Eme's washing hands

[CAINBRO]

Sould EME’s and Deacons wash or sanitize their hand before distributing the Eucharist at Mass? Recently, I in our parish, a bottle of sanitizer has been placed on the credence table and the EME’s and Deacon apply it to their hands before receiving and distributing the Eucharist. In some parishes, I have observed Deacons and EME’s waqshing their hands using the same lavabo bowl as that used by the priest. I began noticing these practices about 1 yr. ago and they seem to be becoming more prevalent. Apparently the concern is flu and the spread of germs. It seems to me these practices tend to be too imatative of the priest’s washing his hands and tends to confuse a liturgical practice and a health pratice.

Cainbro

 

[benedictgal]

Before I begin my response, just a point of clarification. It is better to use the vocabulary that the Church uses. There is no such creature as an EME. The term the Church uses is Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. The priest and the bishop are the ordinary ministers of the Eucharist, as they are the only ones who can confect (cause to happen), the Sacrament. The deacon is an Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion by virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The laity serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion because their usage should be just as their name indicates, extraordinary, meaning under certain circumstances.

Now comes the resonse. Down here, when we went through the Swine Flu outbreak, the EMHCs were instructed to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer. Now, it is perfectly alright for an EMHC to purify his fingers in the lavabo after he has assisted in the distribution of Holy Communion so as to ensure that there are no crumbs or even the smallest particle of the Sacred Host in their fingers. In fact, this should be done. The only caveat is that the lavabo should not be disposed down the regular drain. It should be emptied into the sacrarium.

 

[teachccd]

All I can say is that as long as I have been an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion there have been times when I actually touch someone’s tongue. We can only be so safe and do the best that we can. Unless you sanitize your own hands you are at a greater risk of getting germs from shaking hands, touching the pews, song books and so on. I try to wash my hands before Mass but we do not sanitize immediately prior to distribution. When you think of the many things that you do and eat where people do not wash their hands it really isn’t so bad…teachccd

 

[Phemie]

I wish they’d do the sanitizing in their pew and not in front of the congregation.

We just went through this with Fr. having to explain that the Lavabo is a ritual full of symbolic cleansing but seriously lacking any actual ’ physical cleaning’. Short of going out to do a 15-20 second wash or using sanitizer AFTER the Sign of Peace, Fr. hands are no cleaner than anyone else’s who happens to be in the sanctuary.

 

[surritter]

I’ve seen the sanitizer bit at our parish for the last 6 months or so. I guess it’s not a bad idea – in the past I’ve seen one or two of the EMHCs cough into their hands right before coming up to distribute Communion, and I made a conscious effort to get in a different line!

That being said, I wish they would be discreet about it – often they are standing up at the front while rubbing their hands and it seems distracting…

 

[Ockham]

It would be safer to have fewer people distribute Communion. I suspect most EMHCs are not necessary, thus contrary to the rules. Indeed the priest does have specific prayers to be said prior to touching the Body of Christ and his fingers were consecrated at his ordination.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Indeed the priest does have specific prayers to be said prior to touching the Body of Christ and his fingers were consecrated at his ordination.

---

**No more so than the rest of his physical body. The grace of the Priesthood is conferred by the Imposition of the Bishop’s hands, not by the anointing of the ordinand’s hands.

And our bodies (as well as our souls) are consecrated to Christ by virtue of our Baptism.

The “specific prayers” are about Communion, not about his hands.**

 

[Mrs_Sally]

**I wish they’d do the sanitizing in their pew and not in front of the congregation. **
We just went through this with Fr. having to explain that the Lavabo is a ritual full of symbolic cleansing but seriously lacking any actual ’ physical cleaning’. Short of going out to do a 15-20 second wash or using sanitizer AFTER the Sign of Peace, Fr. hands are no cleaner than anyone else’s who happens to be in the sanctuary.

This is how the EMHCs are trained in my parish. If they want to use sanitizer, they are to do it in the pew before coming up. They do not go up into the sanctuary at all, but kneel on the step to receive and then take the ciborium handed to them to their station. After distributing, there is a separate bowl for them to rinse their fingers.

 

[Evan]

We did it in my parish for a couple weeks then quietly dropped it. It seems a symbolic gesture as

If you fear getting sick from the Eucharistic elements:

1. Do not take from the cup. No amount of hand washing is going to help there for the hands of the EMHC do not touch the communicant or anything the communicant touches
2. If you receive the Host then after the EMHC touches either the first persons hands or tongue (accidents happen) you have new contamination.

Wash hands does not eliminate germs in this situation, it is not the hands, it is the community.

Of course we wash before mass, but we also recognize that if you are sick, you should refrain from the Blood of Christ (and perhaps the Body too)

 

[EasterJoy]

Of course we wash before mass, but we also recognize that if you are sick, you should refrain from the Blood of Christ (and perhaps the Body too)

Or just STAY HOME!!! If you think you are a danger to anyone else, be aware that you are a big danger to at least some. Your desire (and laudable intention!) not to miss one Mass could keep someone else home for a month, or worse.

Our pastor makes it clear every fall that he is not impressed and does not want to see the walking dead spreading their winter flu germs around the church. I think this is one of the reasons that the elderly and frail are encouraged to sit near the front and receive first. There is just that much less chance of getting something from a careless fellow parishioner who “isn’t that sick”, or even from a careful one who realized he or she was contagious a few hours too late.

 

[Brendan]

Before I begin my response, just a point of clarification. It is better to use the vocabulary that the Church uses. There is no such creature as an EME. .

BG,

Technically there IS such a person as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. That would be a laicized priest.

In Extraordinary circumstances, they may validly and licitly Confect the Eucharist. But since they only may do in in these extraordinary circumstances, they are truely EME’s

 

[EvelynEVF]

We use hand sanitizer, and it does crack me up sometimes. It’s a nice idea, but all it takes is one person from the congregation to touch the chalice, and it’s germy for everybody following. I suppose it does draw attention to the issue and maybe motivates people to be mindful of their hands and noses and whatnot, but I doubt it.

 

[liturgydude]

All these local customs notwithstanding - isn’t there only one liturgical requirement for handwashing during Mass, i.e., the presider’s lavabo prior to the Prayer Over the Gifts?

 

[Phemie]

All these local customs notwithstanding - isn’t there only one liturgical requirement for handwashing during Mass, i.e., the presider’s lavabo prior to the Prayer Over the Gifts?

Exactly, and it’s a ritual hand washing, not a sanitizing hand washing. “Wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from all my sins.” Not “Wash away my staphylococcus aureus, cleanse me from all my influenza viruses.”