Question Corner: Is kneeling to receive Communion allowed?

Q: I have been hearing that the “norm” in the United States is to receive Communion standing. Does this mean that people who try to kneel for Communion are breaking canon law? (Florida)

A: You are correct that receiving holy Communion while standing is the local norm for the United States, but this doesn’t mean that those who choose to kneel for Communion are doing anything wrong or “illegal.”

The relevant section of the church’s law can be found in the current 2012 edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) — i.e., the official “instruction book” for how Mass is to be celebrated.

In GIRM paragraph 160 we read: “The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling.”

Read in context, the word “norm” here is not used in the sense of “firm rule that can never be violated.” Instead, it’s more like the standard default option in the United States. Within certain parameters, specific bishops’ conferences or regions are legitimately empowered to decide on such “default options” that align most closely with local needs and cultural sensitivities (meaning, of course, that in other countries standing for holy Communion might not be the norm).

However, what is interesting about the United States’ GIRM 160 is that it seems to make a point to respect the desire or “wish” of an individual communicant who prefers to kneel. Although the current American GIRM clearly indicates standing as the normal posture for holy Communion in this country, it does not seek to impose this on those members of the faithful who personally feel more comfortable receiving Communion while kneeling.

I think one reason why there might be some confusion on this issue is that the same paragraph in an earlier edition of the American GIRM from 2003 states that: “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 2003 GIRM’s mention of the need for “catechesis” for those who opt to kneel rather than stand for Communion has ambiguous implications. That is, it might be interpreted that those who knelt were doing something wrong and were in need of correction. But on the other hand, it could also be read as the church’s concern that those who opted to kneel were doing so for appropriate reasons and not merely suffering from scruples. In any case, the current 2012 GIRM is the document actually in force today, so the precise meaning of the 2003 GIRM is somewhat of a moot point.

What does this all mean for us practically in our lives of faith?

First of all, on a basic level, it is important to be courteous to our fellow communicants, and avoid anything that causes a disruption to the smooth and orderly distribution of holy Communion during Mass. It should also go without saying that holy Communion should always be received in a spirit of humility, and it should never be an occasion to show off or draw attention to ourselves.

By the same token, we should avoid forming negative judgements about our brothers and sisters in Christ based on how they receive Communion. Those who choose to receive on their knees are not necessarily doing so because they think they are “more Catholic than the pope;” rather, it is more charitable to assume that those who kneel are expressing a genuine Eucharistic piety in a way straightforwardly permitted by law.

Likewise, those who receive standing are not less devout, less respectful or less in awe of the great gift of the sacrament. They are simply receiving in the ordinary, customary way for their country.

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