Eucharist to people whose faith is unknown to Euchristic Minister

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EasterJoy said:
Why did you not bold the part that says “cannot approach a minister of their own community” or “in the judgment of the diocesan bishop”? Has your pastor told you that what you are doing is according to the instructions of your bishop? Do you take the trouble to see if the person *cannot in fact *approach a minister of his or her own community? Has your pastor told you what your bishop has said constitutes a grave necessity, other than danger of death?

If so, fine. Keep in mind, though, that you have received instruction proper for your diocese only. If not, you are suggesting doing something that is almost certainly illicit. Generally speaking, “Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone.” That means that RCIA is usually necessary for those not in danger of death. Those who are in danger of death deserve the ministrations of a priest, if at all possible. It ought to be a pastor attending to the exceptions to this rule, at any rate, unless this is simply not possible. That is extremely rare in the United States.
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Firstly, I am not an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. I consider myself unworthy to take on such a duty and responsibility.
I merely posted Cannon Law and directions from the U.S, Council of Bishops.

Read the rest of “Can 844” … “Can 844 § 4” states: “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” **

I “bold” parts for emphasis. If you have a problem with that… see your pastor or bishop.
 
skirjohn said:
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?
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You can ask your pastor or the person he has deputized to train the Eucharistic ministers the parish sends to the sick how you are know who to give Holy Communion to at the care center. If nothing else, your pastor (or his deputy) ought to know who the chaplain is there who can answer your question, if he/she doesn’t have direct knowledge of what the protocol is there. Very often, the Catholic chaplain visits people who ask for Holy Communion and adds their name to the list after talking with them personally.

With regards to the volunteer who asked to receive Holy Communion, it depends on whether or not they have a “just cause” to ask for Holy Communion outside of Mass. Ask your pastor or the Catholic chaplain at the nursing home about how to handle that situation, too. (Do not depend on a non-Catholic chaplain to know what the policies of your bishop are.)

If you ask the people who are running the program, you will have the benefit of their experience in how to handle these issues in the most efficient, effective and pastorally-appropriate way they have yet found. No need to re-invent the wheel, especially since the first few tries at that endeavor sometimes results in wheels that fall off.
 
Zoltan_Cobalt said:
Thanks for the reminder, Hans.

Anglicans can take liberties with their Eucharist since consecration depends on the existence of a valid priesthood. Pope Leo XIII declared that Anglican orders were invalid in 1896.

We can learn a lot from our Anglican brothers and sisters and pray fro their reconciliation someday…but please don’t tell us how to administer the Sacraments.
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And those of us who are Anglicans and take our (and ALL) Sacraments very seriously would never think of refusing someone who is ill or elderly or in need of God’s food because of a rule in a book. Sometimes I wonder if Christ came to us in the form of a person in need, would we really turn him away like this?

Where is it in the Gospels that we are told that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do it for Christ.
 
Zoltan_Cobalt said:
Firstly, I am not an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. I consider myself unworthy to take on such a duty and responsibility.
I merely posted Cannon Law and directions from the U.S, Council of Bishops.

Read the rest of “Can 844” … “Can 844 § 4” states: “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” **

I “bold” parts for emphasis. If you have a problem with that… see your pastor or bishop.
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I do not understand. If you aren’t worthy of taking on the duty and responsibility of being an extraordinary minister, why are you taking on the duty and responsibility of telling people that reception into the Church isn’t normally a pre-requisite for admission to Holy Communion?

There are qualifying clauses that precede the part you put into bold print. They are important, and we have the duty and responsibility to regard them as an essential part of the law, too.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says this in their “Guidelines for the Reception of Communion”:
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/guidelines-for-the-reception-of-communion.cfm

*Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 §4). *
 
“Can 844 § 4” states: “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”
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Other than making one’s Easter duty, when exactly is this grave necessity? Haven’t we argued this before?
 
ComplineSanFran said:
And those of us who are Anglicans and take our (and ALL) Sacraments very seriously would never think of refusing someone who is ill or elderly or in need of God’s food because of a rule in a book.
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Anglicans have the luxury of acting freely with your sacrament. We Catholics are dealing with consecrated species and out of respect for the Body and Blood of Christ…we must treat the Sacrament with reverence.
Where is it in the Gospels that we are told that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do it for Christ.
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(1 Cor. 11:29) It can be very dangerous for one who is not deposed.
 
