Emergencies during Mass

[Kay_Cee]

Well, my daughter fainted during a funeral she was serving, and the priest did nothing. Fortunately, some members of the congregation carried her into the sacristy, and one (who was a nurse) attended to her.

On the other hand, my father told me that once when he was an altar boy, the priest at a Mass he was serving died of a heart attack right at the altar. It was after the Consecration but before Communion. According to my Dad, the ushers locked the doors, refused to allow anyone to leave, and placed a call to a neighboring parish for another priest to come finish the Mass.

 

[Rednic]

I believe that the Priest, once the Eucharistic prayer has begun, cannot leave the Altar. Period. I believe the Priests also cannot interrupt the Eucharistic
Prayer with “announcements” ie regardless of anything. Apologists, am I correct? I am wondering why in the world doesn’t the nearest parishioner just do what needs doing?

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Puzzle Annie

so extreme unction could not take place? Would it be permisible at any point in the Mass?

Hilde the dog & Puzzle Annie:

Unless the Priest is in the act of saying the ACTUAL WORDS OF CONSECRATION (which Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have stated that was all that had to be said to confect our Lord’s body and blood), I can’t see any reason why the priest couldn’t come down from the alter and give the sick man (or woman) Unction and the Reserve Sacrament, while the congregation offered prayers for that person’s prompt recovery

It was our Lord who said that the Sabbath Rest was for Man and not the other way around. The Eucharist is our equivalent of the Sabbath rest. To not tend to a Son of Daughter of God for whom Christ died because the service must go on seems to stand in stark contrast to what our Lord said.

Until we learn to care about each other as intently as we do our our lives, we won’t be ready for the persecution that is at hand.

You Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Traditional_Ang]

I’ve always thought if anything were to happen to someone at Mass, they’d be in the best place to receive anointing, etc and would be taken care of. The Mass is important and the schedule needs to be attended to, but things do happen (i.e. it could have been the priest having the heart attack). IF we are to believe in the value of the sacrament of anointing, etc, and IF it is time sensitive, it seems as if people in such condition should take precedence. Waiting 5 minutes more for the Eucharist would be okay by most believing Catholics if this man needed last rites to save his soul. Scary…

Confiteor:

I agree.

The Eucharist is for man, not man for the Eucharist.

I think so many of what people are calling “witnesses” are testimonies to insensitivity and lack of caring that have been caused by a variety of factors, including:

Mega Parishes
Overscheduling of Masses - An hour or 75 min. between the starting times of masses is NOT enough
Priest shortage - Caused largely by forcing orthodox believing seminarians to leave.
Very few activities around the Church besides Mass and “Sunday School”.

I recently had a friend refer to the Roman Catholic Church Factory. I had no response for him. The Church should be a Hospital for Souls, a place where sinners are rehabilitated and made into that Image of God which was so badly distorted in the Fall and by our own actions.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Traditional_Ang]

I believe that the Priest, once the Eucharistic prayer has begun, cannot leave the Altar. Period. I believe the Priests also cannot interrupt the Eucharistic
Prayer with “announcements” ie regardless of anything. Apologists, am I correct? I am wondering why in the world doesn’t the nearest parishioner just do what needs doing?

Rednic;1475083:

What you’ve stated isn’t in the GIRM.

Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have stated the only words that are absolutely necessary are the WORDS OF CONSECRATION (“This is Mr Body. This is my Blood.”). If necessary, every other word of the Canon of the Mass except those can be left out.

That means, the priest/celebrant, if he sees a member of the congregation in extreme distress, is allowed to do exactly as I discribed (while getting members of the congregation to summon medical help and provide such help as they are able until expert help arrives).

The paster of the parish is not only supposed to offer sacrifice for the living and the dead and to feed the sheep entrusted to his charge on the word of God, “in season and out of season”. He’s supposed to demostrate care and concern for the spiritual, physical and emotional welfare of his congregation.

How is it demonstrating concern for the physical and emotional welfare for someone not to do anything for him while he slowly dies in front of you? How is it demostrating care and concern for him (or her) to decide that the Service has to go on, no matter what stage it’s at and how much trouble he (or she) is in?

