Q: I was at a church recently where the priest distributes the Body and Blood to everyone but not from the chalice. He has a small intinction cup attached to the ciborium and for each communicant dips the host in the Precious Blood and says, “The Body and Blood of Christ.”
He uses the altar rail, and for someone who might wish to stand to receive communion, or to receive in the hand, this would make both virtually impossible.
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A: Here’s GIRM 287:
287. If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a Communion-plate under the mouth, approaches the Priest who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, with a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The Priest takes a host, intincts it partly in the chalice and, showing it, says, The Body and Blood of Christ. The communicant replies, Amen, receives the Sacrament in the mouth from the Priest, and then withdraws.
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And here is #49 of the Norms for communion under both kinds in the US, which cites the same legislation.
49. Holy Communion may be distributed by intinction in the following manner: “Each communicant, while holding a Communion-plate under the mouth, approaches the Priest who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, with a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The Priest takes a host, intincts it partly in the chalice and, showing it, says: ‘The Body and Blood of Christ.’ The communicant replies, ‘Amen,’ receives the Sacrament in the mouth from the Priest, and then withdraws.”
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It does appear that the communicant receiving by intinction is expected to stand, but online I’ve seen recent popes distribute communion by intinction to the newly baptized at the Easter Vigil, and I believe they kneel before him, one by one.
The GIRM makes provision for this method, but it takes away the communicant’s option to receive in the hand—and GIRM 160 and 161 both say that the choicer of mouth or hand belongs to the communicant. At the very least, a communicant who prefers to receive in the hand should have that option instead of receiving by intinction.
And GIRM 160 says that communion in the United States is to be received standing. Individuals may choose to kneel, but in my view a priest who requires all to kneel is not in compliance.