Can nuns bless medals?

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Bonnie said:
Dies Irae said the Bishop delegated the right to bless certain objects to the nuns and Canon Law 1168 says he has the authority to do that.

How is that “bizarre?”
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I think Canon Law states that the permission can be given to deacons, yes? I don’t think the Bishop can just give permission to anyone individual (a lay person for an example) to bless, right?

EDIT: I just saw the actual canon from a post earlier. It actually says

*Can. **1168 *The minister of sacramentals is a cleric who has been provided with the requisite power. According to the norm of the liturgical books and to the judgment of the local ordinary lay persons who possess the appropriate qualities can also administer some sacramentals.

Actually never mind, the person who made the post here

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=10902535&postcount=5

says that the Canon cannot be interpreted as such. Because Canon 169 refers to the scope of the second part of 1168

*Can. **1169 *§1. Those marked with the episcopal character and presbyters permitted by law or legitimate grant can perform consecrations and dedications validly.
 
A “local ordinary” is the bishop. If there was a comma after the word “ordinary” in the Canon Law it would be easier to understand.
 
Bonnie said:
A “local ordinary” is the bishop. If there was a comma after the word “ordinary” in the Canon Law it would be easier to understand.
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No I understand that. But the Canon does not seem to grant such privileges if we consider Canon 1169 is defining the scope.

Do you know what scope 1168 applies to? (I am not a Canon law expert and I can only deduce from what others say on this matter). Though I must admit, I do not see how the canon 1168 must be necessarily defined by 1169.

EDIT: Well I can see how 1169 may indeed be giving the scope of the second part of 1168. But that then leaves this question unanswered.
 
Eufrosnia said:
No I understand that. But the Canon does not seem to grant such privileges if we consider Canon 1169 is defining the scope.

Do you know what scope 1168 applies to? (I am not a Canon law expert and I can only deduce from what others say on this matter). Though I must admit, I do not see how the canon 1168 must be necessarily defined by 1169.

EDIT: Well I can see how 1169 may indeed be giving the scope of the second part of 1168. But that then leaves this question unanswered.
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The answer is neither nuns, nor other religious, nor lay people can bless an item to make it a sacramental.
 
I’m not really sure about this one. If I remember correctly, which I don’t always, Brother JR once mentioned him blessing objects, or it may have been people; I don’t really remember.

Brother is a Lay Religious, because he is neither a priest nor deacon. Though, he is the Superior General, so that may play into it. Who knows 🤷
 
There is no official text regarding the nuns who bless the Miraculous Medal.

Opinions are divided - those who support it rely on Canon 1168, the “priesthood of believers” argument" and that these nice and charitable nuns couldn’t possibly be disobeying their bishop, so he must have granted them the right to do so (as per Canon 1168).

I’m sorry I have no other proof.
 
Domnall said:
I’m not really sure about this one. If I remember correctly, which I don’t always, Brother JR once mentioned him blessing objects, or it may have been people; I don’t really remember.

Brother is a Lay Religious, because he is neither a priest nor deacon. Though, he is the Superior General, so that may play into it. Who knows 🤷
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I don’t want to speak for Bro. JR, but he, as a superior, has authority over his brothers. That authority would grant him similar authority as a parent blessing his children. I would wager that this is what is going on.
 
PJM said:
Anybody CAN bless ANYTHING, but that is not your question.

A nun’s blessing does not the power to make someting a sacramental as does the Blessing of:) a priest.
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When you say anyone can bless anything, that’s very misleading. I say “God Bless You” when someone sneezes. I bless my children and my home with Holy Water often. but that’s not an official blessing that is needed for a medal. And that Nun should know that. If a Bro. is a Deacon, he can bless religious objects. God Bless, Memaw
 
Eufrosnia said:
I was wondering if nuns can bless things like medals? Recently I was at the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Chapel in France and it was a nun that came out and blessed my medals.

Is this blessing the same as one I would receive from a priest? Also, is this practice valid?
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Only in the same way that you or I could, which is to say not at all. I saw that it is claimed that these particular sisters have authority delegated to them by the Bishop, but I’m really not sure if he can even do that.

