[FourtySeven]

Incidentally, communion in the hand is inappropriate, not because the hands are less worthy to receive the Host than the tongue, for instance, or because they might be dirty, but because it would be impossible to rinse every participant's hands after communion (i.e., to make sure no particles of the Host are lost).

I never thought of it that way before.

[Theophane]

At some masses of the ecclesial movement Miles Jesu (not "Mr. Miles Jesu" as a certain left-leaning diocesan chancery let on recently), sometimes they have a priest with an ablution bowl standing next to the priest who is administering the Host, so that those who must take communion in the hand can at least rinse the Particles off into the bowl. I think it is a refined sign of the honor to be shown to Our Lord in the Host.

Recognizing that in those areas where communion in the hand is permitted, it is licit, I nonetheless think it is a really bad idea for other reasons, having mostly to do with the bad symbolism of the communicant giving himself communion, rather than the priest, who is alter Christus, giving communion to the communicant. Communion in the hand becomes, like receiving communion standing rather than kneeling, and singing Catholic karaoke music at Mass, just another expression of the democratic exaltation of self over any higher Person or power.