Extraordinary Eucharist ministers addressing communicants first before Christ

[John_Lilburne]

A “Eucharistic Minister” is someone who can say the Eucharistic Prayer. This is a priest or bishop, not a deacon.

Using the term correctly, there is no such thing as an “Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister”. Only a priest or bishop can say the Eucharistic Prayer, extraordinary ministers for this are not permitted.

The importance of the correct use of the term was highlighted in the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:

“The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
[154.] As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest”. Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. …
[156.] This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened.”

This document also stresses the importance of not changing words, such as “John, the Body of Christ”. It has:

“[59.] The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.”

A deacon is an ordinary “Minister of Holy Communion”. He can distribute Communion at every Mass.

An “instituted acolyte” or “installed acolyte” is an “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion”. If there are enough priests and deacons or few enough people he should not distribute Communion at a Mass.

Men only can be instituted as acolytes. According to the 1972 Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam:
“9. The ministries are conferred by the Ordinary (the bishop and, in clerical institutes, the major superior) through the liturgical rite De institutione lectoris and De institutione acolythi as revised by the Apostolic See.”
(The full document is at romanrite.com/Churchdoc.html ).

An instituted acolyte should be used ahead of other lay people as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“162. The priest may be assisted in the distribution of Communion by other priests who happen to be present. If such priests are not present and there is a very large number of communicants, the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him, e.g., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose.
[Footnote 97: Cf. Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, Instruction Inaestimabile donum, 3 April 1980, no. 10: AAS 72 (1980), p. 336; Interdicasterial Instruction on certain questions regarding the collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in the sacred ministry of priests, Ecclesiae de mysterio, 15 August 1997, art. 8: AAS 89 (1997), p. 871.]
In case of necessity, the priest may depute suitable faithful for this single occasion.
[Footnote 98: Cf. below, Appendix, Order of Commissioning a Minister to Distribute Holy Communion on a Single Occasion, p. 1253.]”

This last footnote is referring to the ceremony on page 1253 of the Latin edition of the 2002 Roman Missal.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this.

There are Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers in my parish who while offering, during Communion, either the Body or Blood of Christ, address the communicant by name first before offering Holy Communion. I hear time and time again while in the Communion line:

Helen, the Body of Christ…or

Rose, the Blood of Christ

This seems to me to be very wrong; to be addressing the communicant first before Christ. I was wondering if there are any writings in Canon Law or Encyclicals (sp??) that state this is wrong Church protocol?

Thank you all and may God Bless us!

They are not to say a persons name. Just The Body or Blood of Christ. It would be the pastors responsibility to address this issue. If they are going to do this they should be required to call EVERY person by name, why leave some people out?

 

[Elzee]

One of our associate pastors last week took the time before the end of Mass to remind everyone on how to receive Holy Communion properly. He told the congregation:

If you are holding a baby or a walking cane or otherwise have one hand tied up, you should only receive on the tongue.
**
You should **not extend one hand, “take” the Host, and clap it in your mouth like a potato chip.

We have parents doing this all the time when they’re holding they’re babies or squirming toddlers. We even have elderly people who use a walker or cane do it - they hold on to their cane or walker with one hand while they flip the Host into their mouths with the other. I’ve never understood why it’s allowed. We haven’t seen a paten in our parish in over 25 years so I just know one day one of those moms or dads or elderly dears are going to mid-judge their mouth and Our Lord is going to go flying back 5 people in line!