EasterJoy said:
I do not understand. If you aren’t worthy of taking on the duty and responsibility of being an extraordinary minister, why are you taking on the duty and responsibility of telling people that reception into the Church isn’t normally a pre-requisite for admission to Holy Communion?

There are qualifying clauses that precede the part you put into bold print. They are important, and we have the duty and responsibility to regard them as an essential part of the law, too.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says this in their “Guidelines for the Reception of Communion”:
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/guidelines-for-the-reception-of-communion.cfm

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 §4).
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Easter, old pal…I did not post on this thread to get into an argument. I posted quotes as informational.

If what I quoted from Cannon Law is incorrect and does not apply to this discussion…tell me so.

I did not say that “… reception into the Church isn’t normally a pre-requisite for admission to Holy Communion”
 
Zoltan_Cobalt said:
Anglicans have the luxury of acting freely with your sacrament. We Catholics are dealing with consecrated species and out of respect for the Body and Blood of Christ…we must treat the Sacrament with reverence.
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I think you misunderstand - or assume incorrectly. Either that or you are trying to go toward snarky, which I am sure you would never do. Consecrated species of the Body and Blood of Christ are what Anglicans call the Eucharist and are of course Sacramental. We revere them as any Liturgical Christian would do. I went to an Orthodox Liturgy a short time ago and saw the same reverence. I worship with Lutherans at times, since Anglicans now have full communion with them, and Christ was truly present.

You may have silly imaginations of where Christ is present and where he is not, but, sir, I do not.
 
Another reason why only ordained clergy should distribute the Blessed Sacrament.
 
skirjohn said:
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?
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No, you do not administer Holy Communion to “anyone who is ill or their caretakers.” Only to Catholics who are ill or caretakers.

Since the person who made the request was a volunteer, and not a resident, it’s unlikely that this person would be a Catholic who is unable to attend Sunday Mass.

You can only administer Communion to Catholics. That much is clear. There is no doubt on that point.

When someone who is not on your list of those to receive makes a request, it is indeed your responsibility to ask if he is Catholic, unless for some other reason you already know that to be a fact.
 
Zoltan_Cobalt said:
Firstly, I am not an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. I consider myself unworthy to take on such a duty and responsibility.
I merely posted Cannon Law and directions from the U.S, Council of Bishops.

Read the rest of “Can 844” … “Can 844 § 4” states: “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” **

I “bold” parts for emphasis. If you have a problem with that… see your pastor or bishop.
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You quote the law as if it proves your point. The law proves you wrong.

All of the conditions of the canon must be met, not just some of them.

There must be
a. danger of death or other grave necessity (the highest burden of proof in canon law, excepting only danger of death). “Grave necessity” means war, persecution, natural disaster, famine, or similar situation. None of which seem to apply to the OPs question.

b cannot approach a minister of their own faith. There is no reason to think that a volunteer at a Protestant nursing home does not have access to a minister of his own faith. Even if that volunteer is not of the same denomination as the home itself, if the volunteer can make time to serve at a nursing home, it’s a given that the volunteer can approach a minister of his own faith.

c. must manifest the Catholic faith in the Sacraments. That means that the person must first believe everything the Church teaches with regard to the Eucharist, including the necessity of a validly ordained priest to consecrate the Eucharist. This is unlikely in the extreme.

All of those conditions must be present. Not just one, not just some, but every last one. Not even the diocesan bishop is able to dispense from these condition. See Redemptionis Sacramentum #85.

[85.] Catholic ministers licitly administer the Sacraments only to the Catholic faithful, who likewise receive them licitly only from Catholic ministers, except for those situations for which provision is made in can. 844 §§ 2,3, and 4, and can. 861 § 2. In addition, the conditions comprising can. 844 § 4, from which no dispensation can be given, cannot be separated; thus, it is necessary that all of these conditions be present together.
 
ichabode said:
These are not my words, but the words of Jesus.
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I read your words last night about what Jesus said regarding dogs and honestly I have to say as with ComplineSanFran, I was a bit taken aback. But frankly I was just too exhausted from it all to comment. But then interestingly this morning little did I know when I went to listen to a podcast of a sermon from just this past Sunday given by the priest at the local Episcopal church near me, that the sermon was about the exact verse you spoke of. Imagine my astonishment!

Did you read on? After Jesus spoke of dogs, the woman said to Him, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. Then upon hearing this, the divine Jesus said to the woman, for saying that to Me, she could go home to her daughter. Her daughter had been healed.
 
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