Dispensation from final blessing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter runningdude
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

runningdude

Guest
In my diocese, communion had been moved to a technically desperate service following the final blessing of the mass.

This is in theory to allow congregants to leave immediately after receiving, thus allowing people to exit the church quicker. In practice, everyone returns to their seats for silent prayer.

This also leads to an awkward duplication of rites. We go through the entire communion rite during mass (with only the priest receiving) and the cleansing of the challices, then the final blessing, and then begin again at the the “Behold the Lamb of God” for the communion service immediately following mass. So while intended to help people exit quickly, in practice, virtually everyone stay until the end.

My question is whether bishops are permitted to dispense the faithful from receiving the final blessing? This would streamline the end of mass, by allowing the ordinary communion rite to occur, while also allowing those so inclined to exit in a “socially distant” manner.

Is such a modification allowed, or would permission from the Holy Father be needed to dispense the final blessing?
 
In our parish, Mass is finished, and only then do people receive Communion on their way out i.e. not really as part of Mass at all. They are not allowed to return to their seats after Communon so as soon as a bench is vacated, the cleaning team can move in to clean where they have been.
 
One of our local churches distributes communion after Mass but, to put it bluntly, you’re then ‘shown the door’. No returning to your pew. The only folks who remain behind are going to confession immediately afterwards and probably haven’t left their seats…
 
runningdude said:
My question is whether bishops are permitted to dispense the faithful from receiving the final blessing? This would streamline the end of mass, by allowing the ordinary communion rite to occur, while also allowing those so inclined to exit in a “socially distant” manner.

Is such a modification allowed, or would permission from the Holy Father be needed to dispense the final blessing?
Click to expand...
The bishop/archbishop is the chief liturgist in his diocese.

While we have some priests and deacons, and (at least in the past) one or more Canon lawyers who follow threads and occasionally post, it is likely that no one can answer the question directly.

The change is not being made for the purpose of experimentation, nor is it being done as a “permanent” modification of the liturgy. It is an attempt to provide safety to those who wish to attend Mass (as most jurisdictions appear to have suspended the obligation).

So the short answer is that unless Rome decides it inappropriate, it appears to be within the power granted to the bishop.
 
This was a very common practice in past centuries, including the first half of the twentieth century. It is why the communion rite was not printed in the altar edition of the Roman Missal, because it was considered a separate rite.
 
runningdude said:
My question is whether bishops are permitted to dispense the faithful from receiving the final blessing? This would streamline the end of mass, by allowing the ordinary communion rite to occur, while also allowing those so inclined to exit in a “socially distant” manner.
Click to expand...
You don’t need a dispensation from getting the final blessing. You’re allowed to walk out of the church without getting it. People do this every week.

However, what you seem to be asking is for the bishop to do away with the final blessing for everybody so you can get communion and get out of the church faster. The bishop likely isn’t going to do this. Since the time savings is all of 10 minutes at most and usually more like 5 minutes, I’m baffled as to why you’d even ask or think this was an improvement.

Be glad you have a Mass and can receive Communion at all. This sort of suggestion sounds like somebody who is used to walking out of church right after Communion and is now annoyed that they need to stay an extra few minutes.
 
Last edited:
I am not asking that it be omitted, but that the faithful be formally excused from waiting to receive it. Leaving mass early is otherwise not proper, however common it may be.

If the goal is to allow the faithful to leave early, why is the normal flow of the liturgy disrupted for the majority who wish to stay until the end?
 
Last edited:
runningdude said:
that the faithful be formally excused from waiting to receive it.
Click to expand...
Why do you need a formal excuse? I walked out of Mass last Sunday without getting the final blessing. The reason being that I had an appointment about 5 miles up the road and didn’t want to get stuck in traffic coming out of the church parking lot or otherwise be late.
I usually stay for the blessing, but in the instances where I’ve had to leave the church early because I had an appointment, was ill, had other urgent situation etc. I’ve never felt I needed to be formally excused from it.

Also, in the scenario you give, being formally excused from the blessing wouldn’t make Communion happen any quicker unless the priest simply didn’t give the blessing at all.

It seems like you think being “formally excused” from the final blessing will somehow mean the priest won’t give the blessing, which is the only way things will “streamline” as you’re arguing. Or that you think if people are “formally excused” from the blessing then the priest will give those people commuinon prior to the blessing. He’s not going to run one communion line for people who are “excused from the blessing” and a second one after the blessing for people who wanted to stick around and get the blessing.

The way you’re presenting this concept is like something out of Dr. Seuss. Just accept the fact that you have to stay for an extra 5 minutes and get a blessing before you receive communion.
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
Why do you need a formal excuse? I walked out of Mass last Sunday without getting the final blessing. The reason being that I had an appointment about 5 miles up the road and didn’t want to get stuck in traffic coming out of the church parking lot or otherwise be late.
Click to expand...
If you have good reason to leave early, then it is not improper.
Tis_Bearself said:
It seems like you think being “formally excused” from the final blessing will somehow mean the priest won’t give the blessing,
Click to expand...
No, you seem to misunderstand the question. I do feel it is productive to explain further.
 
It is not necessary to leave after communion in order to leave socially distanced. We have ushers escort people out, front to back, keeping them distant. It take less than five minutes. As the Sunday obligation is dispense, our thought is that if someone does not want to wait that 1-5 minutes, they do not have to come to Mass. We also do not allow anyone one to come late. And those that do come, are led to their seats.
 
I’m sorry if I misunderstand, but I’m not seeing anybody else on the thread who seems to “get it” either.
I myself am just happy to receive Communion. I don’t really care if it’s before or after the blessing.
So I’ll be stepping off the thread as I don’t get your point at all.
 
Epilogue: The bishop ended the practice this weekend, and restored communion to its ordinary place in the mass.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
You don’t need a dispensation from getting the final blessing. You’re allowed to walk out of the church without getting it. People do this every week.
Click to expand...
People receive the Eucharist invalidly every week, too. Doesn’t mean that this is – strictly speaking – “allowed”.

Perhaps we can say, simply, that this is “not anticipated” or even “not normative”.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top