Going to Communion

[davevy]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

 

[Spirithound]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

No it isn’t.

 

[TheMc]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

Nope, and here’s a letter from Rome that says so.

And no, it’s not ever “pastoral” to break the rules (give blessings at communion time, especially for lay people), just in case anyone was going to say so.

Here’s the letter written to Rome by the CAF user Japhy (and one other):

Japhy:

Your Eminence:

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to you on behalf of a layman of the diocese of Savannah, Georgia, as well as myself, a layman of the diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey. We have a question in two parts for the Congregation concerning a custom found in various Latin Rite parishes and dioceses throughout Canada and the United States of America: the blessing of non-communicants, by a minister of Holy Communion, during the Communion procession.

Briefly stated, this custom consists of a non-communicant presenting himself (often with his arms crossed over his chest, his hands placed on his shoulders, signifying his intent) before a minister of Holy Communion and receiving a blessing from the same, in the form of a short prayer (e.g. “May God bless you”) or a gesture (e.g. the Sign of the Cross traced on his forehead). In some places, the blessing varies depending on whether the minister of Holy Communion is an ordinary minister or an extraordinary minister.

1. Is this a custom that is within the faculty of a pastor, the local Ordinary, or a Bishops’ Conference to establish? That is, is this custom something that can be regulated without recourse to this Congregation?
2. Are there particular guidelines or restrictions from this Congregation concerning a) which ministers of Holy Communion may give these blessings and b) what forms these blessings may take?

We assure you of our prayers for you, thank you for whatever consideration you can give to this question, and remain

Faithfully yours in Christ,

And the response from Rome:
The CDWDS:

Dear [names omitted],

This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments acknowledges receipt of your kind letter of 13 August, 2008 and would like to thank you for your interest and suggestions. This matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation.

For the present, therefore, this Dicastery wishes to limit itself to the following observations:
The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.
Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; can. 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).
Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands – which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here – by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.
The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry.” To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.
In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).
Please continue to pray for the Church’s ministers that they ever become more worthy of the mystery they celebrate.

With every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

[name omitted]

The response is also in the attached PDF.

 

[Vince1022]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

It is not accepted. No one should come up to communion before Mass begins.

 

[FrDavid96]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

No.

 

[paperwight66]

It is not accepted. No one should come up to communion before Mass begins.

You’ve misunderstood, Vince1022. The OP means that announcements were given before Mass as to protocol during the Mass.

 

[Vince1022]

You’ve misunderstood, Vince1022. The OP means that announcements were given before Mass as to protocol during the Mass.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal indicates the proper place for announcements are after communion and before the Concluding Rites (blessing and dismissal).

 

[thistle]

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal indicates the proper place for announcements are after communion and before the Concluding Rites (blessing and dismissal).

These are different announcements you are referring to.

Here at my local Church before a Mass begins a speaker will make announcements about people turning off their cell phones, no eating during Mass, and of course they announce who the celebrant is and ask people to stand for the entrance procession.

 

[zab]

And no, it’s not ever “pastoral” to break the rules (give blessings at communion time, especially for lay people), just in case anyone was going to say so.

There is no “especially for lay people” about it. The response to japhy’s letter regarding blessings in the Communion line applies to priests and deacons as well.

 

[Vince1022]

These are different announcements you are referring to.

Here at my local Church before a Mass begins a speaker will make announcements about people turning off their cell phones, no eating during Mass, and of course they announce who the celebrant is and ask people to stand for the entrance procession.

Thanks paperwight and thistle. Got it. You’re right, what the OP specifically refers to is of course only relevant before Mass. Sorry. My bad.

 

[Vince1022]

There is no “especially for lay people” about it. The response to japhy’s letter regarding blessings in the Communion line applies to priests and deacons as well.

Correct. There are no individual blessings in the Mass. Anyone who does so is acting contrary to the teaching of the Church.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Correct. There are no individual blessings in the Mass. Anyone who does so is acting contrary to the teaching of the Church.

But if someone goes up…is during communion the time for a tussel? What happens if someone who doesn’t know better walks up for a blessing?

How is this different then someone who goes up for communion who you know is divorced and remarried without an annulment?

I ask this not for a tussel…but a lot of those people that go up are in fact new to the church and may not know.

 

[MarkThompson]

Correct. There are no individual blessings in the Mass. Anyone who does so is acting contrary to the teaching of the Church.

If there’s one thing the letter steadfastly avoids saying, it’s that. In fact, it confirms that the issue is “presently under the attentive study of the Congregation,” i.e. that it has not been definitively settled. The letter says that blessings shouldn’t be given by laypeople, shouldn’t be given by laying on of hands, shouldn’t be given to remarried people, and so on, but you can see how that’s just a way of talking around the issue of whether a blessing at Communion should ever be given (by a priest).

