Dispensing of the Sacrament, St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 82, Article 3.
“The dispensing of Christ’s body belongs to the priest for three reasons. First, because , First, he consecrates as in the person of Christ. But as Christ concentrated His body at the supper, so also He gave it to others to be partaken of by them. Accordingly, as the consecration of Christ’s body belongs to the priest, so likewise does the dispensing belong to him. Secondly, because the priest is the appointed intermediary between God and the people, hence as it belongs to him to offer the people’s gifts to God, so it belongs to him to deliver consecrated gifts to the people.
Thirdly, because out of reverence towards this sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this sacrament. Hence it is not lawful for anyone else to touch it except from necessity, for instance, if it were to fall upon the ground, or else in some other case of urgency.”
The deacon may dispense the blood; but not the body, except in case of necessity, at the bidding of the bishop or of a priest. First of all, because Christ’s blood is contained in a vessel, hence there is no need for it to be touched by the dispenser, as Christ’s body is touched. Secondly, because the blood denotes the redemption derived by the people from Christ; hence it is that water is mixed with the blood, which water denotes the people.
Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, suggested that the policy of giving Communion in the hand be revised or “abandoned altogether.”
Archbishop Ranjith’s believes that this practice of receiving in the hand has caused great harm to the Church. “He also stated that this practice has “resulted in indifference, outrages and sacrileges toward our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, causing great harm to both the Catholic Church and to individual souls.”
Archbishop Ranjith states that this practice of receiving Communion in the Hand was not mandated by vatican II nor called for by the laity. “Instead, he argues, the established practice of piety — receiving the Eucharist kneeling, on the tongue — was changed “improperly and hurriedly,” and became widespread even before it was formally approved by the Vatican.” Read More at the link below. copy and paste link in your browser.