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The Ceremonial of Bishops notes that "a genuflection, made by bending only the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration and is therefore reserved for the Blessed Sacrament, whether exposed or reserved in the tabernacle" (69). According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, during Mass the priest is to genuflect at certain times: "after the showing of the Eucharistic bread, after the showing of the chalice, and before Communion" (233). Immediately after his genuflection at Communion time, the priest self-communicates.

A few things can be said about these points. Genuflections are to be made whether the Eucharist is reserved in the tabernacle—a point that Fr. Creedon makes—or is exposed. It is exposed any time it is visible, exposition not being limited to the case of exposition in a monstrance during a holy hour or benediction. If the consecrated species are on the altar, a genuflection is called for. The next point is that the priest himself genuflects just before he receives Communion. He genuflects as a sign of adoration. Does this "call undue attention" to himself, to use Fr, Creedon's complaint about lay genuflectors? Hardly, since the action is mandated in the rubrics. Is the priest's genuflection "disruptive to the true spirit of public worship"? No. It is a part of that true spirit and so can't be disruptive to it.

You see what's coming: If a genuflection is proper for the priest as he receives Communion, on what grounds could it be improper for lay people, given that nothing in the rubrics suggests that genuflection is a posture reserved for the clergy? Hold that thought a moment as we consider what the Church has taught about what lay people are to do as they receive Communion.

In Inaestimabile Donum, the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship noted that, "when the faithful communicate kneeling, no other sign of reverence toward the Blessed Sacrament is required, since kneeling itself is a sign of adoration." But a sign of reverence should be made when the people receive Communion standing, which is the most common way in American parishes. "When they receive Communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the Sacrament. This should be done at the right time and place, so that the order of people going to and from Communion is not disrupted" (11).

To summarize: If you receive Communion standing, you should make a sign of reverence just before you receive. What should that sign be? Inaestimabile Donum doesn't specify, but one could argue that the priest and people should make the same sign, to show unity among themselves. What sign does the priest make? He genuflects. This suggests that genuflection, then, is the most proper sign for the people to make. But it is not the only sign they may give. They may give some other sign of reverence, such as a deep how or even the sign of the cross. What is required is some sign of reverence, and the choice is up to the communicant.

When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister.

The bishops of this country have determined that the sign which we will give before Communion is to be a bow, a gesture through which we express our reverence and give honor to Christ who comes to us as our spiritual food.

You are always and everywhere permitted to receive kneeling in the Latin Church.
You are always and everywhere permitted to receive on the tongue.

Signs of reverence may be culturally determined, however I would assume that genuflexion is permitted. Be careful not to trip people up, though!

A head nod? The altar gets a bow from the waist.... hmmmmmmmmm

Jeff,

The USCCB determined the bow is the common form, even the minimum. It does not mean other forms approved by the CDW is not acceptable. Kneeling does not go against what the USCCB sought approval from the CDW and is not a scandal, and there is no question if it is advisable or not.

In addition to serving as a vehicle for the prayer of beings composed of body and spirit, the postures and gestures in which we engage at Mass have another very important function. The Church sees in these common postures and gestures both a symbol of the unity of those who have come together to worship and a means of fostering that unity. We are not free to change these postures to suit our own individual piety, for the Church makes it clear that our unity of posture and gesture is an expression of our participation in the one Body formed by the baptized with Christ, our head. When we stand, kneel, sit, bow and sign ourselves in common action, we given unambiguous witness that we are indeed the Body of Christ, united in heart, mind and spirit.

Are we permitted to receive kneeling?

The faithful are not permitted to take up the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice themselves, and still less, hand them on to one another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

So are we in the United States permitted to genuflect before receiving communion?

The bishops of this country have determined that the sign which we will give before Communion is to be a bow, a gesture through which we express our reverence and give honor to Christ who comes to us as our spiritual food.

When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister.

The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says those who present themselves kneeling should not be denied the Eucharist. You are right that the matter should be addressed pastorally, but as I read it, the document does not say that kneeling is not acceptable in the US.

