EMHC Abuse

[Brendan]

We don’t use them. Our parish has a pastor, an associate pastor, and two retired priests in residence ( one 82, another who is 94). All 4 priests come out at each Mass to distrubute Holy Communion.

On Sundays, they are assisted by one of our two Deacons.

Between them, it’s enought to cover the 800 or so at each Sunday Mass.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Now, what does “apart from the other faithful” mean? Most masses, what I see is the EMHCs go up to the altar and stand in a line and receive communion. Then they’re handed their chalice or paten and they walk down to the front to distribute communion, and the rest of the congregation start filing up from the pews. I wonder if that’s what was meant by receiving “apart” from the other faithful?

The concern is “apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants”. Concelebrants all consume the Body of Christ at the same time. They do not do it after the Principal Celebrant. Extraordinary Ministers should be given communion after the Celebrant has received Communion.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“242. When this prayer before Communion is finished, the principal celebrant genuflects and steps back a little. Then one after another the concelebrants come to the middle of the altar, genuflect, and reverently take the Body of Christ from the altar. Then holding it in their right hand, with the left hand placed below, they return to their places. The concelebrants may, however, remain in their places and take the Body of Christ from the paten presented to them by the principal celebrant or by one or more of the concelebrants, or by passing the paten one to another.
243. Then the principal celebrant takes a host consecrated in the same Mass, holds it slightly raised above the paten or the chalice, and, facing the people, says the Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God). With the concelebrants and the people he continues, saying the Domine, non sum dignus (Lord, I am not worthy).
244. Then the principal celebrant, facing the altar, says quietly, Corpus Christi custodiat me ad vitam aeternam (May the body of Christ bring me to everlasting life), and reverently receives the Body of Christ. The concelebrants do likewise, communicating themselves. After them the deacon receives the Body and Blood of the Lord from the principal celebrant.”

 

[Podo2005]

Am I the only one tired of the platoon of EMHC’s that storm the altar during Mass? They have become such commonplace that I have even been to daily Mass and there will be less than 20 people there…but there will still be 2-4 of them there and the Priest will stay at the Altar while they server Holy Communion…without Consecrated Hands I might add…to the faithful…It just makes me sick. First off…why are they even used when the number of Mass attendees during daily Mass is so low…secondly, why are Priest standing by why the laity distributes Holy Communion…I thought they were extraordinary…which in my mind means there is no other option than to use them…extraordinary doesn’t mean each time IMO opinion. Futhermore…I witnessed something that truly angered me…I watched a woman EMHC give a blessing to a child that was not yet old enough to receive Holy Communion…am I wrong to feel angered at this and to be upset that this is allowed to happen within Our Church???

No offense but I honestly think you should just relax, its not the end of the world… and you don’t have to get angry over something like that.

 

[Brendan]

No offense but I honestly think you should just relax, its not the end of the world… and you don’t have to get angry over something like that.

I don’t think he ever said he was angry, just tired of it.

 

[James0235]

We don’t use them. Our parish has a pastor, an associate pastor, and two retired priests in residence ( one 82, another who is 94). All 4 priests come out at each Mass to distrubute Holy Communion.

On Sundays, they are assisted by one of our two Deacons.

Between them, it’s enought to cover the 800 or so at each Sunday Mass.

I would think that the sight of 4 priests and a deacon present at every Mass to distribute Holy Communion would probably do more to foster vocations in your parish than a thousand vocation talks ever could.

That is just awesome! Especially from the 2 retired priests.

James

 

[baltobetsy]

I think the devil’s tactic to ruin the Mass is not so much mixing up the roles of priest and people (which, YES, is wrong!!) as it is getting people’s hearts all troubled over the issue so that they are unable to unite themselves to Jesus in Holy Communion.

am I wrong to feel angered at this and to be upset that this is allowed to happen within Our Church???

Are you wrong? Maybe not, but certainly falling for the devil’s maneuvers. Be at peace. Pray for your parish priest and those who assist him. Assume they have good motives even if they are mistaken. Make your heart a place of love and peace when Jesus comes to you, and you will have won the more important victory. Then, perhaps, the second one, the actual correcting of the liturgical missteps, will be within reach.

