In a viral video, a young girl in Brazil presents herself for Communion while kneeling and receiving on the tongue.
In a response to the video, the Auxiliary Bishop writes:
As a result of a video released of an alleged denial of communion to a young woman who had been baptised. Yesterday on the Sunday of the transfiguration I had the joy of celebrating the confirmation of young people from the parish of santa maria estrela in the morning in Belo Horizonte.
Everything went well as usual. Before starting the communion I instructed everyone about the form of communion that would be in the hand because since the first signs of the pandemic I have avoided giving communion in the mouth out of respect and care for the person who is communing and mainly out of respect for the care of the people who will commune next and that it would be standing. Thus facilitating the movement of people as it was a special festive day.
A Confirmed woman wanted to receive communion in her mouth and on her knees I tried to show her that it would be better to receive communion as everyone else was receiving it. She was not helped by the people around her, she went to the parish priest, concelebrating with me, a good friend of mine, because they know each other, and so she received communion. She participated normally in the post-communion prayer, the blessing and a photo that we all took together, joyful, the catechists, the priest and I. It was all very beautiful.
Someone who was there filming posted a manipulated video because it was 'cut' the moment of communion that the young woman received and many began to publicise. that she was denied communion.
Please know that I have a great friendship with the young people and I dedicate a lot of myself to them, my hope, my faith and my enthusiasm to help them build the civilisation of love. I live in communion with them and I am very happy when we meet. and so we will continue the journey.
The response interestingly admits that the girl was indeed denied Communion on the tongue and while kneeling. The insistence that this does not matter because she later received on the hand, is not plausible. The reasons given for it are apparently the Coronavirus Pandemic (a thing of the past) and the need to move the line along fast.
We do not doubt the sincerity of bishop’s claims to help young people and to care about them, but the denial of Communion to those kneeling and on the tongue in this matter is a very serious one.
