EMHCs Giving Blessings-

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yessisan

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I went to catechetical school this weekend and somehow the topic about EMHCs being allowed to give blessings came up. I spoke up and told the class (about 20 people, including the teacher who is the assistant director of religious education for the hispanic community in the diocese) that EMHCs aren’t allowed to bless and the rest of the people argued with me that yes, EMHCs are allowed to bless people during communion. I told them I have read in Catholic sources that they aren’t, and that I could bring them proof next time I go to class. Noone believed me. Last wk I went to my 2nd training for EMHCs at one parish, and the deacon reaffirmed that we aren’t allowed to bless.

All these people looked at me like I was crazy. :mad: How can all be so misinformed? According to one lady who is also an EMHC, the Pope just “allowed” EMHCs to bless. I do not recall this, and I know that not many countries are fond of EMHCs.

I cannot recall the sources for EMHC guidelines and rules. Can someone give me the GIRM guidelines or anything published by the Church (not just by a particular parish) so I can show them proof and educate these people?

Many thanks!
 
Same thing happened to me. We were at a training session with the priest when he informed us that if somebody approaches us with their arms crossed over their chest, we should blessed them with the Eucharist.

Immediately, my hand went up and I pointed out that this was not allowed and he said that he agreed with me but this was what the Monsignor wants and we are to do what we are told because scripture commands us to be obedient to our church leaders and if the Monsignor isn’t being obedient to his leaders, that is HIS sin but that does not excuse us from not being obedient to our church leaders.

:confused:
 
Sir_Knight said:
Immediately, my hand went up and I pointed out that this was not allowed and he said that he agreed with me but this was what the Monsignor wants and we are to do what we are told because scripture commands us to be obedient to our church leaders and if the Monsignor isn’t being obedient to his leaders, that is HIS sin but that does not excuse us from not being obedient to our church leaders.

:confused:
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I think that Monsignor he is right about obedience. However, that does not mean that you MUST serve as an EMHC if you are asked to do something against your conscience during the service. It also does not mean that you could not go immediately to the Bishop and bring up both the topics of blessings and obedience.
 
Ask them to show you proof that it is allowed.

I could claim that it would be permissible to kiss communicants on the cheek after giving them Communion as a sign of Christ’s love. And you wouldn’t be able to find a document saying that I could not. It is THEIR responsibility to show that such actions are accpetable, not your’s to prove that they are not.
 
In reality, blessings should not be given during “communion” by Clergy or EMHC, as I understand it. However, the reality is when parents with children come, that the children and the parents expect some for of acknowledgement [blessing].

A priest or deacon can make the sign of the cross [specific gesture - reserved for clergy] over a person [group] and give a blessing composed of specific words…

This is different than saying “may God bless you” or similar words that any lay person can say to others at anytime…which is really just a prayer asking for God’s blessing upon a person…

It seems to me that words and gestures matter…EMHC and even a priest/deacon is not to say "the Body of Christ, [insert name here]…or “this is the Body of Christ” as I have sometimes heard in the communion line…the words are simply “The Body/Blood of Christ” nothing more … nothing less

If you have EMHC and there are children …the prayer may be a form of blessing but it is not a “priestly” blessing…most clergy that I know [and I have observed my bishop bless children] do this as a pastoral response. They expect any EMHC to use the words appropriate to their lay station / status and act in a pastoral manner - one of those WWJD moments…
 
Sir_Knight said:
Same thing happened to me. We were at a training session with the priest when he informed us that if somebody approaches us with their arms crossed over their chest, we should blessed them with the Eucharist.

Immediately, my hand went up and I pointed out that this was not allowed and he said that he agreed with me but this was what the Monsignor wants and we are to do what we are told because scripture commands us to be obedient to our church leaders and if the Monsignor isn’t being obedient to his leaders, that is HIS sin but that does not excuse us from not being obedient to our church leaders.

:confused:
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YADA said:
In reality, blessings should not be given during “communion” by Clergy or EMHC, as I understand it. However, the reality is when parents with children come, that the children and the parents expect some for of acknowledgement [blessing].

