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MooCowSteph
Guest
The problem with that is that it’s just not practical to leave small children in the pews. I don’t think I’d feel comfortable doing that with any child under, say, five.
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JimG
Guest
Yes, that occurred to me as I was writing! I agree there’s no problem in taking the children up with you. I was thinking more of adults than children.
In most parishes, the ushers send up the communicants pew by pew; this kind of gives an impression that everyone is expected to go up. Some parishes also encourage non-communicants to go up for a blessing, which to me defeats the purpose of a communion line.
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true_believer
Guest
THANK YOU!!!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?Let’s not get so caught up in rules that we forget why we’re there.
I’m so glad someone finally said that. I think all too often, people on this discussion board get caught up in the minor details and rules when really, they need to look at the bigger picture.
And I would just like to say that I recently went through EMHC training and we were also instructed to bless someone who approached with their arms crossed, or if small children came up. Why do people see the action of blessing something which only a priest can do?
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Hellisreal
Guest
They can bless all the live long day and it dont mean a thing if it aint got the swing.
Their blessing confers NO special grace WHATSOEVER.
End of discussion.
You or I could do the VERY SAME THING, and it still would not swing…
No way they can confer grace as a Priest can, TRY AS THEY MAY
Let alone try them taking over your parish…
It happens.
they even get to expose your priests as ignorant in the internet for all to see and be shown for who they are:thumbsup:
Yeah!
Their blessing confers NO special grace WHATSOEVER.
End of discussion.
You or I could do the VERY SAME THING, and it still would not swing…
No way they can confer grace as a Priest can, TRY AS THEY MAY
Let alone try them taking over your parish…
It happens.
they even get to expose your priests as ignorant in the internet for all to see and be shown for who they are:thumbsup:
Yeah!
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.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!
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Sir_Knight
Guest
Do you have a link for this? It would prove most helpful!
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NewUlm1976_2000
Guest
Yeah!They can bless all the live long day and it dont mean a thing if it aint got the swing.
Their blessing confers NO special grace WHATSOEVER.
End of discussion.
You or I could do the VERY SAME THING, and it still would not swing…
No way they can confer grace as a Priest can, TRY AS THEY MAY
Let alone try them taking over your parish…
It happens.
they even get to expose your priests as ignorant in the internet for all to see and be shown for who they are:thumbsup:
Well, as mentioned earlier in this thread, it is used in a pastoral sense for those children and parents who come up. The legalistic use of “Grace” here is irrelevant. The blessing, whether given by a priest or Eucharistic minister, has the same effect on the person receiving it, which is an increase in their spiritual being. So, they will carry the “Grace” (or whatever you want to call it here) with them for a long time after mass.
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PatienceAndLove
Guest
At my Church, Father invites everyone up for Communion.
“To receive Communion, you MUST be Catholic and you MUST be in a state of Grace. If you are neither of those, come up in my line and place your hand over your heart so I can give you a blessing”
We have a very large parish family, with many converts. In this way, Father is covering all the people who are on their way home. He also makes it clear that EMHCs cannot bless, and I have seen them turn people away. The families with little children sit in the first six rows on both sides of the middle aisle, so Father blesses all of them, too. Seems to work.
“To receive Communion, you MUST be Catholic and you MUST be in a state of Grace. If you are neither of those, come up in my line and place your hand over your heart so I can give you a blessing”
We have a very large parish family, with many converts. In this way, Father is covering all the people who are on their way home. He also makes it clear that EMHCs cannot bless, and I have seen them turn people away. The families with little children sit in the first six rows on both sides of the middle aisle, so Father blesses all of them, too. Seems to work.
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palmas85
Guest
I believe that Canon Law itself says such things are are not to be done, are meaningless and not beneficial in any sense. I think, by and large it is just another attempt to blur the line between the Clergy and the Laity, you know every man a priest and all of that…
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yessisan
Guest
BTW, a priest and an Eucharistic Minister (EM) are the same thing (well, a deacon is also an EM). A Eucharistic Minister is and ordained minister, such as a priest or deacon.I think you meant Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Communion (EMHC) which is a term used for a non-ordained minister.
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Kielbasi
Guest
People coming up for blessings is an unofficial custom, one which just sort of emerged sometime during or after the 1970s. In the 60s and before, of course, most Catholics stayed in the pews at communion most Sundays, and others including young children and non-catholics stayed there too.
One of the purposes of the custom is to allow non-recipients to not bring attention to themselves by their non-recipiency, and make attendance at mass more comfortable to non-catholics and others without them having to break the rules.
Insisting that only the priest can grant this extra-liturgical blessing really defeats that purpose. It funnels all of the blessing seekers into a single line (where the priest is distributing) and ends up bringing attention to them.
Actually, I don’t like this custom-let the people stay in the pews, but if you’re going to have it, I don’t see anywhere where EMHC’s shouldn’t give blessings
One of the purposes of the custom is to allow non-recipients to not bring attention to themselves by their non-recipiency, and make attendance at mass more comfortable to non-catholics and others without them having to break the rules.
Insisting that only the priest can grant this extra-liturgical blessing really defeats that purpose. It funnels all of the blessing seekers into a single line (where the priest is distributing) and ends up bringing attention to them.
Actually, I don’t like this custom-let the people stay in the pews, but if you’re going to have it, I don’t see anywhere where EMHC’s shouldn’t give blessings
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Sir_Knight
Guest
Got a link for that?
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NewUlm1976_2000
Guest
To the vast majority of Catholics the terms are used interchangeably. The other term is wordy and people know they are getting the same spiritual uplift if they receive a host or wine from a priest or layperson.
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Hellisreal
Guest
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Hellisreal
Guest
The vast majority of Catholics use the terms wrongly.
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Brendan
Guest
Close, but not quite. A Minister of a Sacrament is the person(s) who confect the Sacrament, who bring it’s effect into being.
The Minister of Baptism is the person who pours the water and recites the Trintarian form.
The Minister of Reconcilliation is a priest or bishop.
The Minister of Marriage is the couple themselves
The Minister of the Eucharist is a validily ordained priest alone. A Deacon cannot confect the Eucharist, so they too, are not “Eucharistic Ministers”, only the priest.
But a Deacon may Communicate the Sacrament, to offer it to the Community, as he does so as part of the nature of his Ordination. A Deacon is an Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
A layperson who does the same does so in a way that is outside the Ordinary, they are ExtraOrdinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
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yessisan
Guest
Thanks for pointing this out… it still proves my point that an EM and an EMHC are two completely different persons.
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Hellisreal
Guest
And 2 completely different kinds of blessings as well.
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yessisan
Guest
Exactly!And 2 completely different kinds of blessings as well.
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