Betsy

 

[quiet52]

Am I the only one tired of the platoon of EMHC’s that storm the altar during Mass? They have become such commonplace that I have even been to daily Mass and there will be less than 20 people there…but there will still be 2-4 of them there and the Priest will stay at the Altar while they server Holy Communion…without Consecrated Hands I might add…to the faithful…It just makes me sick. First off…why are they even used when the number of Mass attendees during daily Mass is so low…secondly, why are Priest standing by why the laity distributes Holy Communion…I thought they were extraordinary…which in my mind means there is no other option than to use them…extraordinary doesn’t mean each time IMO opinion. Futhermore…I witnessed something that truly angered me…I watched a woman EMHC give a blessing to a child that was not yet old enough to receive Holy Communion…am I wrong to feel angered at this and to be upset that this is allowed to happen within Our Church???

Hopefully it’s not because the priest has a health condition which causes him pain if he stands too long (yes, this happens and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must step in).

When referring to lay people who help distribute Holy Communion (extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion), the Church is NOT using the typical Oxford American Dictionary definition of “ordinary” – "very unusual or remarkable " and “beyond what is usual or ordinary.” Many Catholics mistakenly think EMHCs are only to be used in “exceptional” situations. Rather, the word “extraordinary” as used by the Church refers to those “outside the ordained.” “Extra” is a Latin word meaning “outside of.” An “ordinary” is someone who is ordained – bishop, priest, deacon.

The lay people who help distribute Holy Communion should not be blamed, if they are overused – but they ARE needed and much appreciated. Your anger about EMHCs distributing Holy Communion is misplaced, since their function is approved by our Pope on down.

Talk with your pastor about your concerns about the priest not distributing Holy Communion – and ask him if he’s okay. Pray for him. Calmly tell him it’s a distraction to you when four lay people enter the sanctuary to serve only 20 people.

As for the blessings by EMHCs, many bishops allow this, so people expect to be able to come up for a blessing when they can’t receive. Young children shouldn’t be left in the pews alone. Lay people may not bless with the sign of the cross. Perhaps you can ask your pastor to explain the rationale behind this more fully to you.

Mass is a time to be grateful and to be joyfully mindful of our union with our Lord and each other. Before we receive Jesus, our hearts are to be predisposed to receive Him properly. If we’re full of anger, perhaps we should refrain from receiving, and pray intently for better disposition. Next time you’re at Mass and are aware that your blood is beginning to boil, please blow it out and intently pray for greater spiritual communion and greater forgiveness / love in your heart. When distracted, pray more fervently.

 

[Phemie]

Hopefully it’s not because the priest has a health condition which causes him pain if he stands too long (yes, this happens and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must step in).

When referring to lay people who help distribute Holy Communion (extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion), the Church is NOT using the typical Oxford American Dictionary definition of “ordinary” – "very unusual or remarkable " and “beyond what is usual or ordinary.” Many Catholics mistakenly think EMHCs are only to be used in “exceptional” situations. Rather, the word “extraordinary” as used by the Church refers to those “outside the ordained.” “Extra” is a Latin word meaning “outside of.” An “ordinary” is someone who is ordained – bishop, priest, deacon.

While you are right in your definition, the Church does expect that the ‘ordinary’ will be all that is necessary for Communion and makes it clear that there EMHCs are not to be used on a regular basis:

Redemptionis Sacramentum:
[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

Can a parish like mine, which sees ~200 people at Sunday Mass, only about 50 of whom receive from the chalice, really justify using 3 EMHCs? The Pastor, who is quite healthy, can easily distribute the Body of Christ to all and 1 EMHC could easily offer the chalice to all who wish to receive the Precious Blood.

Instead, the pastor finishes distributing to one line then, while still standing in the aisle and with nothing underneath, dumps (and I use that word on purpose) the consecrated hosts from his large ciborium into the smaller ciborium of the EHMC (as I hold my breath) who then proceeds to distribute Communion to the choir while Fr. sits down and watches.

I don’t think the CDW had that in mind when it allowed for EMHCs.

 

[lucybeebee]

Maybe one of our older posters can answer this question for me. How long did it take to distribute Communion in a large parish or cathedral pre-Vatican II? Yes, I know the people would not have received the Precious Blood, but it still would have taken some amount of time I think. Even if the distribution process would be time consuming what’s wrong with being in prayer during that period?

