Restoring the Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Forms

The body of our doctrinal and liturgical documents teach us that the fullness of the Eucharistic sign is bread and wine. The norms for the distribution and reception of Holy Communion tell us, “From the first days of the Church's celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Communion consisted of the reception of both species in fulfillment of the Lord's command to ’take and eat . . . take and drink.’ The distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful under both kinds was thus the norm for more than a millennium of Catholic liturgical practice” (17). Limiting the reception of Holy Communion to the form of bread alone began toward the end of the 11th century and became the universal practice of the Church in 1415 by the decision of the Council of Constance. This continued through the modern era until the Second Vatican Council promulgated the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, which, among other things, restored the ancient practice of the Church to make accessible the fullness of the Eucharistic sign to the people. The General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states that “Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it takes place under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clearer expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord…” (GIRM 30). Recently, the pastors of our diocese received a communication in which we were asked to make a prudential judgment about when to restore the reception of Holy Communion from the chalice, following its suspension at the onset of the pandemic. Some parishes have already done this, while others are planning to restore it sometime soon. As I mentioned above, I believe the time is now right for us to do so.