Blessings during Mass

[dnar]

Is it proper to go forward and receive a blessing from a priest/deacon during Communion?
I have read many things that suggest this isn’t proper at all.
However, I am currently going through RCIA and the deacon tells us it is proper and he wants us to do this.
I, however, do not trust this advice if its not what the Church teaches. And I am sure it is not in the rubrics of the Mass.

What is to be done in this situation?

He even said one guy stopped coming forward for his blessing and once he went to the back of the church where the man was seated and gave him the blessing during Mass.

I find this to be a liturgical abuse.

Any ideas or suggestions on what to do ?

 

[japhy]

Is it proper to go forward and receive a blessing from a priest/deacon during Communion?

This has been discussed and re-discussed several times this year.

See this thread. It contains a letter I received from the CDWDS in response to a question I asked on this very matter.

Some members of this forum interpret the letter one way (favorable, or at least neutral, to the practice), whereas others interpret it the other way (discouraging the practice).

In my opinion, only those who are receiving Holy Communion should enter the Communion procession; no one should go up for a blessing. I don’t know what the pastoral thing to do when someone does come up for a blessing is, and the letter does not address that.

However, I am currently going through RCIA and the deacon tells us it is proper and he wants us to do this.

The traditional thing to do is to remain in your pew and make a prayer of “spiritual Communion” (which you can find online). A priest or deacon certainly cannot require you to do this. Furthermore, unless you are already baptized, people going through RCIA are generally not present for the Liturgy of the Eucharist: you are dismissed after the homily and before the Creed.

He even said one guy stopped coming forward for his blessing and once he went to the back of the church where the man was seated and gave him the blessing during Mass.

That’s not what the Communion Rite is for; it is for receiving Holy Communion. If a non-communicant wants a blessing (or a priest wants to give a non-communicant a blessing), it should happen before or after Mass, rather than adding something that doesn’t exist in the liturgical books to the Mass.

 

[Newbie2]

It sounds like the biggest question here is whether or not such a blessing is mandatory, which I find interesting.

It’s been shown pretty clearly that such blessings are not in the norm of the mass, and also that they go on anyway. The deacon should know this, but apparently the priest is OK with the practice, and it will continue to go on no matter what you might tell him.

I’d sit and pray during communion.

Now, of course, we’ll have the obligatory discussion of whether or not such blessings are proper within the context of mass, with the obligatory posting of documents and so forth.

 

[dnar]

This has been discussed and re-discussed several times this year.

See this thread. It contains a letter I received from the CDWDS in response to a question I asked on this very matter.

Some members of this forum interpret the letter one way (favorable, or at least neutral, to the practice), whereas others interpret it the other way (discouraging the practice).

In my opinion, only those who are receiving Holy Communion should enter the Communion procession; no one should go up for a blessing. I don’t know what the pastoral thing to do when someone does come up for a blessing is, and the letter does not address that.

The traditional thing to do is to remain in your pew and make a prayer of “spiritual Communion” (which you can find online). A priest or deacon certainly cannot require you to do this. Furthermore, unless you are already baptized, people going through RCIA are generally not present for the Liturgy of the Eucharist: you are dismissed after the homily and before the Creed.

That’s not what the Communion Rite is for; it is for receiving Holy Communion. If a non-communicant wants a blessing (or a priest wants to give a non-communicant a blessing), it should happen before or after Mass, rather than adding something that doesn’t exist in the liturgical books to the Mass.

Well then I apologize to you for not doing a more thorough search of all the forums.

 

[japhy]

Well then I apologize to you for not doing a more thorough search of all the forums.

No need to apologize, but I would suggest people participating in this thread deal with the specifics (as Newbie2 pointed out): that the priest/deacon at your parish seems to think this blessing is mandatory.

 

[mswood]

I am also currently going through RCIA, as we have not had the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming we are not yet being dismissed from mass and are present the entire time. The Deacon running our RCIA program as well as our parish priest has told us that we can come up to receive a blessing, however it is not mandatory.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Is it proper to go forward and receive a blessing from a priest/deacon during Communion?
I have read many things that suggest this isn’t proper at all.
However, I am currently going through RCIA and the deacon tells us it is proper and he wants us to do this.
I, however, do not trust this advice if its not what the Church teaches. And I am sure it is not in the rubrics of the Mass.

What is to be done in this situation?

He even said one guy stopped coming forward for his blessing and once he went to the back of the church where the man was seated and gave him the blessing during Mass.

I find this to be a liturgical abuse.

Any ideas or suggestions on what to do ?

I am also currently going through RCIA, as we have not had the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming we are not yet being dismissed from mass and are present the entire time. The Deacon running our RCIA program as well as our parish priest has told us that we can come up to receive a blessing, however it is not mandatory.

First, I largely agree with japhy and newbie2 that we have all had our say should not reargue the issue.

