Bishop Defends Laity’s Rights

A U.S. bishop is reaffirming laity has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. 

On June 8, Bp. Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas retweeted a 2009 document from the Vatican, saying laity must always be allowed to take Communion on the tongue, even during an outbreak of disease — commenting, "This is important."

This comes after video surfaced from Portugal showing a priest in Fatima denying Communion to an elderly woman who wanted to receive on the tongue while kneeling — a violation of her canonical rights.

Catholic Portuguese blog Senza Pagare also shared video of another woman in Fatima appearing to walk away without consuming the Blessed Sacrament.

Some say this is one of the concerns about reception of Communion on the hands — the heightened risk of desecration.

Dioceses around the world have shut down public Masses for months at a time due to the Wuhan virus pandemic. As governments phase out restrictions, and public Mass resumes in many places, some parishes and dioceses are enforcing stringent rules meant to deter the spread of the virus.

Laity's canonical rights have been routinely violated during the shutdowns, with bishops banning sacraments and putting countless obstacles in the way of the faithful.