A priest or deacon can make the sign of the cross [specific gesture - reserved for clergy] over a person [group] and give a blessing composed of specific words…

This is different than saying “may God bless you” or similar words that any lay person can say to others at anytime…which is really just a prayer asking for God’s blessing upon a person…

It seems to me that words and gestures matter…EMHC and even a priest/deacon is not to say "the Body of Christ, [insert name here]…or “this is the Body of Christ” as I have sometimes heard in the communion line…the words are simply “The Body/Blood of Christ” nothing more … nothing less

If you have EMHC and there are children …the prayer may be a form of blessing but it is not a “priestly” blessing…most clergy that I know [and I have observed my bishop bless children] do this as a pastoral response. They expect any EMHC to use the words appropriate to their lay station / status and act in a pastoral manner - one of those WWJD moments…
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It is my understanding that both are correct (gained by a casual conversation with my Bishop). Because the Church allows people to present themselves even while not recieving, it is implied that they are presenting themselves for a reason (a blessing or an act of penance/expression of contrition). There have been many threads where people have presented themselves because they felt called to avoid questions of “why they didn’t receive” as it was nobody’s business.

In both cases, the Priest is to presume that an adult is in special need of a blessing (whether they be in a state of mortal sin or are not Catholic). In the case of a child too young to recieve, it is a teaching moment of parents to teach piety and preparation for First Communion. He went on to say that the Priest’s blessing is redundant/duplicative of the General Blessing he gives to all at the end of Mass as they have the same effect and purpose. And the EMHC’s blessing is only a personal blessing without the sacramental effect of a Priest’s blessing.

In effect, I read into his statement that the blessing isn’t “allowed” or “encouraged” so as not to teach that it is necessary or greater than the General Blessing. However, it is a pastoral response to a worshipper in need which is why the Church doesn’t squash it.
 
simple solution to the problem - don’t go to EMHCs. I don’t, never have, never will…and I’m doing just fine 🙂
 
never will? Will you refuse to receive from an EMHC when you are sick or homebound and unable to get to church and priest is unavailable to bring communion to you? Are you willing to give up having the Lord entire your heart, mind & soul and all of the graces that He brings just because He is being brought to you by an EMHC?

And if you are willing to receive Him under those circumstances, then why not at mass?
 
Sir_Knight said:
never will? Will you refuse to receive from an EMHC when you are sick or homebound and unable to get to church and priest is unavailable to bring communion to you? Are you willing to give up having the Lord entire your heart, mind & soul and all of the graces that He brings just because He is being brought to you by an EMHC?

And if you are willing to receive Him under those circumstances, then why not at mass?
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Trust me…a priest will bring me communion if I’m homebound.
 
Sure said:
Ask them to show you proof that it is allowed.

I could claim that it would be permissible to kiss communicants on the cheek after giving them Communion as a sign of Christ’s love. And you wouldn’t be able to find a document saying that I could not. It is THEIR responsibility to show that such actions are accpetable, not your’s to prove that they are not.
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Good advice.

Although I would not serve as an EMHC (especially under a disobedient monsignor), at the VERY most, all I would do to anybody presenting themselves for a blessing is smile and say “May God bless you.”
 
AMDG1 said:
Trust me…a priest will bring me communion if I’m homebound.
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Sir_Knight said:
Don’t bet on it. With the shortage of priests, future circumstances are something that NO ONE can foresee.
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Well, AMDG, you are most fortunate. Count your blessings. I am in a parish with 1,000 families and one Priest. On every Sunday after the 8 a.m. Mass three EMHC’s spend three-five hours each visiting our homebound in our parish. With the other parish responsibilities of our Priest on Sunday, it would be impossible to minister to our homebound. In addition to bringing them the Eucharist, they gather information about temporal needs and often times pick up prescriptions or groceries and just give them companionship.
 
AMDG, since you appear to be most fortunate in that a priest would bring communion to you if you were homebound, what do you advise the folks who are not so fortunate? Give up receiving our Lord and the many graces and blessing that are associated with the Eucharist if they can not receive from a priest or to go ahead and receive from a EMHC?

If you advise them not to receive, then that goes against church teaching and the commandment of Christ Himself who wants us to receive Him as often as possible as long as we are not in a state of sin.

And, if you advise them to receive from a EMHC, then why is it alright for them to receive from an EMHC but not for you?
 
Sir_Knight said:
AMDG, since you appear to be most fortunate in that a priest would bring communion to you if you were homebound, what do you advise the folks who are not so fortunate? Give up receiving our Lord and the many graces and blessing that are associated with the Eucharist if they can not receive from a priest or to go ahead and receive from a EMHC?