Second, You should know I support the practice of blessings in the communion line

Now the “mandantory” is different and here are your primary issues: Your Deacon is ordained to guide you so he has leadership authority over you. Second, the Deacon is under the authority of the Priest, and the Priest is under the Bishop. So you need to look for relief within the authority of the Church rather than claim to be a catholic who is free to ignor the church teachings at will (as authority in this case).

hope that helps

 

[japhy]

I am also currently going through RCIA, as we have not had the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming we are not yet being dismissed from mass and are present the entire time.

Ah, right, my mistake. Dismissal only starts once the Rite of Acceptance has happened.

 

[benedictgal]

First, I largely agree with japhy and newbie2 that we have all had our say should not reargue the issue.

Second, You should know I support the practice of blessings in the communion line

Now the “mandantory” is different and here are your primary issues: Your Deacon is ordained to guide you so he has leadership authority over you. Second, the Deacon is under the authority of the Priest, and the Priest is under the Bishop. So you need to look for relief within the authority of the Church rather than claim to be a catholic who is free to ignor the church teachings at will (as authority in this case).

hope that helps

The line is only meant for those who are properly disposed to receive Holy Communion. It is not for a blessing. We line up to receive Someone, not something.

Neither the priest nor the deacon have any authority to request that people take part in something that is not within the norms and rubrics of the Mass. The Constitution on Sacred Liturgy and Redemptionis Sacramentum make it crystal clear that no one, not even the priest, has the right to add anything to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

This “blessing in lieu of receiving Holy Communion” is a well-meaning, but, misguided attempt at wanting to be inclusive. But, it is going about it the wrong way.

Back in August, my parochial vicar announced at the tail end of his homily that he would not be imparting blessings in lieu of distributing Holy Communion for the same reasons I listed. He also noted that when we take it upon ourselves to “improve” the Mass, we really have no clue as to what the Mass is.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

The line is only meant for those who are properly disposed to receive Holy Communion. It is not for a blessing. We line up to receive Someone, not something.

Neither the priest nor the deacon have any authority to request that people take part in something that is not within the norms and rubrics of the Mass. The Constitution on Sacred Liturgy and Redemptionis Sacramentum make it crystal clear that no one, not even the priest, has the right to add anything to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

This “blessing in lieu of receiving Holy Communion” is a well-meaning, but, misguided attempt at wanting to be inclusive. But, it is going about it the wrong way.

Back in August, my parochial vicar announced at the tail end of his homily that he would not be imparting blessings in lieu of distributing Holy Communion for the same reasons I listed. He also noted that when we take it upon ourselves to “improve” the Mass, we really have no clue as to what the Mass is.

Do you have authority over these Deacons?

Do you have authority over these Priests?

Do you have authority over these Bishops?

Do you have authority over these Congregation for Divine Worship?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Deacons?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Priests?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Bishops?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Congregation for Divine Worship?

If the answer is no they show follow the church teaching on authority !

 

[benedictgal]

Do you have authority over these Deacons?

Do you have authority over these Priests?

Do you have authority over these Bishops?

Do you have authority over these Congregation for Divine Worship?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Deacons?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Priests?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Bishops?

Does your parochial vicar have authority over these Congregation for Divine Worship?

If the answer is no they show follow the church teaching on authority !

The bottom line is that priests and deacons should not be engaging in practices that are not approved by Rome. Nor should we be supportive of these practices just because they feel good.

My parochial vicar read japhy’s letter from the CDWDS. He took it to heart. Do you have a problem with his obedience to the CDWDS?

 

[zab]

.

Some members of this forum interpret the letter one way (favorable, or at least neutral, to the practice), whereas others interpret it the other way (discouraging the practice).
.

Rather, some members interpret the letter to say, as it actually does say, that the matter is still under study while others interpret it to mean that the practice should not be done.

It sounds like the biggest question here is whether or not such a blessing is mandatory, which I find interesting.
I agree. And the deacon should not have humiliated the person by going back into the pew to give the blessing to the person who did not come forward.

Now, of course, we’ll have the obligatory discussion of whether or not such blessings are proper within the context of mass, with the obligatory posting of documents and so forth.

I hope that posters will ignore this thread and take Japhy advice to read other threads where this subject has been thoroughly discussed.

This “blessing in lieu of receiving Holy Communion” is a well-meaning, but, misguided attempt at wanting to be inclusive. But, it is going about it the wrong way.
You are jumping to conclusions about why some priests give a blessing. I doubt it has anything to do with any attempt at being inclusive.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

The bottom line is that priests and deacons should not be engaging in practices that are not approved by Rome. Nor should we be supportive of these practices just because they feel good.

My parochial vicar read japhy’s letter from the CDWDS. He took it to heart. Do you have a problem with his obedience to the CDWDS?

Is he obedient to the CDWDS ? Or did he fell free to ignore their decision to refrain?

