EMHC's. What are thier duties?

[thistle]

I know there are threads on EMHC’s but I have a few questions and would appreciate if I could get them all answered here with reference to relevant documents.
My friend is an EMHC and I disagreed with several things he told me.

1. Can an EMHC receive Communion 3 times in a day, even if there is no danger of death. My friend says he is required to serve at 3 Masses on Sundays and is therefore allowed by the priest to receive Communion 3 times. I don’t think this is correct.
2. My friend says when someone is in the Communion line not to receive the Eucharist but only to receive a blessing the EMHC can give a blessing. Again I don’t think that is so.
3. My friend says that he can administer the last rites to a dying person if there is no priest at the scene and if the person would be dead by the time a priest got there. He takes his stole with him wherever he travels in case such an event occurs. Again that doesn’t seem right.
4. He says that at a “Dry Mass” outside the Church he can say the whole Mass except for the words of Consecration. That stuck me because I’ve never heard of a dry Mass.
5. He told me one Sunday the priest was sick but was able to consecrate the bread and wine. However, after distributing the priest had to sit down as he was feeling quite ill and he asked my friend to drink all the wine that was in the chalice on the altar and then clean it.

I would appreciate your comments so I can get back to my EMHC friend, especially if I can quote from any documents.

 

[jpjd]

Is your friend a deacon? No EMHC would have a stole or would know how to say a dry Mass, but a deacon would.

Answer to #3 is an emphatic NO. Only a priest can give last rites. Not even a deacon and certainly not an EMHC.

#4. A dry Mass is the Mass without consecration or Communion. I believe seminarians say a dry Mass to practice saying a Mass. An EMHC can not do this.

Your friend is a priest wanna-be, and is seriously in error by doing the things he is doing. EMHCs can ONLY distribute the Precious Body or Precious Blood during Mass, or take Communion to the sick. Nothing more. Set your friend straight.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I know there are threads on EMHC’s but I have a few questions and would appreciate if I could get them all answered here with reference to relevant documents.
My friend is an EMHC and I disagreed with several things he told me.

1. Can an EMHC receive Communion 3 times in a day, even if there is no danger of death. My friend says he is required to serve at 3 Masses on Sundays and is therefore allowed by the priest to receive Communion 3 times. I don’t think this is correct.
2. My friend says when someone is in the Communion line not to receive the Eucharist but only to receive a blessing the EMHC can give a blessing. Again I don’t think that is so.
3. My friend says that he can administer the last rites to a dying person if there is no priest at the scene and if the person would be dead by the time a priest got there. He takes his stole with him wherever he travels in case such an event occurs. Again that doesn’t seem right.
4. He says that at a “Dry Mass” outside the Church he can say the whole Mass except for the words of Consecration. That stuck me because I’ve never heard of a dry Mass.
5. He told me one Sunday the priest was sick but was able to consecrate the bread and wine. However, after distributing the priest had to sit down as he was feeling quite ill and he asked my friend to drink all the wine that was in the chalice on the altar and then clean it.

I would appreciate your comments so I can get back to my EMHC friend, especially if I can quote from any documents.

1. No
2. He should not
3. Absolutely not (An EMHC may when necessary carry Viaticum to the dying)
4. NO, a “Dry Mass” usually describes a Mass where only the bread is Consecrated because there is no wine available. This is forbidden in Canon Law. One element cannot be Consecrated without the other.
5. If really necessary an EMHC may consume the remaining Blood of Christ.

 

[Sir_Knight]

+1.

 

[MusicMan]

1. Can an EMHC receive Communion 3 times in a day, even if there is no danger of death. My friend says he is required to serve at 3 Masses on Sundays and is therefore allowed by the priest to receive Communion 3 times. I don’t think this is correct.

The laity can only receive twice in one day. A priest can receive more than twice in the context of his celebration of Mass because the priest’s Communion is necessary for the validity of the Mass. Why is your friend required to serve at three Sunday Masses? Do they not have enough people to assist with the distribution of Communion or is something else going on here?

