Can an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist while ...?

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i don’t have anything written that would say either way but my impression based on an understanding of what I have heard at different training things would be, the answer is they could but shouldn’t.

They wouldn’t invalidate the sick person’s receiving of the Eucharist in any way. But a EMHC shouldn’t be in a state of mortal sin when distributing the Eucharist.

An example of why I am thinking this is supposed while the EMHC was taking the Eucharist to the sick person, he accidentally does something that is a mortal sin (i.e. lust). There would probably be no opportunity for him to turn around, goto confession and make things right before returning with the Eucharist. Since the EMHC is supposed to go directly from the church to the hosptial the odds of this are small, but you never know what could happen in transit.
 
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Marauder:
a EMHC shouldn’t be in a state of mortal sin when distributing the Eucharist.
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And if he does, does he then commit a sin?
 
My guess would it would depend on the circumstances. If the person got themselves in this situation on purpose. Or was being an EMHC in defiance of major rules (i.e. worked in an abortion mill, adultery, etc.) then it would be a sin.

If the mortal sin was accidental, and there was no way the person could get to confession in time and there was no way that the EMHC could transfer the duty to someone else and they had to do it then no.

This would be a matter between the EMHC, the pastor and/or their confessor.
 
One would hope that coupled with the increased in church participation wouldn’t be just limited to distributing communion, but also an increase in use of confession… etc… If I were a priest I would require weekly confession of my extraordinary ministers period. If they didn’t show up for confession they wouldn’t be distributing.
 
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Marauder:
My guess would it would depend on the circumstances. If the person got themselves in this situation on purpose. Or was being an EMHC in defiance of major rules (i.e. worked in an abortion mill, adultery, etc.) then it would be a sin.

If the mortal sin was accidental, and there was no way the person could get to confession in time and there was no way that the EMHC could transfer the duty to someone else and they had to do it then no.

This would be a matter between the EMHC, the pastor and/or their confessor.
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And what are these accidental mortal sins?
 
In our diocese, we require Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC’s) have no know impediments to receiving the sacrament. A known “impediment” would be knowledge of a mortal sin that has not been absolved through the sacrament of reconciliation.

By ‘accidental’ mortal sin do you mean the person is not aware that it is a mortal sin? In this case, it probably is not a mortal sin given the person does not know any better. I think for a sin to be mortal, one must be conscience of its gravity while committing the act. But that probably is off the subject (and probably incorrect).

We also teach that an EMHC should not minister the sacrament if their presence could be ‘scandalous’ to the community. I’m not sure but it is probably possible to provoke scandal without having committed a mortal sin.

As Marauder stated, if this did happen, it would not invalidate the sacrament for the communicant.
 
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mgy100:
One would hope that coupled with the increased in church participation wouldn’t be just limited to distributing communion, but also an increase in use of confession… etc… If I were a priest I would require weekly confession of my extraordinary ministers period. If they didn’t show up for confession they wouldn’t be distributing.
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That would also set a really good example for other parishioners. We have one EMHC who says all sins are forgiven at the beginning of Mass when we say the Confiteor, so he says there is no need for confession. Another who says she doesn’t believe in the sacrament of confession because she has problems with it. How does one go about encouraging a priest to adopt the weekly confession rule? Without seeming to be judgemental?
 
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CuriousInIL:
And what are these accidental mortal sins?
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I thought I made it clear in my first post what I meant by accidental mortal sin versus one done on purpose. What I was saying as one that was accidental, was say that the EMHC while in transit to visit the sick person came upon a situation that caused the EMHC to do a mortal sin and they did it. That is sort of the accidental situation.

On purpose would be more the situations I already described where the person is flaunting the rules (i.e. adultery, works abortion mill, etc.) or had plenty of time to make the situation right.
 
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paramedicgirl:
How does one go about encouraging a priest to adopt the weekly confession rule? Without seeming to be judgemental?
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You shouldn’t encourage this. It is one thing to encourage frequent confession, it is another thing to force it. An EMHC should be in the confessional every time they commit a mortal sin. There sins are not forgiven during the opening part of the Mass anymore then any laypersons sins are forgiven. Only venial sins are forgiven during that section.