Is he obedient to you?

Is he obedient to your interpretation?

The CDWDS clearly choose to refrain at this time and simply reminded that several current related guidences must be intact and not voliated.

 

[FrDavid96]

Is it proper to go forward and receive a blessing from a priest/deacon during Communion?
I have read many things that suggest this isn’t proper at all.
However, I am currently going through RCIA and the deacon tells us it is proper and he wants us to do this.
I, however, do not trust this advice if its not what the Church teaches. And I am sure it is not in the rubrics of the Mass.

What is to be done in this situation?

He even said one guy stopped coming forward for his blessing and once he went to the back of the church where the man was seated and gave him the blessing during Mass.

I find this to be a liturgical abuse.

Any ideas or suggestions on what to do ?

The bottom line is that the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (which is the Church’s final authority on interpreting liturgical norms, excepting only the Pope himself) has said that these blessings are not to be done. It’s that simple.

I suggest you print the letter from the CDWS and show the deacon where the CDWS clearly and unambiguously states that this practice is not to be done.

 

[benedictgal]

Is he obedient to the CDWDS ? Or did he fell free to ignore their decision to refrain?

Is he obedient to you?

Is he obedient to your interpretation?

The CDWDS clearly choose to refrain at this time and simply reminded that several current related guidences must be intact and not voliated.

Let me refresh your memory as to what the letter said:

1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.

1. Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; Canon 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).

1. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here — by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.

1. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry”. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.

1. **In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics **and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).

The letter does not state that the practice is supposed to continue. In fact, it gives five very good reason why it should not be done.

Incidentally, there are some parishes down here that have stopped it altogether.

 

[Cristiano]

First, I largely agree with japhy and newbie2 that we have all had our say should not reargue the issue.

Second, You should know I support the practice of blessings in the communion line

Now the “mandantory” is different and here are your primary issues: Your Deacon is ordained to guide you so he has leadership authority over you. Second, the Deacon is under the authority of the Priest, and the Priest is under the Bishop. So you need to look for relief within the authority of the Church rather than claim to be a catholic who is free to ignor the church teachings at will (as authority in this case).

hope that helps

Just an FYI: both the deacon and the priest are under the authority of the bishop. The deacon is not under the authority of the priest.

 

[zab]

Incidentally, there are some parishes down here that have stopped it altogether.

I can see that this practice may eventually end. It is true that some pastors have come to understand that this practice shoud never have started to begin with.

 

[Paul2274]

Let me refresh your memory as to what the letter said:

The letter does not state that the practice is supposed to continue. In fact, it gives five very good reason why it should not be done.

Incidentally, there are some parishes down here that have stopped it altogether.

I am in the Dallas Diocese and in a very large parish (almost 8,000 families) and we have the Communion line Blessing. I thought it was a little strange at first but have come to accept it (please note that I didn’t say I agree with it).

What if the Bishop for the Diocese says the “Blessings” are ok and can continue?
I know that they can approve certain things… and is this ok?
I know that we have to adhere to what the Bishop says too.

Where can I find this letter so I could print it out? ( Found the .pdf is the other thread response that japhy posted… thankx)

Paul

 

[zab]

Japhy’s letter and reply from CDWDS

 

[benedictgal]

I am in the Dallas Diocese and in a very large parish (almost 8,000 families) and we have the Communion line Blessing. I thought it was a little strange at first but have come to accept it (please note that I didn’t say I agree with it).

What if the Bishop for the Diocese says the “Blessings” are ok and can continue?
I know that they can approve certain things… and is this ok?
I know that we have to adhere to what the Bishop says too.

Where can I find this letter so I could print it out? ( Found the .pdf is the other thread response that japhy posted… thankx)

Paul

The bishop’s authority is somewhat limited. According to the General Instructin of the Roman Missal:

1. The Diocesan Bishop, who is to be regarded as the high priest of his flock, and from whom the life in Christ of the faithful under his care in a certain sense derives and upon whom it depends,148 must promote, regulate, and be vigilant over the liturgical life in his diocese. It is to him that in this Instruction is entrusted **the regulating of the discipline of concelebration (cf. above, nos. 202, 374) and the **establishing of norms regarding the function of serving the priest at the altar (cf. above, no. 107), the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds (cf. above, no. 283), and the construction and ordering of churches (cf. above, no. 291). With him lies responsibility above all for fostering the spirit of the Sacred Liturgy in the priests, deacons, and faithful.

It is not carte blanche authority. Thus, he cannot invent and insert something new into the Mass.

Now, if the USCCB were to make this “blessing in lieu of receiving Holy Communion” an adaptation to the GIRM, this move would have to pass by a 2/3 vote of the Latin-Rite bishops of the conference and then be forwarded to Rome for the necessary recognitio. But, a bishop, on his own authority, can’t add anything to the Mass.