1. My friend says when someone is in the Communion line not to receive the Eucharist but only to receive a blessing the EMHC can give a blessing. Again I don’t think that is so.

A lay person cannont give such a blessing … in fact, this whole business of people who cannot receive going through the Communion line and getting a blessing is slightly absurd. It’s one thing when a four-year-old does it. It’s another when an adult does. When I was trained by my priest to be an EMHC, I asked about this blessing business. He told me that if someone presented themselves for a blessing to trace the Sign-of-the-Cross on their forehead. I told him that lay people cannot bless like that. He told me I wasn’t actually giving a blessing.

1. My friend says that he can administer the last rites to a dying person if there is no priest at the scene and if the person would be dead by the time a priest got there. He takes his stole with him wherever he travels in case such an event occurs. Again that doesn’t seem right.

Your friend, once he does such a thing, has aquired an impediment to Holy Orders. By impersonating a priest, and that’s really what he is doing, he now has an impediment to Holy Orders that can only be removed, I believe, by Rome. That means that if he wishes to pursue the Diaconate and this information is revealed, he would not be able to pursue ordination until this impediment was removed.

1. He told me one Sunday the priest was sick but was able to consecrate the bread and wine. However, after distributing the priest had to sit down as he was feeling quite ill and he asked my friend to drink all the wine that was in the chalice on the altar and then clean it.

This is allowed, but should not become the norm.

Someone commented that an EMHC would not have a stole, but a priest or deacon would… Clergy vestments are easily obtainable on the internet. Even eBay has sellers peddling clergy vestments. If one wanted to obtain a stole for the purposes of #3 above, it wouldn’t be that difficult.

I only know because my wife and I are thinking about giving a stole as a gift to a priest friend of ours.

 

[dal11]

What is a EMHC? Should it not be EOMHC? Extra Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion

 

[baltobetsy]

What is a EMHC? Should it not be EOMHC? Extra Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion

Extraordinary is a single word.

 

[MusicMan]

Actually, if we went back to the simple, unfancy, unspecial title for them of “Communion Distributors,” we wouldn’t be having the problems with them overstepping their bounds like we do.

Communion Distributor doesn’t sound like a powerful position, but Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion does. If we split the word extraordinary into two words or an hyphenated word (which would make sense, given the meaning), you would only make them more powerful.

Call 'em Communion Distributors and all your problems with lay people assisting with the distribution of Communion will melt away.

 

[ChemicalBean]

Call 'em Communion Distributors and all your problems with lay people assisting with the distribution of Communion will melt away.

While it may “solve” the problem, it might only worsen something far graver. It might increase the tendency to think of Holy Communion as something ordinary, mundane, and not really Christ. I mean, we don’t just “distribute” Christ like a shipping chain with a warehouse and inventory. People will begin to think that if all you are is a “distributor”, then all you really have do in a pinch is stand up there and mechanically say “the Body of Christ” and put a wafer in a hand - no Confirmation, training, or decent dress required.

I guess I would prefer to use the term “Communion Ministers” since it’s shorter, doesn’t sound puffed up but takes the seriousness of the role into account, and doesn’t start the debate of “What does the silly abbreviation em-hic stand for? Can’t they just call 'em Eucharistic ministers like they used to? What does extraordinary really mean?”

 

[dal11]

Sorry

 

[MusicMan]

I mean, we don’t just “distribute” Christ like a shipping chain with a warehouse and inventory.

Are you sure?

I guess I would prefer to use the term “Communion Ministers” since it’s shorter, doesn’t sound puffed up but takes the seriousness of the role into account, and doesn’t start the debate of “What does the silly abbreviation em-hic stand for? Can’t they just call 'em Eucharistic ministers like they used to? What does extraordinary really mean?”

I am fine with the term Communion Minister. Once you boil away the legalese that some people seem to cling to, the term Communion Minister does describe what they do and is appropriate. There appear to be a number of people who are so concerned about the distinction between the clergy and the laity, that they believe separate titles must be concocted so we know who is who. This is why lay people who are Communion Ministers must be called “Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.” Extraordinary, not meaning special, but meaning “outside of ordination.”

