Are EMHCs possible in the Extraordinary Form?

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I’d like to get people’s ideas, reactions, and opinions – as well as whatever facts there are – about whether it is currently liturgically possible for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to have “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion”.

I do not think that it is. Given:

(1) the recent observation made by the CDWDS that “Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings” (something which was true 50 years ago and is true in today’s celebrations of the E.F. and the O.F. alike); and

(2) the formula for the reception of Holy Communion in the Extraordinary Form – “* Corpus Dómini nostri Jesu Christi custódiat ánimam tuam in vitam æternam. Amen.*”, “May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” – which appears to be in the form of a blessing;

then I do not think it would capable for a lay person to distribute Holy Communion to a person in the E.F. using that Communion formula.
 
JMJ

My wife and I try to make it to the TLM on Sunday. We go up to the Altar Rail, kneel, and receive from the priest. There is no room for lay people there, and it goes smoothly.
 
Japhy, I think that the real clincher as to my responding in the negative would be to look at the Missal governing the Mass. Even though the EF uses the Tridentine Missal (as adapted by Pope John XIII), there is no provision for this in the norms and rubrics.

Pope Benedict XVI pretty much said (although these are not his exact words), that we cannot mix and match between the EF and the OF. I would take that to mean that, for example, EMHCs, on the one hand, should not be allowed to function as such for the EF, much like a celebrant can’t read the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John at the end of Mass.

Of course, there are some who would claim that celebrating ad orientum in the OF shouldn’t happen because it was an element of the EF. That is not true. The OF, as Pope Benedict widely noted in one of his books, never had that prohibition.
 
japhy said:
I’d like to get people’s ideas, reactions, and opinions – as well as whatever facts there are – about whether it is currently liturgically possible for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to have “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion”.

I do not think that it is. Given:

(1) the recent observation made by the CDWDS that “Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings” (something which was true 50 years ago and is true in today’s celebrations of the E.F. and the O.F. alike); and

(2) the formula for the reception of Holy Communion in the Extraordinary Form – “* Corpus Dómini nostri Jesu Christi custódiat ánimam tuam in vitam æternam. Amen.*”, “May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” – which appears to be in the form of a blessing;

then I do not think it would capable for a lay person to distribute Holy Communion to a person in the E.F. using that Communion formula.
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I would think that the day an EMHC pops up at an EF celebration will be the day the entire congregation runs screaming for the nearest exit.

Summorum Pontificum restored the possibility of offering the EF according to the Missale Romanum of 1962. The norms and customs in effect for that Missal certainly did not include EMHCs, so it would seem that same would not be allowed now.

As for the formula, no, I don’t think it has anything to do with a “blessing” any more than does the abbreviated formula used in the OF. In the EF, the formula used when giving communion to the congregation is the same as that used by the priest for his own communion. That practice is analogous to what is done in the Syriac Churches, although, the actual formula is a bit different.
 
malphono said:
I would think that the day an EMHC pops up at an EF celebration will be the day the entire congregation runs screaming for the nearest exit.

Summorum Pontificum restored the possibility of offering the EF according to the Missale Romanum of 1962. The norms and customs in effect for that Missal certainly did not include EMHCs, so it would seem that same would not be allowed now.

As for the formula, no, I don’t think it has anything to do with a “blessing” any more than does the abbreviated formula used in the OF. In the EF, the formula used when giving communion to the congregation is the same as that used by the priest for his own communion. That practice is analogous to what is done in the Syriac Churches, although, the actual formula is a bit different.
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Actually, I think the congregation would race towards the lay person, and stop him/her before he/she received the sacred vessel.
 
japhy said:
(2) the formula for the reception of Holy Communion in the Extraordinary Form – “* Corpus Dómini nostri Jesu Christi custódiat ánimam tuam in vitam æternam. Amen.*”, “May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” – which appears to be in the form of a blessing;
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How do you determine that it is a priestly blessing, rather than a prayer for a blessing?
 
Digitonomy said:
How do you determine that it is a priestly blessing, rather than a prayer for a blessing?
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The ministerial priestly formulas usually are for another person or people, whereas the baptismal priestly formulas include the one speaking.

For instance, at the end of the Divine Office:

Dismissal with Priest
The Lord be with you.
— And also with you.

May almighty God + bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.

Dismissal (without Priest)
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
 
I have witnessed a laymen distributing communion along with the celebrant in an EF Mass. He was neither a priest nor a deacon. He was in the process of taking some philosophy courses in preparation for seminary. I am not defending nor condemning the practice, but it was done.
 
Adenauer said:
I have witnessed a laymen distributing communion along with the celebrant in an EF Mass. He was neither a priest nor a deacon. He was in the process of taking some philosophy courses in preparation for seminary. I am not defending nor condemning the practice, but it was done.
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May I ask where (i.e., what city/diocese) this took place?

Seems to me an EMHC at the EF would qualify as an abuse.
 
JMJ

As one who attends a TLM in Troy, NY, I would be very upset by that. As it is now, I only receive from the Priest or Deacon and on my knees at the N.O. Mass. Just my opinion and I’m sure many of you will be upset by that.
 
Remember everyone, there is a moratorium on discussing lay gestures in the Mass. Please stick to the OP’s topic. Thank you all.
 
Adenauer said:
I have witnessed a laymen distributing communion along with the celebrant in an EF Mass. He was neither a priest nor a deacon. He was in the process of taking some philosophy courses in preparation for seminary. I am not defending nor condemning the practice, but it was done.
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I don’t believe you.

Name the priest that allowed it.
Or at least name the parish.
Or at least name the diocese.
Or at least name the state.

Because I doubt it happened. I cannot fathom a situation that this could happen.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.
 
WhollyRoamin said:
I don’t believe you.

Name the priest that allowed it.
Or at least name the parish.
Or at least name the diocese.
Or at least name the state.

Because I doubt it happened. I cannot fathom a situation that this could happen.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.
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It does happen, however we are not supposed to give the names of parishes Priests etc., but i will pm you the name of at least one church where it does indeed happen if you are truly interested. Let me know and you can certainly verify for yourself.
 
palmas85 said:
It does happen, however we are not supposed to give the names of parishes Priests etc., but i will pm you the name of at least one church where it does indeed happen if you are truly interested. Let me know and you can certainly verify for yourself.
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Absolutely. Please do.
 
I find it inconceivable that the Form where the priest cannot separate his thumb and forefinger after the Consecration can make room for a layman to distribute Holy Communion. The priest’s thumbs and forefingers used to be specially consecrated for the purpose of touching the Eucharist, and dispensations were required should a priest lose either thumb or forefinger.

Despite fact that EMHC’s are approved, I dislike the whole idea because of the long history of only consecrated hands touching the sacred species. Moreover, seeing lay EMHC’s waltz up the sanctuary even before the priest has finished Communing tells me how cavalierly the Holy Eucharist is regarded nowadays.

Come to think of it, what the heck are they for anyway? Have the priest and deacon do it. If it takes time to finish the Mass, then we’ll wait.
 
ASD said:
I believe I saw a Deacon at old St. Mary’s in Washington, D.C. I wasn’t sure if it was a deacon or not, or what the heck was going on; so I went around to Priest’s section of railing.

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar
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Silly question but was he vested as a deacon?

If I saw a deacon (in this I mean an actual deacon (transitional or permanent), distributing communion at the EF, I wouldn’t even bat an eyelash.
 
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