Can EMs really give out communion?

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forever_always

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So at this church I went to over the weekend (finance worked, so we couldn’t make it to mass at our usual parish), they had three other members (other than the priest) handing out communion. I have seen this before in other parish’s, but I always try to end up in the line where the priest is handing out communion. well it didn’t work out this time, (half way through the line i realized this) and i was stuck in line to recieve communion from an eucharistic minister… or EM i believe? I didn’t think it felt right to recieve communion on my tounge as i always do, and so i recieved it in my hand. my finance, (who is in RCIA), always walks up for a blessing from the priest because he can’t recieve communion. so he politely stepped aside and waited for me to recieve commuion. the EM then said rather loudly to him, “come over here so i can bless you”

so my question is this… i thought only the priest can hand out communion except in special circumstances? Also, can an EM bless someone?? Furthermore, is it wrong to recieve commmunion on my tounge, when an EM is administering communion?

Thanks for you help =]
 
They are properly called Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The word extraordinary says it all. The ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are those ordained namely priests and deacons.
 
And no, they can’t bless you any more than the person next to you in the pew can.
 
forever_always said:
well it didn’t work out this time, (half way through the line i realized this) and i was stuck in line to recieve communion from an eucharistic minister… or EM i believe?
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Extraordinary minister of holy Communion 😉

The Church allows EMHCs, non-ordained people, to distribute Communion in situations when it would not be possible (with respect to the number of people present at the Mass or time constraints) for the priest to do it all by himself. While it is true that a lot of churches take way too much leeway in this allowance, objectively speaking, employing the help of EMHCs is permitted.
forever_always said:
I didn’t think it felt right to recieve communion on my tounge as i always do, and so i recieved it in my hand.
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No reason for this. You can receive Communion either on your tongue or in your hand regardless of who is distrubting the sacrament.
forever_always said:
so my question is this… i thought only the priest can hand out communion except in special circumstances?
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It just depends on how you define a “special circumstance.”
forever_always said:
Also, can an EM bless someone??
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Lay people cannot confer a blessing within the context of the Mass.
forever_always said:
Furthermore, is it wrong to recieve commmunion on my tounge, when an EM is administering communion?
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Nope.
 
Is it wrong to recieve a blessing from them?

And yes, that is the correct term… it has been called both in that parish. They have had no training, they just volunteer to hand out communion. (I know this because I am the leader/schedular for the lectors at that parish, and am involved with all trainings).

i guess i just come from a very traditional catholic family, and recieving communion from someone other than the priest doesn’t feel right? i was just wondering if it was or wasn’t.
 
Phemie said:
And no, they can’t bless you any more than the person next to you in the pew can.
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I think what you mean is that they cannot bless you in the same way a bishop, priest, or deacon can bless you. They can bless you by simply saying “God bless you.” In that sense, it’s just the same as someone saying, “God bless you” when you part ways or hang up the phone or even when you sneeze. I suppose technically, semantically speaking, you should properly say, “May God bless you” rather than just “God bless you” as the word “may” implies a hope and desire that God will bless the person.

In the past whenever I’ve been an EM, I’ve always blessed people by saying “God bless you” and laying a hand on their shoulder or in the case of children, their heads. I don’t see anything wrong with that because I don’t view it as the same as the priest giving them a blessing. It’s the same thing I and my husband do for our children every night before bed and often through out the day. We make the sign of the cross on their foreheads and bless them that way. It is a parent’s blessing and that’s how I view any blessing I give someone (or someone other than a priest gives me) in the communion line or at any other time.

Just my :twocents: 🙂
 
forever_always said:
They have had no training, they just volunteer to hand out communion. (I know this because I am the leader/schedular for the lectors at that parish, and am involved with all trainings).
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Well, that’s not good. They need to be trained.
Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should receive sufficient spiritual, theological, and practical preparation to fulfill their role with knowledge and reverence (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America 28).
 
NFPgirl said:
I think what you mean is that they cannot bless you in the same way a bishop, priest, or deacon can bless you. They can bless you by simply saying “God bless you.” In that sense, it’s just the same as someone saying, “God bless you” when you part ways or hang up the phone or even when you sneeze. I suppose technically, semantically speaking, you should properly say, “May God bless you” rather than just “God bless you” as the word “may” implies a hope and desire that God will bless the person.

