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zab said:
So did the CDWDS say what the priest, deacon or EMHC should do when they are approached by a non-communicant for a “blessing”?
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I already pointed out that:
This reply … did not say anything about discouraging people from coming up for a blessing, simply that the Church’s discipline instructs them not to. The response also did not say what to do if a person does come up expecting a blessing.

That is Lepanto’s question as well: knowing all this, what do you when a person comes up to receive a blessing during the Communion procession?
The instructions have not told priests, deacons, or EMsHC what to do in the event that someone presents himself for a blessing, only what not to do. And this thread is about that very issue: what do you do if a person presents himself for a blessing?
 
japhy said:
I already pointed out that:
This reply … did not say anything about discouraging people from coming up for a blessing, simply that the Church’s discipline instructs them not to. The response also did not say what to do if a person does come up expecting a blessing.

That is Lepanto’s question as well: knowing all this, what do you when a person comes up to receive a blessing during the Communion procession?
The instructions have not told priests, deacons, or EMsHC what to do in the event that someone presents himself for a blessing, only what not to do. And this thread is about that very issue: what do you do if a person presents himself for a blessing?
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Thanks for the clarification. Until the CDWDS issues a directive on what to do, I see no reason not to follow the direction of our pastors in this regard, if our pastors have not given us any reason to not trust their pastorship.
 
tweetymom said:
Ok then were does it say they can’t?
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Well, a Blessing is an aspect of Binding (as in Bound earth what is bound in Heaven).

Christ gave that authority to Peter. Since you are not Peter, Christ did not give that authority to you.

He also gave Peter the ability to pass on his authority to others (He who hears you, hears Me)

So an heir to the seat of Peter would have had to give you the autority to bless at Mass ( either you personally or collectively as part of the rubrics of the Mass)

Since neither has happened, you can’t bless at Mass.

And all that is Biblical 🙂
 
Brendan said:
OK then, where in the Bible does it say that EMHC’s may give blessings at Communion time?

Or are you relying on extra-Biblical authority such as a priest?
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And you have a problem with this because…?..

Sola Scriptura? As has been stated over and over, Holy Mother Church pre-dates the Bible.
 
zab said:
Thanks for the clarification. Until the CDWDS issues a directive on what to do, I see no reason not to follow the direction of our pastors in this regard, if our pastors have not given us any reason to not trust their pastorship.
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It might not have said what they are supposed to do, but it did clearly state what a lay person CANNOT do.
Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings.
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So where does that leave us? Is the EMHC supposed to lie and somehow indicate they they are able to do something that the Church says they cannot do.

In what context is a falsehood appropriate at Mass?

If the priest tells you to attempt a falsehood, is that good pastorship?
 
Since we don’t have a specific directive on what is okay to do, I’ll make a request and a suggestion. As an adult convert who attended Mass for two years without being able to receive the Eucharist, and being painfully aware of this, I would ask that you please consider that the person who approaches you may not be there as a matter of rote, but with a great deal of devotion and vulnerability.

Please be sure that when you communicate that you cannot bless, that you also communicate welcome and never shame the person for doing the wrong thing. I had an acquaintance who was used to the blessing who went up at a different church and really felt like an idiot when he got a mini-lecture for it. He didn’t know any better; it wasn’t his fault.

I would also hesitate to just ask a person to see me after Mass for an explanation, because if they get embarrassed, they might zip right out the door. I nearly always ended up in line for the priest or deacon (which I realize now wasn’t appropriate at Mass, but I still knew the difference between a real and simulated blessing back then), but when I wasn’t, if an EMHC wasn’t going to bless me, I would have liked to be told very quickly, “I can’t give you a blessing, but Father can, and you can catch him after Mass” with a nod of the head in Father’s direction. And then I would approach the person after Mass and explain the difference between actual and simulated blessings and show them the spiritual communion prayer in the missal somewhere.

So that’s my completely non-authoritative two cents, of how I would have preferred to be on the receiving end of a not-gonna-happen-blessing.

