Priests have spoken of a “crisis of conscience” as bishops in England and Wales issue differing guidelines on the reception of Holy Communion.

The bishops’ conference recommends that Communion only be received in the hand, but individual bishops have the authority to make policy for their dioceses, and have adopted varying guidelines. A spokesperson for the bishops’ conference told the Tablet: “Bishops are strongly recommended to adopt the guidance but bishops have the right to act as they see fit in their own diocese and to accept the consequences of their actions.”

Clergy across the country have continued distributing Communion on the tongue where the faithful request it. But in some dioceses the practice has been forbidden, and several priests in various dioceses, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Catholic Herald that Communion guidelines had put them in “an impossible position” and caused a “crisis of conscience”.

Dioceses around the world have taken different stances, based on differing advice from public health experts.

A document issued by the Thomistic Institute, whose co-authors and contributors included several medical practitioners and professors, said that “some believe Communion on the tongue involves an elevated and, in the light of all the circumstances, an unreasonable risk; others disagree”. The authors concluded that with precautions, including sanitizing the hands after each communicant who receives on the tongue, “it is possible to distribute on the tongue without unreasonable risk”.

Neither the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, nor individual bishops, have published medical advice on the respective risks of the two methods.

In 2004, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, stating that “each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice.”

The document referenced the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 161 which, in the edition for England and Wales, states that the communicant “receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed, in the hand, the choice lying with the communicant.”

Clergy fear they could be reported to their bishops even if nearly all parishioners are content with priests administering Communion on the tongue.

Last week, Church Militant claimed that Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham had threatened to punish priests with suspension if they disobeyed the guidelines, leading to priests saying they were terrified of being reported to the bishop.

One anonymous priest was quoted as saying the guidelines created a “Stalinist state of intimidation and terror”.

The diocese has not responded to a request for comment from the Catholic Herald.

Meanwhile, a priest in Oxford, Fr John Saward, declined to distribute Communion at Mass because, he said, the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Birmingham “make it difficult to receive Our Lord with reverence”.

Fr Saward is now in “fraternal dialogue” with the diocese after a single complaint from someone who was not physically present at the Mass. The parish, along with several others, has now suspended livestreaming.

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