Cardinal Cupich Discourages Kneeling While Receiving the Eucharist

After effectively banning the Traditional Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich is now targeting those who choose to kneel when receiving the Eucharist. This week, Cupich issued a pastoral letter entitled “As We Pray…” stating:

“…no one should engage in a gesture that calls attention to oneself or disrupts the flow of the procession. That would be contrary to the norms and tradition of the church, which all the faithful are urged to respect and observe.”

The cardinal must have forgotten that up until the time of the Second Vatican Council, lay Catholics received Holy Communion under the species of bread alone, kneeling, and on the tongue.

The cardinal must have also missed the fact that the USCCB guidelines allow the faithful to kneel at their discretion.

Perhaps the cardinal is unaware of the recently published results of the Real Presence Survey, the single largest survey of lay Catholics ever competed in the United States. The survey revealed the top recommendation for restoring belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the most Holy Eucharist was to encourage the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling.

TAKE ACTION: Share the results of the Real Presence Survey with Cardinal Cupich at bcupich@archchicago.org.