Bishops cannot forbid taking communion on the tongue

Note by Marc Aupiais

While we at Scripturelink.net discourage taking communion during peak swine flu infection times, except in Easter season, when a precept of the church asks us to partake at least once of communion:

A report that Toronto, has forbidden taking communion on the tongue is disturbing to us. As ETWN has noted, the last judgement of the Bishops of the world- on the matter asks that taking on the tongue be the way Catholics take communion.

Taking on the hand, is largely tolerated, and in many dioceses- permitted by an exception, as what had been an abuse had become so widespread there.

Forbidding communion on the tongue, however- is what is known as an abuse, which is in direct disobedience to the church and canon law. While it may be wise to abstain from communion at present in Toronto, it is not a just cause to forbid communion on the tongue, but rather an abuse canonically speaking, of authority invested in one in the name of God, who judges teachers of faith more harshly. The forbidding of eating the flesh of eternal life in what is de jure the ordinary form, is certainly a serious action to take, one which is not generally acceptable according to the law of the church all priests are obligated to serve.