Kc :
St. Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200–258 AD) wrote about the reverence with which the Eucharist should be received, and his writings are sometimes cited in discussions about receiving Holy Communion in the hand versus on the tongue.
He did not explicitly forbid Communion in the hand, because in the early Church that was the common practice — but he strongly emphasized the reverence and purity with which it should be received. His main concern was the state of the soul, not the physical manner of reception.
The most relevant passage is from his letter De Lapsis (“On the Lapsed”), written after a period of persecution when some Christians had denied the faith. Speaking about unworthy reception of the Eucharist, St. Cyprian wrote:
> “When he receives the Eucharist, he does not raise his hands to receive the Body of the Lord; he even receives it with unclean hands and with sin-stained conscience.”
(De Lapsis, 15)
This passage shows that in St. Cyprian’s time, the faithful received the Eucharist in their hands, but with deep reverence — clean hands symbolizing a pure soul. His criticism was directed not at the practice itself, but at those who received unworthily.
In another context, he also emphasized that the Eucharist should not be handled casually or profaned. For example, he wrote elsewhere that those who carry the Eucharist should do so with great care, since it is the true Body of Christ.
So, in summary:
St. Cyprian affirmed the holiness of the Eucharist and the need for purity in receiving it.
Receiving in the hand was normal in his time, but it was done reverently, often with ritual washing of the hands.
His warning in De Lapsis shows his concern for interior disposition, not the physical mode of reception.
2025-10-12 11:07:26