Our Lord healed on the Sabbath, on several occasions. As He said, “This child of Abraham” was more important than someone’s interpretation of the Law. Don’t you think a child of God for whom Christ died should be at least that important?

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

Confiteor:

Very few activities around the Church besides Mass and “Sunday School”.

I agree. Why can’t we have more Holy hours? My parish stated in the bulletin one Sunday that on the next First Friday there would be the Exposition. When it came around all we did was First friday devotrions and NO Exposition. I overheard people say they were disappointed, as was I. So, now I go to another parish that has started Holy Hour every Wednesday night. But even at that when the one priest substitutes he just does the bare minimum. When the other priest is there he does the readings…a meditation on the Holy Eucharist…it is lovely…and very touching.

:heart:Blyss

 

[hopefull]

A few weeks ago we had an emergency just as the Priest began to distribute Communion. A man in the back of the church had chest pains. A doctor in the congregation responded and sent someone up to ask the deacon to make an announcement to ask if anybody had aspirin (good to use if a heart attack is suspected.) People started rummaging around to see if they did. It would have been a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the sacristy: aspirin (not Tylenol), smelling salts, band-aids, and I’m sure others could think of a few things. The priest continued giving out communion, and after Mass went back and gave an anointing before the EMT’s arrived.

 

[hasikelee]

Oh, and this just crossed my mind too. When I was younger I used to DJ at a bar, and the rule was, no matter what happened out on the dance floor (fights, falls, spills etc… the music never stopped) I think it is more a method of crowd control than anything as people have difficulty concentrating nne more than one thing at a time. Now I am not comparing the Mass to a Dance floor at a bar, but perhaps the psychology is the similar when it comes to out of the ordinary circumstances.

I was thinking the same thing. Can you imagine the chaos if father jumped off the altar in the middle of Mass and rushed over to a pew, with the altar boys milling around and the organist just sitting there? It would be chaotic, unhelpful, cause a crowd, disrupt people and possibly become more dangerous, especially if people started panicking or it could prevent medical personnel from getting to a sick person in a timely manner.

Unless the poor person is receiving no help, the priest is better qualified to care for the rest of the parish and leave the caring of the sick up to the nurses, doctors and EMTS.

That’s a basic learned in the medical field, too. If you’re not sure you are qualified to treat a person in a medical emergency, unless they are dying, you back off. Nothing like an EMT coming onto the scene to see that the heart-attack victim is dead because someone tried to perform surgery…

 

[gelsbern]

The “Mass must go on” mentality is nothing new, in fact the Apostles had this problem which spawned the formation of the diaconate:

Acts 6:1-4

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

During Mass, a priest has one main responsibility, that is the Liturgy. There are ushers, and there are others who can tend to someone who is suffering from an emergency, and missing part of the liturgy during such an emergency is not a sin. In fact, since the liturgy is prayer, what a better time to pray? Should the priest stop the prayer or should he continue while others tend to the person who has fallen ill?

 

[Rednic]

You are right and that just shows God’s common sense; however, the reason the Priest can’t leave the Altar from the start of the Eucharistic Prayer to the end of communion is because this is the holiest act any man on earth can do. This is our Lord Jesus coming to us in bodily form to give us Grace! There is nothing greater!

Someone called it Unction (a term no longer used). Look that up in the CCC and you’ll only find a reference to Annointing of the Sick, and the Priest is not going to have the oil for that very handy. Are there any parishes left without Eucharistic ministers, who could give the victim communion? There just is no reason for the Priest to come off the Altar. Apparently these people automatically presume the poor soul is dieing on the spot.

This speaks of a generation that had a Priest that did everything for them. I have never known that luxury, and I’m sure I never will. I have been trained to do it myself, to visit the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, & respond to emergencies. The Laity is responsible. The Priest is the only one in the room who can do what he is doing.

I used to get upset about things like this, mainly because I didn’t understand the teaching, the reasoning behind it. I have found out that when I fully understand the reasoning behind the canon laws, or liturgical norms, it is always magnificantly beautifuly and fully acceptable.