In the past whenever I’ve been an EM, I’ve always blessed people by saying “God bless you” and laying a hand on their shoulder or in the case of children, their heads. I don’t see anything wrong with that because I don’t view it as the same as the priest giving them a blessing. It’s the same thing I and my husband do for our children every night before bed and often through out the day. We make the sign of the cross on their foreheads and bless them that way. It is a parent’s blessing and that’s how I view any blessing I give someone (or someone other than a priest gives me) in the communion line or at any other time.

Just my :twocents: 🙂
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It is not permitted in Mass.
 
I looked some stuff up… and the Rite of Exposition and Benediction indicates: “It is not lawful, however, for [non-ordained persons] to give the blessing with the sacrament” (no. 91). I also read that “There are times during the liturgical year when the laity assist in specific acts of blessing — the distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday and the blessing of throats on the feast of Saint Blase. These are clearly indicated in the Book of Blessings. However, blessing in the name of the Church is not the normal function for laypersons.”

… if this is true, then why do so many parishes still have EMs? And what is the appropriate thing to do if someone was to say “come here” and then make the sign of the cross in the air in front of you (i’m sorry i dont know the correct term for that). ?
 
forever_always said:
… if this is true, then why do so many parishes still have EMs?
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The purpose of the EMHC is to distribute Holy Communion, not to give blessings.

Only those receiving communion should approach during the Communion Rite-- whether receiving from the priest or an EMHC.

Your boyfriend should remain seated.
forever_always said:
And what is the appropriate thing to do if someone was to say “come here” and then make the sign of the cross in the air in front of you (i’m sorry i dont know the correct term for that). ?
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Well, if he remains seated this will not be an issue. However, in the moment he could have continued walking back to his pew instead of standing and waiting for you. He could have stood at the end of the pew or reseated himself.

I realize someone (RCIA director or maybe even the priest himself) probably told him he could go up for a “blessing” from the priest during Communion, so it’s certainly not his fault that he got bad information.

From now on, he should refrain from doing so.
 
forever_always said:
I looked some stuff up… and the Rite of Exposition and Benediction indicates: “It is not lawful, however, for [non-ordained persons] to give the blessing with the sacrament” (no. 91). ?
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This is the danger with self interpretation. This statement is in Rite of Exposition and Benediction , which refers to the Benediction given with the monstrance, not an EMHC saying "God bless you " if a person doesn’t receive. An EMHC will only do this if a person doesn’t receive, so this statement wouldn’t have even a misinterpreted relevance.

Lux
 
Why do you try to always receive communion from a priest? How would that in any way be “better?”
 
1ke said:
I realize someone (RCIA director or maybe even the priest himself) probably told him he could go up for a “blessing” from the priest during Communion, so it’s certainly not his fault that he got bad information.
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Yes, my fiance was told that it is the right thing to do by both the priest and the RCIA director (go up for a blessing). If you don’t think he should go up, how do you feel about young children that haven’t recieved communion yet? Can they still get blessings?

Personally, I don’t think that going up for a blessing is wrong. shrug I just had issues with someone (EM) mimicking the piest.
 
1ke said:
I realize someone (RCIA director or maybe even the priest himself) probably told him he could go up for a “blessing” from the priest during Communion, so it’s certainly not his fault that he got bad information.

From now on, he should refrain from doing so.
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If the pastor and his bishop allow it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with standing in the communion line for a blessing. It’s not bad information. The problem is with the EMHC trying to offer a blessing. They can pray for the individual but not bless them.
 
Lux_et_Tenebrae said:
This is the danger with self interpretation. This statement is in Rite of Exposition and Benediction , which refers to the Benediction given with the monstrance, not an EMHC saying "God bless you " if a person doesn’t receive. An EMHC will only do this if a person doesn’t receive, so this statement wouldn’t have even a misinterpreted relevance.

Lux
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rolls eyes
Read the link that buffalo posted… its very informative
 
Merkel said:
Why do you try to always receive communion from a priest? How would that in any way be “better?”
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I think that generally, EMs abuse their position (i have seen this MANY times). Growing up, and then in the church we go to today, the only person that hands out communion is the priest. only in the modern catholic churches do i see EMs as well (giving the Body of Christ). I believe that the Host should not be touched by any more hands than necissary (just the priest should touch it). Just my opinion.
 
Teach our children and adults about spiritual Communion.

"Both children and adults can make a spiritual communion. They may come forward with their arms crossed and bow before the Eucharist. Then the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister could say to them kindly, ‘Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart.’ This is not a blessing, but an invitation to worship, so no gestures are made.
"This spiritual communion would more authentically carry out the spirit of the liturgy. Being faithful to the truths of the sacramental celebration allows all of us, young and old, to enter more deeply into worship."
 
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