Do extraordinary ministers have the right to take the chalice or ciboria off the altar?

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indiecath

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do extraordinary ministers have the right to take the chalice or ciboria off the altar?
It just seems to be out of place for them to be grabbing when it should be handed to them by the priest.
 
indiecath said:
do extraordinary ministers have the right to take the chalice or ciboria off the altar?
It just seems to be out of place for them to be grabbing when it should be handed to them by the priest.
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No, no, no! They may not.
 
The rubrics for the ceremony dictates who grabs the chalice and who hands it to who. In general, no one except for priests, deacons, and subdeacons are permitted to handle the chalice, but, in practice, sacristans licensed by the priest (bishop?) may handle it to the extent necessary to fulfill their duty.
 
Nat682 said:
The rubrics for the ceremony dictates who grabs the chalice and who hands it to who. In general, no one except for priests, deacons, and subdeacons are permitted to handle the chalice, but, in practice, sacristans licensed by the priest (bishop?) may handle it to the extent necessary to fulfill their duty.
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Any commissioned extraordinary minister of holy communion may “handle” a chalice while distributing holy communion within the context of the OF Mass. They should not however pick-up a sacred vessel from the altar nor should they purify sacred vessels unless they are males who have been instituted as acolytes.
 
No they may not. I witnessed some woman try to do this at a new priest’s first Mass. He noticed her make her way to the altar to grab the purficator and the chalice. She grabbed the purficator first and when the priest tried to take it back from her, she wouldn’t let go of it.
 
Follow up question.

If you are acting as an EMHC distributing the Blood of Christ and the supply is exhausted.
If one of the EMHC failed to appear and a Chalice of Blood was left on the altar (probably explaining why the supply in the original Chalice was exhausted) could you then return your Chalice to the altar and ‘take’ the other Chalice to continue performing your duty?
 
Evan said:
Follow up question.

If you are acting as an EMHC distributing the Blood of Christ and the supply is exhausted.
If one of the EMHC failed to appear and a Chalice of Blood was left on the altar (probably explaining why the supply in the original Chalice was exhausted) could you then return your Chalice to the altar and ‘take’ the other Chalice to continue performing your duty?
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no
 
I would also like to point out that no one has a “right” to do anything regarding the Eucharist. Even the priest is privileged by the fact he is a priest, but he has no “right” to confect the Eucharist, receive it, etc.

Any good and holy priest knows he is not worthy to stand at the altar. EMHC’S have no rights whatsoever.
 
indiecath said:
do extraordinary ministers have the right to take the chalice or ciboria off the altar?
It just seems to be out of place for them to be grabbing when it should be handed to them by the priest.
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While it’s not suppose to happen (I am only speaking of the Ordinary Form), I see it all the time. It really comes down to the priest enforcing the rules.

Needless to say we still widespread problems in my area with glass and ceramic chalices, missing or ‘strange’ alter cloths, and EEM presuming more responsibility and liturgical action than allowed.:bighanky:
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
No they may not. I witnessed some woman try to do this at a new priest’s first Mass. He noticed her make her way to the altar to grab the purficator and the chalice. She grabbed the purficator first and when the priest tried to take it back from her, she wouldn’t let go of it.
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Wow. That seems a little rude.
 
Holly3278 said:
Wow. That seems a little rude.
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Beyond rude, it’s abusive all around and most especially to the EMHC who is self-abusing in a sense.

Skewing roles = skewed roles.

There does remain a solution and it’s Extraordinary if I do say so myself. 😉
 
BlindManWalking said:
Beyond rude, it’s abusive all around and most especially to the EMHC who is self-abusing in a sense.

Skewing roles = skewed roles.

There does remain a solution and it’s Extraordinary if I do say so myself. 😉
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Yes, indeed. It really is extraordinary.
 
BlindManWalking said:
Beyond rude, it’s abusive all around and most especially to the EMHC who is self-abusing in a sense.

Skewing roles = skewed roles.