So, the question is: are communicants disobeying their bishops if they kneel, or worst cause a scandal? (BTW, in Singapore we are also asked to bow)

[90.] “The faithful should receive Communion kneeling or standing, as the Conference of Bishops will have determined”, with its acts having received the recognitio of the Apostolic See. “However, if they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that they give due reverence before the reception of the Sacrament, as set forth in the same norms”.[176]

Even where the Congregation has approved of legislation denoting standing as the posture for Holy Communion, in accordance with the adaptations permitted to the Conferences of Bishops by the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani n. 160, paragraph 2, it has done so with the stipulation that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds.
In fact, as His Eminence, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has recently emphasized, the practice of kneeling for Holy Communion has in its favor a centuries-old tradition, and it is a particularly expressive sign of adoration, completely appropriate in light of the true, real and substantial presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the consecrated species.

"When they receive Communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the Sacrament. This should be done at the right time and place, so that the order of people going to and from Communion is not disrupted"

How can genuflection before receiving be accomplished without disrupting the "order of people going to and from Communion"? If 10% of those receiving genuflect, will that significantly impact the order?

What about the examples of Masses celebrated by the Pope, and things the Prefect of the CDW's said?

One citation:
Congregation de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum, Prot. n. 1322/02/L,Rome, 1 July 2002




also:http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwadori.htm#receiving

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/08/quaeritu ... communion/

Plus, read GIRM in Latin...

We are not free to change these postures to suit our own individual piety, for the Church makes it clear that our unity of posture and gesture is an expression of our participation in the one Body formed by the baptized with Christ, our head.

highest form of reverence in Asian culture is to bow and not genuflect. And this is the preferred norm in Asia before receiving the Eucharist.

Can the Philippines rightly be called an Asiatic Culture?

No one is arguing that kneeling is not permissible...

It's pretty clear from the context of the previously cited documents that a pastoral approach in explaining the reason behind the norm is either to explain why standing is the norm or to perhaps tolerate those who kneel.

I seem to remember there being liturgical dance during Masses in front of Pope John Paul II. Does that legitimate its use worldwide for all times and all places?

There are undoubtedly plenty of people at these Masses receiving Holy Communion unworthily. Does that legitimate unworthy reception?

Clearly, those who kneel aren't to be denied Holy Communion (not something I have any heartburn over), however, that's not the same thing as saying those who kneel are doing that which the bishops (at least in the U.S.) wish them to do. I would think piety would encourage people to be in synch with the bishops in their place of worship with regard to liturgical actions, postures, and practices.

I feel that whichever of the two positions you choose to receive is okay, as long as you kneel down as soon as you reach your place in the pew and thereupon silently adore and thank the Lord whom you have just received.

I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that in the US everybody was supposed to stand until everyone has received ...

Dean,
I think that part of the USCCB pastoral document has been deleted, i.e., It is no longer required that a kneeler be told or be taught why standing is the norm. I was reading it somewhere (USCCB site or Adoremus, I think - at any rate, an authoritative source), but, sorry, I cannot now locate it.

The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

That's Europe.

And technically, you're allowed to take any position you want after communion. It's just customary in Europe to stand, as it is customary in the US to kneel.

What I find amusing about the US tradition is that it typically lasts until Father sits, which seems very...sheep-ish to me. Mindlessly imitating the priest without regard to the reasoning.

I try to kneel until Our Lord is reserved in the tabernacle, then I will often sit back if no one is kneeling behind me.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

I've never seen people in Europe standing after Communion (Latin Rite assumed).

Bob,
The Philippines is in Asia, in the southeast, located just above the equator. People there speak several varieties of the Indonesian-Malayan language with sprinkling of Chinese. Spanish is for the colonials and the elites (the very, very rich and the very, very old.) American English is a public language, used in schools, media, and government.

....But to the majority of the Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai, Khmer and Japanese in the continent, bowing is the highest form of reverence. ...

While I agree that no one should be denied communion because they knelt to receive it, I'm not sure I would call kneeling to receive "permissible" in the United States.

but I'd be more interested in whether there's a section on pastors needing to approach the people who do nothing to show reverence. It would appear that those people are not showing unity, either.

I would think the Philippines is influence heavily by their Spanish and American colonial past, just as Singapore is from its British past. But to the majority of the Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai, Khmer and Japanese in the continent, bowing is the highest form of reverence.

Of course being in the US Military as long as I had been I was aware of where the Philippines were but for some reason I never thought of the Filipino Culture as Asiatic, most of the Filipinos I had met did not give me that impression either.

Check out Paragraph 160 of the GIRM posted on vatican.va. It has not been removed.