Now I have seen sisters in the past take on some very Priest like functions, which included many, many things that were outright heeretical. In several cases years ago actually performing consecrations in the absence of the Priest, or on at least one occasion, when he was present, using corn tortillas as they were the food of the people.:eek:

I suppose to them it was all right as the Priest himself used corn tortillas as well most of the time.:confused:
 
eamonnroma said:
As should Mothers’ blessing their children, no?
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Blessing children does not make the children a sacramental. Lay people can bless in some instances. Traditionally, someone can bless those whom they wield authority over. However, their blessing cannot make something a sacramental. Only those in Holy Orders can make something a sacramental by blessing it. 🙂
 
markomalley said:
No.

From the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 1166 Sacramentals are sacred signs by which effects, especially spiritual effects, are signified in some imitation of the sacraments and are obtained through the intercession of the Church.

Can. 1167 §1. The Apostolic See alone can establish new sacramentals, authentically interpret those already received, or abolish or change any of them.

§2. In confecting or administering sacramentals, the rites and formulas approved by the authority of the Church are to be observed carefully.

Can. 1168 The minister of sacramentals is a cleric who has been provided with the requisite power. According to the norm of the liturgical books and to the judgment of the local ordinary lay persons who possess the appropriate qualities can also administer some sacramentals.

Can. 1169 §1. Those marked with the episcopal character and presbyters permitted by law or legitimate grant can perform consecrations and dedications validly.

§2. Any presbyter can impart blessings except those reserved to the Roman Pontiff or bishops.

§3. A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law.
There is no provision for a non-cleric, whether religious or not, to bless objects. The sacramentals referred to in 1168, which indirectly refers to blessings in 1169, may issue blessings in very narrow circumstances (for example, ministering a blessing on a meal, blessing ones own children, blessing a harvest, etc.)
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According to Canon Law 134 1&2 ‘The local ordinary’ seems to list the bishop! Thus 1168 does allow legally the bishop to allow the administering of ‘some’ sacramentals to lay persons who have the " appropriate qualities" !
Do nuns fit this legal right and is the blessing of medals not otherwise reserved to bishops or just the clergy with holy orders? All in all, the bishop being defined as local ordinary also in section 2 of 134 has the legal right to make some laws which change the local rules.
 
curtish1947 said:
According to Canon Law 134 1&2 ‘The local ordinary’ seems to list the bishop! Thus 1168 does allow legally the bishop to allow the administering of ‘some’ sacramentals to lay persons who have the " appropriate qualities" !
Do nuns fit this legal right and is the blessing of medals not otherwise reserved to bishops or just the clergy with holy orders? All in all, the bishop being defined as local ordinary also in section 2 of 134 has the legal right to make some laws which change the local rules.
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I think that may refer to distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday etc. Not blessing medals. God Bless, Memaw
 
The following is from a paper written by the late Fr. Pellegrino Ernetti, OSB (d. 1992):

The sacramental have a certain resemblance to the sacraments as they are also means to obtain grace, but they differ profoundly from the sacraments for several reasons:
  1. for the origin: the sacraments are were not established by Christ, while the sacramentals are proposed by the Church;
  2. the effects: the sacraments directly produce sanctifying grace or its increase; sacramentals obtained directly only by current and divine assistance;
  3. for the mode of action: and therefore the sacraments have their effectiveness for the valid administration (ex opere operato), the effectiveness of sacramentals is a obtained in strength of the moral dignity of the one who accomplishes the rite and of the one that the welcomes (ex opere operantis);
  4. by the number: the sacraments are seven, while the number of the sacramentals is undefined, and, for disposition of the Church, it can vary according to the different circumstances.
As in the sacramental liturgy, the Trinitarian aspect is constitutively present and active, since only in this way means that the spiritual effect that follows with sin by the Church, is always given by the Father by means of you, the Son in the Holy Spirit (see: Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, Pontifical Urban University, Rome 1985, p. 681 ff.).
 
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