I've read in a couple of places (most recently Portugal), that some dioceses or individual parishes are mandating communion in the hand, to combat the spread of the Swine Flu. In some areas, to me, that sounds reasonable, especially if they also suspend the Sign of Peace (Portugal). I know in my own parish, during flu season, the priest will invite us to give one another a "nod" instead of pressing the flesh and back slapping one another.
Maybe it's just the cynical side of me, but doesn't it seem like (yet) another backdoor way to mandate communion in the hand altogether?
This is how the destroyers of the Faith work. They seize on any opportunity to make it work towards their ends.
First, communion in the hand was introduced. Then, after the horses were out of the barn, it was approved.
Then, when Tradition begins to push back, they mandate standing as the "norm" to receive communion. Was there really some need to mandate standing? Other than spite?
Will communion in the hand be mandated soon, based on some backdoor "need"? Naturally, they'd say "Well, we understand those who like to receive on the tongue, but due to (insert excuse here), we need to have everyone receive in the hand.
Here's a link to an article (I don't know anything about the writer, so don't take this as some sort of endorsement. It appears to be just a general Catholic column):
http://catholicism.about.com/b/2009/05/02/swine-flu-and-communion-in-the-hand.htm