If you advise them not to receive, then that goes against church teaching and the commandment of Christ Himself who wants us to receive Him as often as possible as long as we are not in a state of sin.

And, if you advise them to receive from a EMHC, then why is it alright for them to receive from an EMHC but not for you?
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Just remember what priests say, and that should be enough for us. “You are receiving the same Lord whether it comes form the hands of a priest or from the hands of an EMHC”. It makes no difference if you’re receiving, not just because an EMHC helps to distribute the Body and Blood of Christ is making it less sacred. It’s the same one you’d be receiving from the priest.

We’re not as fortunate as AMDG. My parish is huge, 1000 enrolled families, but you can tell more than that come to Mass. In fact, there are so many people in Mass, not everyone can get a seat in the pews, we have the entire wall covered with people leaning against it even though the fire marshall already told our Pastor that it’s a fire hazard. We have way too many people and w/o the help of EMHCs, the priest wouuldn’t be able to handle all the responsibilities. We are even short of EMHCs, we need people for taking communion to the sick and homebound, to the hospitalized, etc… one priest cannot handle all of that.
 
I was a EMHC at my old parish and we were instructed to bless. Only here did I learn it’s not supposed to be allowed, but honestly, I don’t see the big deal. We bless our children, we can bless our friends, heck, we “bless” people in the elevator when they sneeze. Why not say a little “May God Bless You” to children at Mass? :confused: Let’s not get so caught up in rules that we forget why we’re there.
 
MooCowSteph said:
I was a EMHC at my old parish and we were instructed to bless. Only here did I learn it’s not supposed to be allowed, but honestly, I don’t see the big deal. We bless our children, we can bless our friends, heck, we “bless” people in the elevator when they sneeze. Why not say a little “May God Bless You” to children at Mass? :confused: Let’s not get so caught up in rules that we forget why we’re there.
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The type of blessing you’re talking about is different from the type of blessing people ask for during communion. We were told we can say “May God Bless you” and nothing else. Meaning, we’re only asking that God blesses them, we cannot say “Bless you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. That’s the blessing we’re talking about, that is a blessing only an ordained priest can give. We as people do not have the authority or power to bless someone. As parents, it has been said it is encouraged, but we have no authority as a priest does.

Quoting kell0618 from a past thread:
The Vatican document, “An Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of the Priest” is very clear.

Quote:
“Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion. They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion.”
and

Quote:
"To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
  • extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;
  • association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;
  • the habitual use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of “a great number of the faithful”."
    and I would also like to note the following in regard to EMEs giving blessings:
Quote:
blessings are given by priests (who have the power of the keys), though some are reserved to bishops (high priests). Deacons may also bless, but only where the ritual books, and thus the Church, provide the authority by law. Since the laity do not possess spiritual authority in the Church they cannot confer blessings.
So, the blessing of anyone by an EME at Communion time is a vain gesture, which does nothing for the recipient. Furthermore, by a gesture which suggests priestly authority in a sacramental setting, it confuses the role of the laity and the ordained minister which is prohibited.

Having said that, the Eucharist is still the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and remains so even if in the hands of an EME. Christ does not disappear regardless of who distributes the Eucharist. And though the blessing is improper, it is done so with positive intentions through great ignorance. Please contact your Diocese and let them know off the violations involved. Perhaps you can begin the tide of change at your parish.

Dominus vobiscum,

Kelly
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MooCowSteph said:
I was a EMHC at my old parish and we were instructed to bless. Only here did I learn it’s not supposed to be allowed, but honestly, I don’t see the big deal. We bless our children, we can bless our friends, heck, we “bless” people in the elevator when they sneeze. Why not say a little “May God Bless You” to children at Mass? :confused: Let’s not get so caught up in rules that we forget why we’re there.
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Yes parents can bless their children; spouses can bless each other. There is nothing wrong with what you say. “May God Bless You,” works fine.

The problem in the context of Mass is the confusing clerical and lay roles, and clerical and lay blessings.

Laypersons are not clerics. By encouraging non-communicants to approach in the communion line, we put EMHC’s in a bind. A person in a communion line who does not intend to receive, expects something–a blessing. The best solution would be to only have communicants in the communion line.
 
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