Eucharist to people whose faith is unknown to Euchristic Minister

[skirjohn]

I am a Eucharistic minister at my church and take Eucharist to Catholics who reside at a protestant nursing home. This past weekend, I was asked by a volunteer at the nursing home to receive communion. I gave them Communion but after words the Eucharistic Minister I was with, asked if he was Catholic. I hadn’t asked. When our parish began the ministry a couple years ago, I was told I should never ask that question because it is OK to give the Eucharist to anyone who is ill or their caretakers.
Should I ask the question “Are You Catholic?” to people who are not on my list of catholic residents, or assume that they are able to receive and let them sort that out with God?

 

[JurisPrudens]

I am a Eucharistic minister at my church and take Eucharist to Catholics who reside at a protestant nursing home. This past weekend, I was asked by a volunteer at the nursing home to receive communion. I gave them Communion but after words the Eucharistic Minister I was with, asked if he was Catholic. I hadn’t asked. When our parish began the ministry a couple years ago, I was told I should never ask that question because it is OK to give the Eucharist to anyone who is ill or their caretakers.
Should I ask the question “Are You Catholic?” to people who are not on my list of catholic residents, or assume that they are able to receive and let them sort that out with God?

Usually the general warning is made at the beginning of the Communion.

 

[Casilda]

You are an ‘Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion’ or EMHC and I do not understand why you did not receive proper training, or asking your priest these questions. I do respect your care and concern for the elderly, but more so, care and concern should be Christ/Eucharist.

Ask your priest.

 

[Hans_W]

I am a Eucharistic minister at my church and take Eucharist to Catholics who reside at a protestant nursing home. This past weekend, I was asked by a volunteer at the nursing home to receive communion. I gave them Communion but after words the Eucharistic Minister I was with, asked if he was Catholic. I hadn’t asked. When our parish began the ministry a couple years ago, I was told I should never ask that question because it is OK to give the Eucharist to anyone who is ill or their caretakers.
Should I ask the question “Are You Catholic?” to people who are not on my list of catholic residents, or assume that they are able to receive and let them sort that out with God?

Of course you give them Holy Communion. How can you even ask the question?

 

[Hans_W]

Usually the general warning is made at the beginning of the Communion.

Warning of what? Christ is not for you!?

 

[7_Sorrows]

I would go to your priest and ask that question.

 

[Elizium23]

Of course you give them Holy Communion. How can you even ask the question?

To Protestants? Certainly not.

 

[Zoltan_Cobalt]

The U.S. bishops’ guidelines for receiving Communion state,

“We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. **While we cannot admit them to Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family.” **

Because they have not received baptism, the gateway to the other sacraments, non-Christians cannot receive Communion.

However, in emergency situations, they can be received into the Church via baptism, even if no priest is present, and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may bring them Communion as Viaticum.

Canon law explains the parameters:

“If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full Communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed” (CIC 844 § 4).

It is important to remember that, under the rubrics specified above, even in those rare circumstances when non-Catholics are able to receive Communion, **the same requirements apply to them as to Catholics. ** Particularly, they must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation. “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor. 11:29)

 

[ichabode]

I was asked by a volunteer at the nursing home to receive communion. I gave them Communion but after words the Eucharistic Minister I was with, asked if he was Catholic. I hadn’t asked.
Should I ask the question “Are You Catholic?” to people who are not on my list of catholic residents?

The diocese of Santa FE has a thorough guideline published online with references to documents that govern the do’s and don’ts.

archdiocesesantafe.org/Offices/SacramentalPolicies/GuidelinesEMHC.pdf

A couple of quotes

“If there are Catholic family members or Catholic staff present, the EMHC should ask them if they would like to receive Holy Communion as well.”
This is exactly what your friend had done. You should be proactive and offer the invitation first that way no one is left awkward and confused later. By you properly phrasing the request then if someone who is not Catholic or not properly disposed to recieve the Eucharist you can kindly invite them to communion service and let them know just to recieve a blessing, and you will contact the parish office, so that a priest can make arrangements to hear their confession or have the pastoral staff contact the person for RCIA program etc.

After the above quote from the document it states the following.
“EMHC who are taking Holy Communion to hospitals are to present the host in a prayerful manner. They are not to make judgments regarding the suitability of the person to receive the Holy Communion; such concerns are to be referred to the pastor or pastoral care coordinator.”
If you have done your part in the first paragraph and someone presents themselves as a Catholic to recieve the Eucharist then you can freely administer sacrament. If you do have concerns though you are required to follow up with the pastor.

Warning of what? Christ is not for you!?

Of course you give them Holy Communion. How can you even ask the question?

1Cor 11:27 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”

Jesus in speaking with the Syrophoenician woman in Mk 7:24-30 states, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

And the book of James warns those who are ministers and are ignorant of their duties and responsibilities.

Being given the blessing and charge to carry Jesus to the ill and shutins is a big responsibility. A mission that should be taken seriously in prayer and devotion to God. They are not delivering tuna fish sandwiches.