Unfortunately, everyone knows who is who. The priest is the one consecrating the Eucharist, and the lay people are the ones who help him distribute it to the faithful. We don’t need extra-special titles to prevent the line from blurring. In fact, my entire argument is that the extra-special titles are the root cause of the problem. “Now we have a title and a role and we can do such-and-such.” Baloney. Just distribute Communion like you are supposed to.

 

[John_Lilburne]

1. He told me one Sunday the priest was sick but was able to consecrate the bread and wine. However, after distributing the priest had to sit down as he was feeling quite ill and he asked my friend to drink all the wine that was in the chalice on the altar and then clean it.

I would appreciate your comments so I can get back to my EMHC friend, especially if I can quote from any documents.

The cleansing of the chalice was permitted for any EMHC as an indult for the USA, but that permission clearly no longer exists. Some EMHCs are instituted acolytes. Instituted acolytes are permitted to do the purification of the chalice.

Some documents on this. From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“279. The sacred vessels are purified by the priest, the deacon, or an instituted acolyte after Communion or after Mass, insofar as possible at the credence table. The purification of the chalice is done with water alone or with wine and water, which is then drunk by whoever does the purification. The paten is usually wiped clean with the purificator.
Care must be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar.”

“192. Likewise, when the distribution of Communion is completed, a duly instituted acolyte helps the priest or deacon to purify and arrange the sacred vessels. When no deacon is present, a duly instituted acolyte carries the sacred vessels to the credence table and there purifies, wipes, and arranges them in the usual way.”

“247. The deacon reverently drinks at the altar all of the Blood of Christ that remains, assisted, if necessary, by some of the concelebrants. He then carries the chalice over to the credence table and there he or a duly instituted acolyte purifies, wipes, and arranges it in the usual way (cf. above, no. 183).”

'284 … b. Whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ is consumed at the altar by the priest or the deacon or the duly instituted acolyte who ministered the chalice. The same then purifies, wipes, and arranges the sacred vessels in the usual way."

More on the ending of the USA indult is available at usccb.org/liturgy/ . A PDF document is downloaded by clicking on “Communion Under Both Kinds and Cleansing of Vessels”.

It is difficult to answer the question on what circumstances an EMHC (who is not an instituted acolyte) may consume what remains of the Precious Blood. I wrote about it in 2002 at romanrite.com/j200402.html .

Some documentation.
Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America: “52. When more of the Precious Blood remains than was necessary for Communion, and if not consumed by the bishop or priest celebrant, “the deacon immediately and reverently consumes at the altar all of the Blood of Christ which remains; he may be assisted, if needs dictate, by other deacons and priests.” (Footnote 55: GIRM, no. 182.) When there are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, they may consume what remains of the Precious Blood from their chalice of distribution with permission of the diocesan bishop.”
This permission is further complicated by the fact that other things that were permitted in this document (such as transferring the Precious Blood to other vessels) have since been disallowed.

Cardinal Medina Estevez approved this, but also was reported as writing at about the same time (in BCL Newsletter of March/April 2002):
"With respect to the second request, Cardinal Medina, Prefect of CDWDS, noted that neither an indult nor even the permission of the diocesan bishop is required for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to help the priest celebrant to consume what may remain of the Precious Blood after the distribution of Holy Communion. “Rather,” he wrote, “given the grave and overriding need to safeguard the Precious Blood, ministers of Holy Communion or other communicants may consume what remains of the Precious Blood in a dignified and reverent manner.”

 

[PhilotheaZ]

1. My friend says that he can administer the last rites to a dying person if there is no priest at the scene and if the person would be dead by the time a priest got there. He takes his stole with him wherever he travels in case such an event occurs. Again that doesn’t seem right.

What exactly do you (or your friend) mean by “last rites”? There is no sacrament called “last rites.” A person who is dying may receive:

• the Sacrament of Reconciliation if he is conscious and able to confess (only a priest can administer this sacrament);
• the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (only a priest can administer this sacrament);
• Holy Communion, also called Viaticum (I suppose an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion could bring Holy Communion if a priest were not available).

