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[Questionnaire results] There are 24 victims of harm associated with Holy Communion on the tongue in Japan

Our Lady of Sorrows(悲しみの聖母)の御絵

By gathering the voices of everyone, a terrible situation in the Japanese Catholic Church has come to light.

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Harm associated with Holy Communion on the tongue in Japan

NOTE: The following are examples of rejection, rebuke, and insult directed at Catholics who wish to receive Communion on the tongue.

Some priests in Japan have made aggressive remarks such as:

“You are like a dog.”
(Some priests in Japan are intolerant of Catholics who stick out their tongues to receive Communion.)

“You Japanese should receive Communion in the hand, not on the tongue!”
(A Japanese priest got furious at a friend of mine.)

“Stand up!”
(said to a Catholic who was kneeling.)

Results of the survey

Summary of Results

  • Survey period: May 31st, 2019 – July 3rd, 2019 (approximately one month)

Q1. Have you ever been denied Communion on the tongue or rebuked by priests for receiving Communion while standing or kneeling?

Fig. 1: Respondents who have/have not been victimized while receiving Communion on the tongue

Section A: Respondents Who Have Been Victimised (24 individuals)

Q2. What was your posture when victimized? 

  • Kneeling to receive Communion: 17 people
  • Standing: 3
  • Both: 4

Over 70% of respondents were kneeling when victimized.

Fig. 2: Communion posture when the respondent was victimized

Q3. On how many occasions were you victimized? 

Fig. 3: Number of separate victimization incidents

Combined data from Q2 and Q3:Communion posture and the number of separate occasions on which respondents were victimized

Fig. 4: Communion posture when victimized and the number of separate incidents

Q4. When did the incidents occur? (Multiple answers allowed)

  • 1980s: 1 respondent (1 incident)
  • 2000 – July 2007: 5 respondents (5 incidents)
  • August 2007* – as of 2019: 20 respondents (36 incidents)

Q5. At what type of church did the incident occur? (Multiple answers allowed)

Fig. 5: Kind of churches where the incident occurred
  • Diocesan churches: 27 incidents (19 respondents)
  • Churches run by religious orders: 17 incidents (11 respondents)
  • Other locations: 2 incidents (2 respondents)

*NOTE: For computational purposes, 4 incidents could not be included in this tally.

More cases were reported at diocesan churches. (By contrast, in Section B, more cases occurred at churches run by religious orders.)

Q6. In which diocese did the incident occur? (Multiple answers allowed)

Click or Tap to Enlarge

Combined data from Q2, Q3, and Q6: Time period, diocese, and number of incidents

Click or Tap to Enlarge

Q7. What is your gender?

  • Male: 8 (19 incidents)
  • Female: 16 (31 incidents)
Fig. 8: Ratio of victimization incidents by gender

Q8. Was the location of the incident your home parish?

Fig. 9: Whether the location of victimization is the victim’s church

Q9. Please select the option that best describes your church life after you had been victimized.

ResponseNumber of respondents
I continued to attend the same parish church.6
I began attending a different parish church due to the harm, without officially transferring.2
I temporarily attended a different parish church due to the harm, but later returned to my own.3
I was unable to attend any parish church for some time due to the harm, and later transferred to a different parish church.1
Other (e.g., stopped attending church for unrelated reasons).2
Table 1: Effects on church attendance following incidents (victimized at home parish)
ResponseNumber of respondents
I continued to attend church.9
I was unable to attend any church for a period of time due to the harm, but now attend church.1
Table 2: Effects on church attendance following incidents (victimized outside home parish)

Q10. Please share any comments you may have regarding Communion-related victimization or the current state of the Catholic Church in Japan.

Section B: Eyewitnesses (11 individuals)

Q1 – Q6: Omitted

Original Article (in Japanese)

Q7. Please share any comments you may have regarding Communion-related victimization or the current state of the Catholic Church in Japan.


19世紀のステンドグラス「聖体を受けている聖母」。

next post
Japanese prelates completely ignore the petition of those who wish to receive Communion on the tongue (October 26, 2019)

References

OFFICE FOR THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF:
Communion received on the tongue and while kneeling

Receiving communion on the hand is part of ‘diabolical attack’ on the Church, says Sarah (by Christopher Lamb; The Tablet)