 

[marbleartist]

I am an EMHC and have been for many years. Over the time I have served, I have been in charge of the ministry of taking Holy Communion to the homebound and hospitalized in 3 parishes in 3 states. I have always been taught to introduce myself and say that I heard that they had asked to receive Catholic Holy Communion. This introduction has usually been enough for them to say, “oh, I’m not Catholic, but would like communion” at which point I offer to pray with them and to call a chaplain or have the nurse call their minister to bring them communion. If for some reason they just say yes, then clearly have no idea what to do (don’t cross themselves, don’t know the proper responses, etc., I was taught to stop and ask them if they’re Catholic. If they aren’t, I pray with them. It has never been awkward or uncomfortable. They seem to benefit from praying together, and I always follow up with either the chaplain or the nurse. If they’re in a nursing home, I also check in with them the next time I visit, to insure they did have an opportunity to receive communion from the chaplain or their minister. More often, I run into fallen away Catholics who list “Catholic” as their religion although they haven’t been to Mass in years. For these people, I have the priest visit (if they desire it-and many do!). As an EMHC, we have a wonderful privilege to bring Christ to those unable to attend Mass but we also have a responsibility to honor the teaching of the church.

 

[ichabode]

As an EMHC, we have a wonderful privilege to bring Christ to those unable to attend Mass but we also have a responsibility to honor the teaching of the church.

Thank you for your time and ministry.

 

[ProVobis]

Being given the blessing and charge to carry Jesus to the ill and shutins is a big responsibility. A mission that should be taken seriously in prayer and devotion to God. They are not delivering tuna fish sandwiches.

Agreed, but how can they do this? It seems once laity were allowed to administer the sacrament, desacralization was inevitable. From personal experience at a recent hospital stay, I would say many haven’t been trained properly and I’ll leave it at that.

 

[SMH_2015]

Usually the general warning is made at the beginning of the Communion.

Admittedly I am no expert, but I have never heard a “warning” in any Catholic church before Communion. I know there’s info inside the missalette ("To our Christian friends…etc) but how many people read it?

My dad & his wife (both Lutheran) take Communion at my sister’s Catholic church whenever they visit there.

 

[Elizium23]

Admittedly I am no expert, but I have never heard a “warning” in any Catholic church before Communion. I know there’s info inside the missalette ("To our Christian friends…etc) but how many people read it?

My dad & his wife (both Lutheran) take Communion at my sister’s Catholic church whenever they visit there.

Our parish prints a notice on each worship aid used for Sunday Masses. It explains frequent occasions for sin and confusion about morality in general, and offers the services of a priest or deacon to rectify any irregular situation that might prohibit reception of Holy Communion.

Our Eucharistic Minister regularly omits the Sign of Peace during funeral and memorial Masses. Also, when the assembly is full of non-Catholics and/or non-practicing Catholics, he makes a general announcement about Catholic guidelines for reception of Holy Communion; this tends to weed out most people receiving inappropriately.

 

[ProVobis]

My dad & his wife (both Lutheran) take Communion at my sister’s Catholic church whenever they visit there.

If my one visit of a Lutheran Church “Mass” is an indicator, all are invited to receive communion there so I understand the confusion they must experience when they attend a Catholic Church which has all the feel of a Lutheran service.

 

[7_Sorrows]

If my one visit of a Lutheran Church “Mass” is an indicator, all are invited to receive communion there so I understand the confusion they must experience when they attend a Catholic Church which has all the feel of a Lutheran service.

but they still should not be receiving at the Catholic church.

 

[Hans_W]

1Cor 11:27 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”

Jesus in speaking with the Syrophoenician woman in Mk 7:24-30 states, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

You are twisting my response here. The person who wants to receive Holy Communion is obviously a Christian and we can assume that he/she will receive the Body and Blood of our Lord in a “worthy manner”.

And where does this “throwing children’s bread to the dogs” fit in?

We are talking about a nursing home here. Do you want to force them to go through RCIA?

 

[ComplineSanFran]

T

1Cor 11:27 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”

Jesus in speaking with the Syrophoenician woman in Mk 7:24-30 states, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
.

Excuse me? Are you implying that any non-Roman Catholic who receives communion is ‘profaning’ the Eucharist, and should be compared to ‘the dogs?’ I cannot believe you are saying that.

Perhaps you mean something quite different.

 

[Elizium23]

You are twisting my response here. The person who wants to receive Holy Communion is obviously a Christian and we can assume that he/she will receive the Body and Blood of our Lord in a “worthy manner”.

And where does this “throwing children’s bread to the dogs” fit in?

We are talking about a nursing home here. Do you want to force them to go through RCIA?

Non-Catholics cannot receive Holy Communion under normal circumstances. Yes, they would have to go through RCIA and be received into the Church before they could partake in the Eucharist.

 

[ichabode]

Excuse me? Are you implying that any non-Roman Catholic who receives communion is ‘profaning’ the Eucharist, and should be compared to ‘the dogs?’ I cannot believe you are saying that.

Perhaps you mean something quite different.

These are not my words, but the words of Jesus. What I am saying is that out of all the gifts and graces that God has ever given us the Eucharist (Himself, body, blood, soul and divinity) is the greatest gift of all.

The Eucharist is not common and never should be treated as such. People should desire the Eucharist, but God has chosen an ordinary means in which this should be received. Catholic or protestant should be baptized, and they should be in a state of sanctifying grace. It is easier for the EMHC to assume the Catholic receiving the Eucharist has already been catechized an understand this eventhough it may not be true. The protestant receiving would most likely not know this, so it is not charitable when he ask the EMHC for the fish that does not die to be given a snake (MT 7:10). If the person is in a state of mortal sin he will be profaning Jesus, and that would not be his/her intention, but it is what would occur.

The elderly love to be visited, and would love to have someone come to expound the Gospel. I am sure the priest would not require a full RCIA instruction, but some instruction should be warranted. After all many would receive greater benefit from the sacrament of reconciliation than the Eucharist. The prodigal son would not be so moving if he decided to return and demanded that rings be put on his finger first. Instead he humbled himself and asked forgiveness and then the Father bestowed all the gifts of love upon his child.