 

[Phemie]

Maybe one of our older posters can answer this question for me. How long did it take to distribute Communion in a large parish or cathedral pre-Vatican II? Yes, I know the people would not have received the Precious Blood, but it still would have taken some amount of time I think. Even if the distribution process would be time consuming what’s wrong with being in prayer during that period?

In those days people didn’t come to Mass expecting to be out in 45 minutes. And it’s not just the parishioners.

Just to explain the mindset, we had ‘sign-up Sunday’ last year and because of a baptism during the Mass, Fr. decided to send people home with the sign-up sheets instead of having them fill them out before leaving. I questioned that on Monday morning, since the chances of getting more than 20% of those forms returned were slim to none. His reply, “We’d already had a Baptism and making them stay to fill out the sheets would have been abusive.”

ABUSIVE??? Has that word completely lost its meaning or do we hate coming to church so much that we feel abused at being asked to spend an extra 5 minutes after the final blessing filling out a form to help the parish update its records & to volunteer for ministry? Or was the pastor projecting?

 

[michaeldaniels]

Never said I was angry…disappointed. Lay people giving blessings to children is not acceptable. IMO, and I am entitled to it, it isn’t acceptable for someone other than a Priest to touch The Host…IMO, only young men should serve on the Altar…Political Correctness has infected everything and it is a cancer that needs to be removed before it destroys everything. We need to show more reverance to Our Lord. Maybe it doesn’t disappoint or upset you to see these widespread abuses taking place during Mass…but it certainly bothers me. Satan is laughing at us each time another Gay Pride Mass takes place…or each time we treat The Most Blessed Sacrament like it is nothing more than the cookies and punch that Protestants have in their Churches…or when a bunch of clowns get on the altar, etc…We need to put a stop to these abuses and restore reverance to The Mass. Trust me…If you stop having these abuses, and reverance returns…along with Priest, DRE’s, Religious, and other people charged with teaching the Catholic faith who properly Catechize Catholics, Candidates, and Catechumens, then we will see more and more people returning to Church…and you will see an increase in Vocations.

No offense but I honestly think you should just relax, its not the end of the world… and you don’t have to get angry over something like that.

 

[Phemie]

IMO, and I am entitled to it, it isn’t acceptable for someone other than a Priest to touch The Host…

The Church has spoken on the topic and I think she knows more than we do. In her wisdom she has seen fit to allow lay people to distribute Communion. While in urban & suburban parishes we see the unfortunate abuse of the EMHC ministry, the very fact that EMHCs exist means that millions can receive our Lord in Communion who would not be able to do so without that ministry. How can that be unacceptable?

 

[Brother_John]

Maybe one of our older posters can answer this question for me. How long did it take to distribute Communion in a large parish or cathedral pre-Vatican II? Yes, I know the people would not have received the Precious Blood, but it still would have taken some amount of time I think. Even if the distribution process would be time consuming what’s wrong with being in prayer during that period?

My personal observation would be, that EMHC came into being to address the dwindling number of priests. Larger parishes used to have multiple priests, who handled Sunday Masses in rotation. The priests not saying that particular Mass would “swarm” the altar at Communion time to handle the crowd. (My church in Illinois had three priests, plus the principal from the nearby Catholic High School came in on Sundays, AND we had a transitional Deacon) Plenty of ordained folks to distribute Communion.

 

[rayne89]

I would think that the sight of 4 priests and a deacon present at every Mass to distribute Holy Communion would probably do more to foster vocations in your parish than a thousand vocation talks ever could.

That is just awesome! Especially from the 2 retired priests.

James

Oh yes we have a lot of vocations. I attend the same parish as Brendan. We are also over flowing with only male altar servers.

Any one who says the NO can’t be reverent needs to attend our parish.

