Blessings

[CathMass]

Someone asked me the following…

Can an older brother like, the oldest son in the family bless his younger brothers and sisters?

Can a military commander bless his soldiers?

Can someone like a sacristan (who is not in any clerical state) or whoever is in charge of altar servers bless the altar servers?

Can the president bless the people of the nation?

Thanks for any answers you can give.

 

[thistle]

Someone asked me the following…

Can an older brother like, the oldest son in the family bless his younger brothers and sisters?

Can a military commander bless his soldiers?

Can someone like a sacristan (who is not in any clerical state) or whoever is in charge of altar servers bless the altar servers?

Can the president bless the people of the nation?

Thanks for any answers you can give.

Canon Law:

Can. 1169 §1 Consecrations and dedications can be validly carried out by those who are invested with the episcopal character, and by priests who are permitted to do so by law or by legitimate grant.

§2 Any priest can impart blessings, except for those reserved to the Roman Pontiff or to Bishops.

§3 A deacon can impart only those blessings which are expressly permitted to him by law.

 

[IrishAm]

I believe it is a particularly strong act of faith for someone in authority – parent, older sibling, military commander, national leader – to seek the blessings of God on behalf of their subordinants. I have frequently made the sign of cross on the foreheads of my children (and their children) and said “Go with God;” there is no doubt in my mind that it is a blessing heard by God Himself.

Now, having said that, what is happening here is not a sacramental blessing in the same way that a priest has the ability to act in his role as the ordained and consecrated representative of Christ . . . The priest would give the blessing directly from God; I have to ask God for the grace of his blessing.

And, yes, I think God gives the blessing freely and lovingly in both cases.