Question
In the Liturgy on Good Friday, they didn't used to have communion, only the Stations of the Cross at noon. Did the church authorities change their thinking on this? When and why?
--Wondering in West Valley
Answer
It is hard to comment on certain parish pastoral practices. Your parish may have not done what has been part of the tradition for communion to be distributed during the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. The Liturgy of the Lord's Passion includes three rites: the Liturgy of the Word [with the reading of the Passion from the Gospel of John], Veneration of the Cross, and Rite of Communion. Stations of the Cross was probably more popular and practiced. However, communion distribution dates back for a long period of time.
In the Middle Ages, with the devotion to receive communion everyday to strengthen the faithful, communion was also asked for and received during every Mass. The Sacred Triduum had/has a tradition of "fasting" from Mass on Good Friday. However, in keeping with the wishes of priests and faithful, who still wanted to receive communion once a day, the church allowed the reception of communion on Good Friday, at the liturgy mentioned above, with communion from the liturgy of the night before [Holy Thursday].
The restoration of Holy Week in 1950's also included the communion rite retained. With the Roman Missal of 1969, it was included again, though some theologians and liturgists feel that receiving communion takes away focus from the cross and its veneration, a major symbol of Good Friday.
An additional reason communion reception and reservation remained during the Triduum was for viaticum: communion of the dying. Therefore, the church retains the pastoral practice of having communion reception available every day.