When they want to say that no such blessings may be given, they are free to say “No such blessings may be given.” Until then, you have a situation where the Congregation was asked, “These blessings are going on regularly. What do you have to say about that?”, and they opted to answer, “Well, it shouldn’t be given by laypersons, it shouldn’t be given to people in manifest sin, etc.”

 

[Vince1022]

If there’s one thing the letter steadfastly avoids saying, it’s that. In fact, it confirms that the issue is “presently under the attentive study of the Congregation,” i.e. that it has not been definitively settled. The letter says that blessings shouldn’t be given by laypeople, shouldn’t be given by laying on of hands, shouldn’t be given to remarried people, and so on, but you can see how that’s just a way of talking around the issue of whether a blessing at Communion should ever be given (by a priest).

When they want to say that no such blessings may be given, they are free to say “No such blessings may be given.” Until then, you have a situation where the Congregation was asked, “These blessings are going on regularly. What do you have to say about that?”, and they opted to answer, “Well, it shouldn’t be given by laypersons, it shouldn’t be given to people in manifest sin, etc.”

Where does the Church allow such individual blessings?

Nowhere.

So, such individual blessings are an addition to the Mass, based on personal initiative (unless you know of any Bishop who mandates such?) which is expressly prohibited by Church teaching. cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium see para 22.3

 

[YourHuckleberry]

Before Mass begins, a speaker invites everyone to come up for either Communion or a Blessing. I thought we were asked not to do this. Is this an accepted practice or not?

It is in my diocese per my bishop and the authority for this matter does lie with individual bishops.

 

[YourHuckleberry]

Nope, and here’s a letter from Rome that says so.

And no, it’s not ever “pastoral” to break the rules (give blessings at communion time, especially for lay people), just in case anyone was going to say so.

Here’s the letter written to Rome by the CAF user Japhy (and one other):

And the response from Rome:

The response is also in the attached PDF.

So now we are relying on a letter to “Japhy” here at CA forums rather than our bishops? Really?

 

[YourHuckleberry]

Where does the Church allow such individual blessings?

Nowhere.

So, such individual blessings are an addition to the Mass, based on personal initiative (unless you know of any Bishop who mandates such?) which is expressly prohibited by Church teaching. cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium see para 22.3

No they are not. Good grief…

I can just imagine an edgy person confronting their pastor and telling him that it’s not OK to give blessings to those who ask for one during communion. They might even print-out Japhy’s letter. In my parish it’s approved (not “mandated”) per the bishop. My pastor would be kind but he wouldn’t change the local practice because one person was upset. This in turn would lead to even greater frustration I’m sure. Whoopee!

 

[MarkThompson]

Where does the Church allow such individual blessings?

Nowhere.

So, such individual blessings are an addition to the Mass, based on personal initiative (unless you know of any Bishop who mandates such?) which is expressly prohibited by Church teaching. cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium see para 22.3

Sure, that’s your interpretation of what it means to “add something to the Mass.” It’s not an interpretation the Church has yet adopted, though, and frankly I doubt that they will. Of course, if your interpretation were as obvious as you think, I’m sure the Congregation’s letter would have said, “You dolt! It’s an illicit addition to the Mass, so obviously it’s not allowed at all! Duh!” That’d be a very easy way to clear up the whole issue, wouldn’t it?

And to take a perhaps similar matter, there is no line in the Missal permitting priests to ask EMHCs to use hand sanitizer before helping distribute Communion – but I don’t think many people would be up for defending the proposition that, if the use of sanitizer is to be prohibited, it’s on the naked force of that general line from Sacrosanctum Concilium.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

No.

Fr. David, could elaborate? Because I too myself have seen announcements…and no announcements. And i have seen lay people say something such as “May God Bless you”

There seems to be much confusion around this issue.

 

[YourHuckleberry]

There are ALL sorts of things/actions that take place during the Mass that are not expressly directed by the GIRM or other controlling documents. One example in my parish is that we have an elderly priest who cannot talk without making frequent use of a glass of water. A glass of water is placed on the ambo for him. Then when the altar is dressed the glass is moved over to the altar for him to use.

It would be profoundly ignorant and naive to suggest this is somehow “wrong” because a glass of water is not on the list of things that should be on the altar given the fact that without the water, we don’t have any Mass.

I think some need to be very careful with their self-interpretations of Church documents. Things are not as clear cut as they would like to see. It’s not a black and white world in most instances. Some people are setting themselves up for grave frustration if they fail to realize that.