But to force an EMHC that is not committing mortal sins to go EVERY week is above and beyond. Encouraging frequent confession if fine. Suggestion monthly is fine, but as you know with the limited hours that most parishes have for confession and people schedules requiring it EVERY week for people not engaging in mortal sin would be hard.
 
It wouldn’t be judgemental to require that of his extraordinaries. Perhaps the church needs to teach things like this so people don’t take up Lutheran ideals of being forgiven through the confiteor and absolution at the beginning of Mass.
The Priests need to properly educate their flocks. The laity that take up ministries in the parish, whether it be music, reader, acolyte, or communion distributor should also realize they become teachers and examples of the Faith. They have a duty to set good examples and strive to live the teachings of the church, just as the Priest should as well.
 
I am an EME and I personally feel l that consuming the Lord under mortal sin is Much more sinful than distributing the Lord for communion. With that in mind if an EME cannot distribute communion without consuming first so it is a moot point. The church teaches that we are not supposed to take the Eucharist without confession our mortal sin.
 
I’m curious to know how you would know if a priest or EMHC was in a state of mortal sin. Surely only they and God would know that.

As far as I know even if they were it does not invalidate the Mass or real presence of Jesus when received by the congregation.

By the way you cannot have an accidental mortal sin. For a sin to be mortal it requires three things:
  1. Serious matter
  2. Knowledge of firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act
  3. Full consent of the will
Therefore a mortal sin cannot be committed by accident.
 
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thistle:
I’m curious to know how you would know if a priest or EMHC was in a state of mortal sin. Surely only they and God would know that.
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I’m asking this from the perspective of a EMHC – which, I am one.
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decn2b:
With that in mind if an EME cannot distribute communion without consuming first so it is a moot point. The church teaches that we are not supposed to take the Eucharist without confession our mortal sin.
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Actually, it ISN’T a moot point because if you read my opening post, I ask this question in regards to distributing communion to the home-bound. Under those circumstances, an EMHC can not receive because self-communion is not allowed.
 
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thistle:
By the way you cannot have an accidental mortal sin. For a sin to be mortal it requires three things:
  1. Serious matter
  2. Knowledge of firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act
  3. Full consent of the will
Therefore a mortal sin cannot be committed by accident.
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If you read the entire thread you would see that what I mean by accidentally commit a mortal sin as opposed to one on purpose I am talking about situations where the person did not intend to commit one but did anyway. There is probably a better term for what i mean but I don’t know it. I was talking about trying to differentiate between when a person is in a state of mortal sin and an EMHC and shouldn’t be in the role (i.e adulterer, worker in abortion mill, etc.) or doing it at the time but had plenty of time to make it right (i.e. refrained from going to confession) and the person that has the role of EMHC and between being assigned the position and getting to the person they are taking the Eucharist too commits a mortal sin through no fault of their own other then being human.

Perfect example would be if the EMHC was on the way from the church to the person/hosptial and gets in a car accident, in the heat of anger commits a mortal sin. If that same person goes on and give the Eucharist to the sick person they are in no way invalidating what they receive.

Another example, EMHC is assigned to goto the hospital on Sunday. Saturday night commits a mortal sin, EMHC is unable to transfer position to anyone else and goto confession because priests are busy and will not hear their confession. EMHC can still take the Eucharist to the hospital. Since their is no requirement to receive the Eucharist before distributing it outside of Mass they still can take it.

As I said before an EMHC should not be in the state of sin when taking communion to the sick. They should make every effort not to be. No matter what it does not invalidate the sacrament. And if they made every effort to make the situation better and couldn’t they are probably not committing a sin. Like I also said this is a matter between the EMHC, the pastor and/or their confessor.
 
