Can a Deacon give a Communion-line blessing?

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Elzee

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I’ve seen on this forum that in parishes where they allow non-communicants to go up for a blessing during communion, that people (and kids) should only do it if the priest is in ‘their line’, since only a priest can give a blessing. I also heard this on CA live today with Tim Staples. My question is, can a Deacon give a blessing also?
 
I’m not sure where you got the idea that “only a priest can give a blessing.” The Book of Blessings which documents the blessings of the Catholic Church (actually, the Latin Church) specifies which blessings are reserved to the clergy and which a lay person may give. There are many blessings that a lay person may give while there are other blessings that are reserved to a bishop or to a priest.

In general, a deacon can bless people and things and so, therefore, could give a blessing the communion line (I do).

Note that this answer pertains only to the Latin Church since in the Eastern Churches deacons may not give blessings.

Deacon Ed
 
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Elzee:
I’ve seen on this forum that in parishes where they allow non-communicants to go up for a blessing during communion, that people (and kids) should only do it if the priest is in ‘their line’, since only a priest can give a blessing. I also heard this on CA live today with Tim Staples. My question is, can a Deacon give a blessing also?
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This is one of my favorite tasks. Usually it is children that come up for a blessing, but in my prison ministry we have non-catholics that attend Mass and ask for a blessing.

Deacon Tony
 
Glory to Jesus Christ!

Actually, perhaps the question should be, “SHOULD a deacon (or priest) give a blessing in the Communion line?”

I do give a blessing to anyone asking for it, including children, as does our priests and other deacons. Tim Staples might have been referring to the fact that it really isn’t appropriate at that time.

If you search the forum, you can find a response from Fr. Vincent, OP that speaks to why it’s not a great idea.

But, I do as instructed by our pastor. We have other issues that if I were the Pastor I would go a different way on (like hand-holding at the Our Father), but I do not feel it is not appropriate to face-off over these smaller issues.

To me, *diaconia *is loving others in humility - I try to always put that first in my actions in our parish and community.

Have a blessed day,
 
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