In 1967, the Sacred Congregation of Rites promulgated an instruction entitled Eucharisticum mysterium, which stated that “the faithful may receive Communion either kneeling or standing.” It went on to say, however, that one or the other posture was to be chosen by the conference of bishops to be the norm for their territory. The USCCB decided that the norm for the dioceses in the United States would be standing, which is reflected in article 160 of the GIRM as adopted for this country.

The GIRM, though, immediately adds two qualifications. First, it states that communicants “should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel.” Secondly, it notes that “such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.”

Unfortunately the reason for this norm is not contained in article 160 itself, as one might expect, but occurs earlier in article 42 regarding the importance of a uniform posture during the sacred liturgy. Article 42 states that a common posture is to be observed throughout the whole of Mass — not just during Communion — since a uniform posture signifies the unity of the Christian community.

(This) question came to the Congregation for Divine Worship from Cardinal George of Chicago in 2003, who asked whether the GIRM forbid one from kneeling in personal prayer after receiving the Eucharist even though the rest of the community sat or stood.

The congregation replied that article 42 of the GIRM meant to “ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture” while not seeking to “regulate posture rigidly.” Though the question itself does not directly pertain, this response gives some insight regarding how article 42 is to be applied throughout the other parts of the Mass, including at Communion.

The congregation responded forcefully, stating that they consider “any refusal of Holy Communion to a member of the faithful on the basis of his or her kneeling posture to be a grave violation of one of the most basic rights of the Christian faithful.” Furthermore, they issued a warning to priests who “should understand that the congregation will regard future complaints of this nature with great seriousness.”

Are those who kneel for Communion disobedient?

Following the promulgation of the GIRM, many held that those who chose to kneel when receiving were being disobedient to the norm created by the USCCB. This very question came to the congregation in 2003, who indicated that they had received “more than a few letters regarding this matter.”

The congregation was unequivocal in stating that “the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Communion.” This response corrected the misinterpretation found in a July 2002 newsletter from the USCCB’s own liturgy committee, which stated that “kneeling is not a licit posture.” It is now quite clear that kneeling to receive Communion is a licit posture and not one of disobedience, as some had previously thought.

"... while this Congregation gave the recognitio to the norm desired by the Bishops' Conference of your country that people stand for Holy Communion, this was done on the condition that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds. Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion."

Before giving the required "recognitio" to this adaptation of the US bishops' conference, the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments required that "communicants who choose to kneel are not be denied Communion on these grounds". The same letter stated, "the practice of kneeling for Holy Communion has in its favor a centuries-old tradition, and it is a particularly expressive sign of adoration, completely appropriate in light of the true, real and substantial presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the consecrated species". (see CDW letter dated July 2002 above.)

I grew up genuflecting to my parents and other elders for their blessings before going to bed at night. In the bigger cities this custom is replaced by the kissing of the elder's hand - or at least taking the hand to touch your forehead.

Bowing is our form of sharing the "Kiss of Peace," having rejected an earlier Conference of Bishops' ruling that (like the Americans) we should all shake hands at a sign of Peace. Of which most people complained, "But shaking hands means congratulations...why should we congratulate each other during Mass"? So now at the sign of peace, we simply fold our hands and bow to the people around us.

But on receiving Communion, time was when we all knelt down - until after Vatican II when we are now told to stand in line and receive Communion by hand (just like Americans.)

But it would not be unreasonable to conclude that among the many who kneel, there are those doing so out of something other than piety. It is like saying we cannot know who is in hell, but we can be pretty sure someone is.

Rebellion occurs on the traditionalist side of the aisle as well as the liberal side. In order to keep safe from behaviors that arise from pride or rebellion in myself, I would try mightily to follow the legitimate guidance of my bishops where clearly they are competent to govern. And the guidance is clear here.

Dean,
I agree. I'm one of those who'd rather not rock the boat. I feel that after I have received the Lord standing in line in the NO, He wouldn't mind so much to wait till I'm back kneeling at my place in the pew to hear my prayers of adoration and thanksgiving. God bless you and Happy Epiphany!

... the "kissing of the elder's hand - or at least taking the hand to touch your forehead" is something I see more common in Southeast Asia, especially among the Malays and Indonesians, both of whom share a very similar culture. But I doubt this is will ever be practical when we consider instances when inculturation of the Gospel message can help the faith of people from diverse cultures in Asia.

I feel that whichever of the two positions you choose to receive is okay, as long as you kneel down as soon as you reach your place in the pew and thereupon silently adore and thank the Lord whom you have just received.