(I suppose I should add that this could be very awkward if you are part of a parish where the EMHCs are actually instructed to do the blessings. Mine is one of those, and when I requested of the priest that I not be asked to minister the Body of Christ, I explained that it was both because I felt like I was manhandling Jesus, but also because people expected me to bless their kids, and I couldn’t do that. He looked surprised at that, and I never did follow it up. EMHC’s almost always minister the cup, so it probably doesn’t come up much.)
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
And you have a problem with this because…?..

Sola Scriptura? As has been stated over and over, Holy Mother Church pre-dates the Bible.
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If you follow the thread, you will see that I do not have a problem with it at all. Tweetymom does.

I fully and wholeheartily recognize and support the Magisterium, in this and all things.
 
Brendan said:
It might not have said what they are supposed to do, but it did clearly state what a lay person CANNOT do.
Giving a charitable greeting is not giving a blessing.

So where does that leave us? Is the EMHC supposed to lie and somehow indicate they they are able to do something that the Church says they cannot do.
Again, giving a charitable greeting is not giving a blessing nor is it implying that you are giving a blessing when say “God bless you”

In what context is a falsehood appropriate at Mass?

If the priest tells you to attempt a falsehood, is that good pastorship?
If you are falsely accusing a priest of telling someone to attempt a falsehood, does that mean that the priest is guilty of such?
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Phemie said:
We know what they said and we know what you are getting at. They said they were studying the matter. But they also said that for the time being they wanted to point out the rules that are in force: those rules that benedictgal posted.
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help me out which rule said it was illicit, and why was the CDWDS unable to see that?
Some day they may decide to change the rules but at the moment, while they study the issue, the rules they quoted stand. You are the only one who has tried to interpret their letter differently.
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no absolutely no, several Bishops have spoke or written to the priest on the issue I see no reason to disobey these Bishops.

btw way if you did not read it before I doubt the CDWDS desires extraordinary ministries giving these blessings, however there is more to the issue than that. The letter could easily have restricted the practice to ordain clergy however they chose not to do that. I truly believe they chose not to restrict the practice for good reason, and frankly I am not holding my breath for further rulings on this issue. If they rule fine, I have no problem with such. The problem is a few individuals claiming the Bishop must submit to the interpretation of the laity, I find that intolerable.
 
zab said:
Until the CDWDS issues a directive on what to do, I see no reason not to follow the direction of our pastors in this regard, if our pastors have not given us any reason to not trust their pastorship.
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And if what your pastors direct you to do directly contradicts what the CDWDS has said not to do…?
 
zab said:
Again, giving a charitable greeting is not giving a blessing nor is it implying that you are giving a blessing when say “God bless you”
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It most absolutely is implying that you are giving a blessing! Joe Average in the pews simply does not know the difference.
 
Brendan said:
If you follow the thread, you will see that I do not have a problem with it at all. Tweetymom does.

I fully and wholeheartily recognize and support the Magisterium, in this and all things.
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I don’t have a problem just going to give blessings.
 
tweetymom said:
I don’t have a problem just going to give blessings.
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But it is not something you are able to do.

I don’t have a problem with flapping my arms and hovering over the pews, but I can’t do that either.

So why should I tell someone that I am hovering over the pews when I really am not. LIkewise with giving a blessing.
 
zab said:
Giving a charitable greeting is not giving a blessing.
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So you pretty much say “Hey, Howzit gowin?’” :confused:
If you are falsely accusing a priest of telling someone to attempt a falsehood, does that mean that the priest is guilty of such?
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If the priest is telling you that you it’s OK to offer a blessing, then that would be a falsehood.

If someone in the Communion line walks away thinking they they recieved a blessing, and you did not dissuade them from the idea, then you perpetrated a falsehood. If you did that deliberately, then that would be a lie.
 
Brendan said:
But it is not something you are able to do.

I don’t have a problem with flapping my arms and hovering over the pews, but I can’t do that either.

So why should I tell someone that I am hovering over the pews when I really am not. LIkewise with giving a blessing.
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I am going to continue to give blessings.Then flab you your arms if you want to I’m not going to stop ya!
 
If you are Protestant then why are you going to the Catholic Church?? If you do not believe in the Church then you probably do not believe in the Real Presence. Why then, are you receiving and distributing the Blessed Sacrament and going to Mass. If you don’t believe in the Church then why even go to Mass??

If you are not Catholic you are greatly disrespecting our faith by doing these things at Mass.
 
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