For reference, you can read the first part of the interview with Bishop Schneider at the following link: [link]
Henryk Piec and Anna Wysocka talk to His Excellency Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana.
Your Excellency, this question concerns an event that took place in one of the Kashubian churches, a region deeply rooted in Catholicism. During this event, a priest explained to the gathered faithful why it is permissible to receive Holy Communion while standing instead of kneeling, and in the hand rather than on the tongue. He said something along the lines of: there is no difference in how we receive Holy Communion because both the tongue and the hand can sin. Does this argument convince Your Excellency?
I believe that the argument—quite frankly—is not very wise. Personally, I do not agree with that assessment.
Why not?
Who actually sins? Does the tongue sin? Does the hand sin? No! It is always the person who sins. Sin is attributed to the person, not to a specific part of the body. Sin—as is worth clearly and emphatically reminding—is the result of our sovereign decisions. Therefore, our soul is responsible for sin, although a person may use different parts of the body as useful tools. One can sin with their tongue, one can also sin with their hand or any other part of the body. Responsibility—I emphasize once more—always lies with the person, not with a part of their body. Secondly, this argument is illogical because even if someone receives Holy Communion in the hand, the Host ultimately ends up on the tongue. That is the reality, and anyone can observe it during Communion. To put it plainly: this argument lacks both logic and theological depth. It simply does not hold up under honest reflection.
What should a Catholic do if a priest refuses to give him Holy Communion while kneeling? Something like this happened to our son when he was still a teenager. During the Mass, the entire congregation received Holy Communion while standing, many in the hand. Our son knelt, but the priest refused to give him Communion. After the Mass, we approached the priest to speak with him, but he couldn’t explain why he had denied the sacrament. The priest even seemed irritated by the mere fact that we asked about it. So what should Catholics do in such a situation?
Every Catholic has the right to receive Holy Communion kneeling and to the mouth. This is a universal practice of the Church, which the Church guarantees to every faithful person. There is a document, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments—during the pontificate of John Paul II, entitled Redemptionis Sacramentum. This instruction clearly states that every Catholic has the right to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue. If a priest refuses solely because someone is kneeling, that is an abuse—a serious abuse.
The faithful don’t go to church carrying the instruction. I believe that most of the catholics do not even know of its existence.
Of course, but if a priest refuses to give Holy Communion to a kneeling person, one can approach him later and respectfully ask: „Father, are you familiar with point 91 of the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum?” I know that most of the faithful are not familiar with the contents of such documents, but priests—as I say with sadness—often do not read these instructions or consciously ignore them. Please remember: this is not just my opinion; this is a norm approved by John Paul II and it is still valid in the Church. Neither a priest nor a bishop has the authority to disregard this universal norm. It applies in all dioceses, and no one can say: „In my parish or diocese, this instruction doesn’t apply because I say so.” This is a universal norm, and all the priests have to adhere to it. The faithful’s knowledge of Church documents is both a privilege and a duty, and by knowing the law, we can also — with respect — hold priests accountable to it.
Your Excellency, the faithful do not feel they are doing anything wrong by receiving Holy Communion standing and in the hand. At some point, someone must have said that this form is permissible and that there is nothing wrong with it…
Well, it is the bishops and priests who are responsible for guiding souls — that’s why we refer to priests as pastors. If the faithful today believe that receiving Holy Communion while standing is acceptable, it’s because the clergy have allowed it or even actively encouraged people to it! Morally and spiritually — in my opinion — priests are leading people astray by diminishing the reverence due to Our Lord Jesus. Kneeling is an objective and universal gesture of deep respect. When the clergy introduce the standing posture instead of kneeling, they are limiting the external signs of reverence and honor. That is obvious! In every culture in the world, people bow or kneel to show respect — especially in religious contexts. I have been to Thailand, a predominantly Buddhist country, and I visited a Catholic school there run by religious sisters. Imagine this: the students are required to kneel when speaking to a teacher seated at a desk. In this way, they show respect. They know they cannot stand and speak to their teacher as an equal. At the royal court in Thailand, ministers, when addressing their king, have to kneel before him. They are not permitted to stand at the same level! So if priests forbid people from kneeling to receive Jesus Christ — who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings — and insist that the faithful receive Holy Communion standing and in the hand, then they are clearly acting against the natural instinct of reverence. This reflects a modernist, ideological effort to diminish honor toward Our Lord. At the root of such an attitude lies a lack of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. To be perfectly honest, this is a Protestant way of thinking.
One of our acquaintances said: “When I receive Communion, I don’t want to wonder whether the way I am kneeling is proper or not — I just want to focus on Jesus.” Some claim that receiving Holy Communion standing is faster and more practical.
This argument is completely misguided. If you are truly focused on Jesus, then you must kneel. A humble posture, the bending of the knees, is a full acknowledgment of the One you are receiving. Saying that gestures don’t matter shows a lack of full faith and awareness of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. If you truly recognize Jesus, then you are receiving the King of Kings, your Lord — kneeling! Just as the Apostle Thomas knelt before the Risen Lord and said, “My Lord and my God,” every believer should do exactly the same! On Easter morning, when Jesus appeared to the women at the tomb, they fell down and kissed His feet. This is a universal human gesture — in all cultures — to kneel or bow before someone who is far, far greater than we are.