A lay person can certainly be with a dying person during those last moments and pray with/for the dying person. That is a work of mercy.

 

[puzzleannie]

I know there are threads on EMHC’s but I have a few questions and would appreciate if I could get them all answered here with reference to relevant documents.
My friend is an EMHC and I disagreed with several things he told me.

1. Can an EMHC receive Communion 3 times in a day, even if there is no danger of death. My friend says he is required to serve at 3 Masses on Sundays and is therefore allowed by the priest to receive Communion 3 times. I don’t think this is correct.
2. My friend says when someone is in the Communion line not to receive the Eucharist but only to receive a blessing the EMHC can give a blessing. Again I don’t think that is so.
3. My friend says that he can administer the last rites to a dying person if there is no priest at the scene and if the person would be dead by the time a priest got there. He takes his stole with him wherever he travels in case such an event occurs. Again that doesn’t seem right.
4. He says that at a “Dry Mass” outside the Church he can say the whole Mass except for the words of Consecration. That stuck me because I’ve never heard of a dry Mass.
5. He told me one Sunday the priest was sick but was able to consecrate the bread and wine. However, after distributing the priest had to sit down as he was feeling quite ill and he asked my friend to drink all the wine that was in the chalice on the altar and then clean it.

I would appreciate your comments so I can get back to my EMHC friend, especially if I can quote from any documents.

your friend needs to go back to EMHC training 101 because he missed a few things and got the rest wrong.
#5 could possible be right, if the priest was ill
#4 is absolutely wrong, a dry Mass is one said by a priest when he has no access to elements for the Eucharist, such as in a POW camp
#3 is wrong, an EMHC can administer communion to the sick or dying, but that is NOT last rites, which denotes the sacrament of anointing of the sick and confession. Since anointing forgives sin if the person is unable to confess verbally and since both are sacraments ONLY a priest, not a deacon or lay person or nun, can administer them.
#2 has been discussed to death here. NO and EMHC cannot give a blessing
#1, no EMHC should be “on duty” for more than one Mass except in an emergency and even so, he can receive twice in a day, like everyone else, if the second time is during a complete Mass he attends.

The duties of an EMHC are to administer communion in either form when the number of people makes it impossible for the priest or deacon to serve everyone in a reasonable period of time, or if logistics dictate it. He may also administer communion to the sick, with permission of the pastor (not on his own bat). He has no other duties. He may help set up the altar and items needed for Mass, but that is properly the duty of the sacristan, although the EMHC may assist.

 

[thistle]

Thanks for the replies.
If it is not stole the EMHC wears what is it called and how does it differ from a stole?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thanks for the replies.
If it is not stole the EMHC wears what is it called and how does it differ from a stole?

An EMHC does not wear any specific liturgical dress, they could wear albs. Many wear a medallion around their necks while serving. I simply wear my Tau.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Thanks for the replies.
If it is not stole the EMHC wears what is it called and how does it differ from a stole?

Ordinarily an EMHC will wear an alb, a long white garment that completely covers his or her clothing.

A stole is a long, narrow strip of fabric (like a long narrow scarf) that the priest wears when he is performing his priestly liturgical duties. It symbolizes that he is acting in the person of Christ. He normally wears a stole in the liturgical color of the day under the chasuble (outer garment) when celebrating Mass. When hearing confessions he normally wears a purple stole.

A priest wears a stole around his neck and hanging down in front. A deacon wears a stole over his right shoulder and crossing his heart.

A non-ordained person would not wear a stole.

 

[MusicMan]

A deacon wears a stole over his right shoulder and crossing his heart.

Left shoulder.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Ordinarily an EMHC will wear an alb, a long white garment that completely covers his or her clothing.

“Ordinarily” is a dangerous term. I, for one, have never seen an EMHC wear anything distinctive, and that covers churches in ca. 7 countries (the number of individual dioceses being, of course, much higher). There is no prescribed clothing for EMHCs, so there is only specific garb if a church (local or parish) decides to adopt one.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

“Ordinarily” is a dangerous term.

Mea maxima culpa.