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Marauder:
If you read the entire thread you would see that what I mean by accidentally commit a mortal sin as opposed to one on purpose I am talking about situations where the person did not intend to commit one but did anyway. There is probably a better term for what i mean but I don’t know it. I was talking about trying to differentiate between when a person is in a state of mortal sin and an EMHC and shouldn’t be in the role (i.e adulterer, worker in abortion mill, etc.) or doing it at the time but had plenty of time to make it right (i.e. refrained from going to confession) and the person that has the role of EMHC and between being assigned the position and getting to the person they are taking the Eucharist too commits a mortal sin through no fault of their own other then being human.

Perfect example would be if the EMHC was on the way from the church to the person/hosptial and gets in a car accident, in the heat of anger commits a mortal sin. If that same person goes on and give the Eucharist to the sick person they are in no way invalidating what they receive.

Another example, EMHC is assigned to goto the hospital on Sunday. Saturday night commits a mortal sin, EMHC is unable to transfer position to anyone else and goto confession because priests are busy and will not hear their confession. EMHC can still take the Eucharist to the hospital. Since their is no requirement to receive the Eucharist before distributing it outside of Mass they still can take it.

As I said before an EMHC should not be in the state of sin when taking communion to the sick. They should make every effort not to be. No matter what it does not invalidate the sacrament. And if they made every effort to make the situation better and couldn’t they are probably not committing a sin. Like I also said this is a matter between the EMHC, the pastor and/or their confessor.
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I agree with you that if an EMHC is in a state of mortal sin they should not be distributing Communion but it does not invalidate it for the people receiving.
Also you are right they should not be receiving Communion either in that state as that in itself is another mortal sin.
The only thing I still don’t get is the “accidental” mortal sin. You cannot commit a mortal sin accidentally. It has to be deliberate and with full knowledge.
 
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thistle:
if an EMHC is in a state of mortal sin they should not be distributing Communion but it does not invalidate it for the people receiving
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So you are saying that if an EMHC is in a state of mortal sin, they should not fulfill their responsibility to distrubute communion even if it means that home-bound people that were depending on then will not receive communion?
 
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Marauder:
If you read the entire thread you would see that what I mean by accidentally commit a mortal sin as opposed to one on purpose I am talking about situations where the person did not intend to commit one but did anyway.
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Last (I hope) point on this, it is simply not possible to commit a mortal sin if you do not intend to commit a mortal sin as the intention is one of the three requirements.

There is no accidental mortal sin; there is no unintentional mortal sin. And, think that need to be made extremely clear as there are numerous posters that do not seem to grasp that point.

I think that the distinction you may be drawing is between someone that has an ongoing mortal sin i.e. ongoing adultery that they are not repenting of–and someone that commits an isolated mortal sin (perhaps while acting in the EMHC role) for which they repent quickly.
 
Sir_Knight said:
So you are saying that if an EMHC is in a state of mortal sin, they should not fulfill their responsibility to distrubute communion even if it means that home-bound people that were depending on then will not receive communion?
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I had a communicant approach me for communion, she had an open container in her hand, not a pyx. I held up the host for her to receive communion, she told me she could not because she had not been to confession. I told her to come forward after mass to speak to a deacon about taking communion home to her mother.

I am an EmHC when on the schedule, I do not fill in for others because EMHCs are way overused. I do tremble when handed the “dish” that contains the Body of our Lord. We have EMHC who are glad handing each other during the Agnus Dei, this is one of my peaves.

“Do not try to please everybody. Try to please God , the angels, and the saints. These are your public. If you are afraid of other people’s opinion, you should not have become Christian.” St. John Vianney
 
Sir_Knight said:
So you are saying that if an EMHC is in a state of mortal sin, they should not fulfill their responsibility to distrubute communion even if it means that home-bound people that were depending on then will not receive communion?
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As an EMHC myself who takes HC to the hospitalized as well as serving at Mass, I would not serve while guilty of a mortal sin. I make a POINT of going to confession before I will need to serve (usually as soon as possible even if I"m NOT serving but that has fallen once at the next confession before I served). Were I guilty and had not the opportunity to confess before I was to serve, I would find someone to take my place so that I was not serving in an unworthy manner. Were I unable to find someone I would call my priest and explain the situation and ask his guidance. Personally, I am uncomfortable at the thought of even handling the Body and Blood if I am unworthy to receive it.
 
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