The communicants certainly DO have the right to determine how they receive Communion---on their tongue or in their hand.  Americans [many people in other nations], do receive Communion in their hand and have received it that way since they were young children.  As far as what the USCCB's request is----most people don't read what the USCCB writes even for night reading [trying to get to sleep reading].  The USCCB's directives are for priests, especially for pastors in the United States to follow---to assure that Communion is distributed properly and reverentially.  It's not directed to communicants.


The VATICAN should get up to speed on distributing Communion.  They should know that people receive Communion in the hand as a matter of practice. The fact that one woman did receive Communion in her hand, from a priest, demonstrates that the Vatican knows that this is done---and that they should comply with the wishes of the communicant.