 

[CatholicCajun]

Never said I was angry…disappointed. Lay people giving blessings to children is not acceptable. IMO, and I am entitled to it, it isn’t acceptable for someone other than a Priest to touch The Host…IMO, only young men should serve on the Altar…Political Correctness has infected everything and it is a cancer that needs to be removed before it destroys everything. We need to show more reverance to Our Lord. Maybe it doesn’t disappoint or upset you to see these widespread abuses taking place during Mass…but it certainly bothers me. Satan is laughing at us each time another Gay Pride Mass takes place…or each time we treat The Most Blessed Sacrament like it is nothing more than the cookies and punch that Protestants have in their Churches…or when a bunch of clowns get on the altar, etc…We need to put a stop to these abuses and restore reverance to The Mass. Trust me…If you stop having these abuses, and reverance returns…along with Priest, DRE’s, Religious, and other people charged with teaching the Catholic faith who properly Catechize Catholics, Candidates, and Catechumens, then we will see more and more people returning to Church…and you will see an increase in Vocations.

One thing to keep in mind is that Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail, they may try to and may gain some ground but in the end Jesus tells us that hell will not prevail. Try praying a prayer of reparation every day, there is a beautiful prayer to the Child Jesus of Pinchicha(spelled that wrong) taht asks for the restoration of the Catholic Church, it should be on www.ourladyofgoodsuccess.com, if you cannot find it let me know and I will email it to you.

At our early Sunday Mass it also seems like half the church goes on the altar but at lease our Priest still distributes the Eucharist so we have a choice as to which line to go in and of course we acknowledge the Precious Blood as we walk by, but do not partake, as it is our option, our eucharistic ministers also “bless” the children, but that is the ignorance of the parents. There will be many varied opinions on this subject, there should be mutual respect though. God Bless you.

 

[guanophore]

Whenever someone brings up the whole “unconsecrated hands” bit, I just think of Mary Magdalene, the Apostles, and all the other people that probably touched and embraced Jesus during his 33 yrs. on earth. I can hardly imagine Jesus batting them away, saying “Dont touch me, you’re hands aren’t consecrated!”

I think when your read more on the early church fathers on this point, you will understand better what is meant by it. There has always been a fierce protection of the Precious Body and Blood, to prevent desecration. Many gave their lives to protect HIm present in the elements. It is the solemn duty of the priest to effect the sacraments, and when he sits down and abdicates the task to those who have not been set aside specifically for that work, it causes a lack of dignity toward himself, and most especially to the Sacrament.

I see the same situation posted by the OP frequently in Latin parishes in my area, and it is saddening. This has only gotten worse for me since I started attending the Byzantine parish.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

Nope. I wish I could draw what I’ve seen. They do not resemble anything like what you are describing. It’s a full-body thing that looks like a fiddle-back chasuble, and, there is a cross in the front and in the back. It also goes all the way down to the hem of the alb. That’s interesting. I’ve never seen nor heard of that. I would question what the reasoning was.

Redemptionis Sacramentum has this to say on the subject:

In the other churches in my diocese, all of the EMHC’s wear an alb.

 

[ac_claire]

The concern is “apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants”. Concelebrants all consume the Body of Christ at the same time. They do not do it after the Principal Celebrant. Extraordinary Ministers should be given communion after the Celebrant has received Communion.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

Ah, ok. Thanks, that does answer my question. One more thing:

1. Then the principal celebrant, facing the altar, says quietly, Corpus Christi custodiat me ad vitam aeternam (May the body of Christ bring me to everlasting life), and reverently receives the Body of Christ. The concelebrants do likewise, communicating themselves.

Usually, “Lord, I am not worthy…” is the last thing the congregation kneeling in the pews says before communion. But at one Church I go to, the priest follows that with the above prayer, (“May the Body and Blood of Christ…” not quietly, but out loud, to the congregation. And we reply, “Amen.” Is that common, or a valid norm…?

 

[Joannm]

Maybe one of our older posters can answer this question for me. How long did it take to distribute Communion in a large parish or cathedral pre-Vatican II? Yes, I know the people would not have received the Precious Blood, but it still would have taken some amount of time I think. Even if the distribution process would be time consuming what’s wrong with being in prayer during that period?

Pre Vatican II we did not have the large numbers going to communion as we do now. i would say less than half of the people at mass went to communion.

 

[Phemie]

Pre Vatican II we did not have the large numbers going to communion as we do now. i would say less than half of the people at mass went to communion.

But think of Christmas and Holy Week – everyone went to communion then and the crowds were large, yet Communion wasn’t inordinately long.