I would recommend that all who have been upset by such a situation, get a good explanation of why it is done this way, and I think they’ll find it most acceptable. God Bless!

 

[jmcrae]

Puzzle Annie

so extreme unction could not take place? Would it be permisible at any point in the Mass?

By the time he ran back to the Rectory to get the kit and then return, the person could have been taken to the hospital and had it done already by the hospital priest.

Also, even if the priest can see what is going on, he may not want to disrupt the Mass because of people at the back or in the balcony who can’t see the accident, and would wonder why the Mass suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

 

[Rednic]

Actually, I belive the Holy Oils are now kept in the Sanctuary, very handy to the Altar, but there would still be the task of going to them & getting them out. I just wonder that people expect the Priest, who probably has no medical training, to stop, leave the Altar, and tend to someone. To me, it is clearly the responsibility of the congregation to tend to someone who falls ill during Mass. And it is not the Priest that should go to see them in the hospital on Sunday afternoon or Monday. This is the laity’s responsibility. God Bless !

 

[Papabile]

While De Defectibus applied up until 1969, it does demonstrate the importance the Church puts on completing the Canon (Eucharistic Prayer) once it has began. Note what it says below, the Cano is not to be suspended, even if the Church is attacked once it has begun.

The same applied to the case of someone injured or dying before completion of the canon once it has begun.

If the incident occurs before the beginning, or after the Priests Communion, then the Priest is allowed to minister to the injured/dying.

Papabile

DE DEFECTIBUS

32. If, while the priest is celebrating Mass, the church is violated before he has reached the Canon, the Mass is to be discontinued; if after the Canon, it is not to be discontinued. If there is fear of an attack by enemies, or of a flood or of the collapse of the building where the Mass is being celebrated, the Mass is to be discontinued if it is before the Consecration; if this fear arises after the Consecration, however, the priest may omit everything else and go on at once to the reception of the Sacrament.
 33. If before the Consecration the priest becomes seriously ill, or faints, or dies, the Mass is discontinued.  If this happens after the consecration of the Body only and before the consecration of the Blood, or after both have been consecrated, the Mass is to be completed by another priest from the place where the first priest stopped, and in case of necessity even by a priest who is not fasting.  If the first priest has not died but has become ill and is still able to receive Communion, and there is no other consecrated host at hand, the priest who is completing the Mass should divide the host, give one part to the sick priest and consume the other part himself.  If the priest has died after half-saying the formula for the consecration of the Body, then there is no Consecration and no need for another priest to complete the Mass.  If, on the other hand, the priest has died after half- saying the formula for the consecration of the Blood, then another priest is to complete the Mass, repeating the whole formula over the same chalice from the words Simili modo, postquam cenatum est; or he may say the whole formula over another chalice which has been prepared, and consume the first priest's host and the Blood consecrated by himself, and then the chalice which was left half-consecrated.

 

[Rednic]

Thank you very much, Palpible. I did not know the exact rules or where they were, but according to you I am correct.
Be Blessed & Share the Blessings !

 

[Crumpy]

I like to think that things are orderly enough, that the pirest celebrant does not need to become involved in everything like these emergencies that arise…and, that those assisting with the Mass know what actions to take.

I’m surprised that so many people report these type of things happening.

It seems that things were handled well in all of these reported cases. I’m sure the only unmistakably bad decision would be to ignore the stricken person. While the occasional church may have a wheelchair for emergencies, the enlightened parish might have a stretcher to remove the victim to a vestibule, where emergency measures might be carried out just as well. Basic first aid skills come in handy at such times.

Job 2:10b (NAB) We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?

 

[Rednic]

Crumpy, that’s a good idea to have a wheel chair, but I think a stretcher or gurney would probably be too difficult to retrieve with any ease. When you consider how many Masses are said on the week-ends, that’s alot of people, so I guess when you think about it it’s probably not so uncommon. It just doesn’t happen in each parish often.
I agree, things seem to have been handled well in each case. Let’s just thank God for His goodness!