J
John_Lilburne
Guest
Catholic News Service have given a new headline to the article “Lay ministers may not cleanse Communion vessels, Pope Benedict says”. It now has the headline: “Extraordinary ministers of Eucharist barred from purifying vessels”. See catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606058.htm .
In one sense its an improvement. It does not have the Pope saying something clearly false. An instituted acolyte is a lay minister and he may cleanse the Communion vessels.
In another sense it is worse, using the term “Extraordinary ministers of Eucharist” which the Vatican has written is not to be used, in the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
[154.] As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest”.[254] Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. …
[156.] This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened.”
The full document is at vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html .
In one sense its an improvement. It does not have the Pope saying something clearly false. An instituted acolyte is a lay minister and he may cleanse the Communion vessels.
In another sense it is worse, using the term “Extraordinary ministers of Eucharist” which the Vatican has written is not to be used, in the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
[154.] As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest”.[254] Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. …
[156.] This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened.”
The full document is at vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html .