There does remain a solution and it’s Extraordinary if I do say so myself. 😉
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I see what you did there. 😛
 
This is an interesting thread. My parish used to have the abominable habit of unlocking the tabernacle before Mass and leaving the key in it. This eventually led to opening the tabernacle (and leaving it open) before Mass exposing the Blessed Sacrament and worse, leaving the key in the tabernacle (against exposing the Eucharist) after Mass.

One day I made a visit and the key was in the tabernacle and it was about 1/2 open. I verified the Eucharist was inside of the tabernacle, closed and locked it and put they key in the “hiding place” in the sacristy known to dozens of people.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I really lit-up my pastor. Things had become so sloppy, so lax and so darned irreverent. I mentioned a litany of things (including lay people grabbing sacred vessels off the altar.) He said he had never heard of that. Amazingly enough along with the tabernacle issue he fixed this as well.

The one thing I truly hated were those people who grabbed a sacred vessel as they passed by without breaking stride as if they were at a big party and they were grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray.
 
Jegudiel said:
This is an interesting thread. My parish used to have the abominable habit of unlocking the tabernacle before Mass and leaving the key in it. This eventually led to opening the tabernacle (and leaving it open) before Mass exposing the Blessed Sacrament and worse, leaving the key in the tabernacle (against exposing the Eucharist) after Mass.

One day I made a visit and the key was in the tabernacle and it was about 1/2 open. I verified the Eucharist was inside of the tabernacle, closed and locked it and put they key in the “hiding place” in the sacristy known to dozens of people.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I really lit-up my pastor. Things had become so sloppy, so lax and so darned irreverent. I mentioned a litany of things (including lay people grabbing sacred vessels off the altar.) He said he had never heard of that. Amazingly enough along with the tabernacle issue he fixed this as well.

The one thing I truly hated were those people who grabbed a sacred vessel as they passed by without breaking stride as if they were at a big party and they were grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray.
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Congrats on the success! There is a place for a holy anger. As St. Augustine said:

Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage. Anger that things are the way they are. Courage to make them the way they ought to be.
 
Also, extraordinary ministers are not even allowed to approach the altar until after the priest has completely finished his own communion (i.e. both host and chalice).

I just looked at the actual new missal and checked on this. That’s what it says.
 
Leon_Bloy said:
Also, extraordinary ministers are not even allowed to approach the altar until after the priest has completely finished his own communion (i.e. both host and chalice).

I just looked at the actual new missal and checked on this. That’s what it says.
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Incidentally, it was that way in the old missal as well.
 
Leon_Bloy said:
Also, extraordinary ministers are not even allowed to approach the altar until after the priest has completely finished his own communion (i.e. both host and chalice).

I just looked at the actual new missal and checked on this. That’s what it says.
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Yes, and you have any number of priests who will refuse to follow that rule, starting with the one looking after our parish:
  • He refuses to receive Communion before he gives Communion to the EMHCs and altar servers (they all consume together with him).
  • He refuses to purify the vessels.
  • He insists that the EMHCs come up to the altar at the Sign of Peace so “I know I’ve got enough” – this in a parish with at most 150 people at Mass.
  • He leaves the chalice on the altar and says ‘help yourself’ if there is no EMHC.
  • He refuses to have regular confessions “because nobody comes”.
He’s also responsible for formation for his congregation’s Kenyan seminarians. 🤷
 
Phemie said:
Yes, and you have any number of priests who will refuse to follow that rule, starting with the one looking after our parish:
  • He refuses to receive Communion before he gives Communion to the EMHCs and altar servers (they all consume together with him).
  • He refuses to purify the vessels.
  • He insists that the EMHCs come up to the altar at the Sign of Peace so “I know I’ve got enough” – this in a parish with at most 150 people at Mass.
  • He leaves the chalice on the altar and says ‘help yourself’ if there is no EMHC.
  • He refuses to have regular confessions “because nobody comes”.
He’s also responsible for formation for his congregation’s Kenyan seminarians. 🤷
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Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.

😦
 
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