1333. Bl. Imelda Lambertini: received her First Holy Communion miraculously at age 11; a glowing Host descended from the tabernacle and hovered above her head before being given to her by the priest or directly in ecstasy, placed on her tongue/mouth; she died immediately after from overwhelming joy and love.

1347–1380. St. Catherine of Siena: received Communion from Our Lord Himself or from angels, often directly into her mouth in mystical experiences.

1550–1568. St. Stanislaus Kostka: received Holy Communion on the tongue from an angel, accompanied by St. Barbara, who placed it directly into his mouth when denied by his Protestant tutor.

1540–1592. St. Paschal Baylon: received or adored the Eucharist miraculously from angels, who presented and administered the Host directly to him or suspended in the air for veneration/reception on the tongue.

1566–1607. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi: received Holy Communion directly from Jesus Himself on several occasions, placed into her mouth by the Savior during ecstasies, e.g., on Holy Thursday.

1715–1791. St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds: received Holy Communion miraculously on several occasions; accounts describe the Host flying or escaping the priest's hands to land directly on her lips/tongue during Mass, especially in her later years when illness prevented normal reception.

1905–1938. St. Faustina Kowalska (stigmatist): received Holy Communion directly from a seraph/angel on multiple occasions when ill and unable to attend Mass; the seraph placed the Host into her mouth, saying "Behold the Lord of Angels," and appeared for 13 days in one series of visions, as recorded in her Diary.

1907–2005. Bl. Lucía of Fatima: received the Host directly on the tongue from the Angel of Peace in 1916, who placed it miraculously into her mouth.

1908–1919. St. Francisco of Fatima: received the Precious Blood directly into his mouth from the Angel of Peace in 1916, as part of the miraculous Communion).

1910–1920. St. Jacinta of Fatima: received the Precious Blood directly into her mouth from the Angel of Peace in 1916.

Answer to Deacon Wally

You wrote: "Gradual disciplinary development toward reception on the tongue As Eucharistic theology deepened and public persecution subsided, the Church increasingly emphasized safeguarding the Sacrament from profanation, loss of fragments, and abuse."

Later, it was sometimes given in the hand. Probably, this was due to a lack of discipline.

As a military, you know that discipline means effort, and reducing discipline and efforts result in laxity, negligence, vice.

Discipline develops to protect doctrine: in the case of the communion in the hand, the lack of discipline proves to be a straightforward attack on the dogma about Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharistic particles.

You wrote: "Communion may be received in the hand, provided it is done reverently and the Host is consumed immediately."

That's the point: since particles are not consumed immediately, the Church is violating its own rules requiring immediate consumption and not kidnapping the Eucharist by taking the particles with you!

The Satanic part is that, knowing what we now know (especially after the Council of Trent and the Eucharistic miracles involving particles), it's a grave sin of omission not to safeguard the particles.

The abuse is not teaching the faithful:

• The requirement of immediate "washing"/purification to Priests' hands and vessels (the hand became a vessel!)
• Communion trays (mandated by Redemptionis Sacramentum) or maktron (since the 9th century some Eastern Churches use a red cloth under the chin to catch crumbs during spoon Communion)
• Cloths to collect fallen particles or drops (Altar Cloth / Fair Linen, Corporal, Cere-cloth)
• Kneelers (prie-dieu) with houseling cloths over the shelf (armrest or elbow rest)
• Purificator to clean the vessels but also to mark the spot where the Eucharist falls so that nobody treads on Him (a complete incoherence to the way smaller particles are treated!)
• Purification of all of the above, etc.