How to politely express my concern?

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nas_matko

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In my current parish (I am living within this parish for 7 months now) I have noticed several liturgical abuses according to Redemptionis Sacramentum .

I am trying to attend holy mass every morning and at that particular mass there is about 20-30 people present, however there is always at least one extraordinary minister. On sunday, there is usually 80-90 people per mass but at least 4 extraordinary ministers.

[157.]If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it.
[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

And in recent parish letter I have noticed that they are addressing those extraordinary ministers as eucharistic ministers.
http://www.kredo.sk/pic/ministers.jpg.

[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.

Other people seem to be happy about it or maybe they are just unaware about Redemptionis Sacramentum. I would like to approach parish priest with my concerns but I don’t want to look like I am complaining or criticising him.

Can you help me?
 
I suggest writing a letter about the incorrect use of the term “Eucharistic Ministers” for “Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion”.

With a letter you can enclose a copy of the newsletter. The priest can consider it in private, rather than a public conversation with him. In the letter offer to discuss the matter with him if he wants to. Then perhaps an appointment could be made.

The other issue is what you consider the unnecessary use of the Extraordinary Ministers. This is more difficult to deal with and I suggest leaving it until progress has been made with the other issue.

The Vatican has given guidelines, but they are vague. Do the Extraordinary Ministers need to save 10 seconds to be justified? How about 2 minutes? 10 minutes? 30? Does the congregation need to number 100, 1000 or 10000? No official documents give these guidelines.

So the priest’s judgement is, apparently, that they should be used. You disagree, but as parish priest his judgement will prevail.

So a polite comment here would be along the lines of: “In my opinion Communion would not take too long if we did not use Extraordinary Ministers when the congregation numbers less than 40. Of course the decision on whether to use them is your’s.”
 
Thank you John, I will write a letter about incorrect use of term Eucharistic Ministers.

Do you mind if I show it to you for comments before I post it?

As to unnecessary use of the extraordinary ministers, it’s not just that they are being used to save 3-4 minutes, but they are present during consecration at the altar and they always receive under both kinds (while the rest of the people present don’t). Many times priest gives them Eucharist before finishing Eucharistic prayer and they receive from their own hands at the same time when priest does.
 
nas_matko said:
Thank you John, I will write a letter about incorrect use of term Eucharistic Ministers.

Do you mind if I show it to you for comments before I post it?

As to unnecessary use of the extraordinary ministers, it’s not just that they are being used to save 3-4 minutes, but they are present during consecration at the altar and they always receive under both kinds (while the rest of the people present don’t). Many times priest gives them Eucharist before finishing Eucharistic prayer and they receive from their own hands at the same time when priest does.
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I would be happy to comment on the letter. Either put it here or email me: jr@romanrite.com .
Regarding being present at the altar, it seems to me if an altar server can be in the sanctuary then, so can an EMHC.

Always receiving under both kinds is clearly permitted. From From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“283. In addition to those cases given in the ritual books, Communion under both kinds is permitted for
a. Priests who are not able to celebrate or concelebrate Mass;
b. The deacon and others who perform some duty at the Mass; …”

It also has: “85. It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord’s Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that, in the instances when it is permitted, they partake of the chalice (cf. below, no. 283), so that even by means of the signs Communion will stand out more clearly as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated.” So EMHCs are strongly encouraged by the GIRM to receive Communion under both kinds.

I would be surprised if the priest were giving them the consecrated hosts during the Eucharistic Prayer. The Our Father is after the Eucharistic Prayer.

They should not be given Communion until after the priest has drunk from the chalice. If this is not happening note a specific Mass time and which priest is distributing Communion early. Then in a letter refer 2002 GIRM n. 162, about EMHCs

“These ministers should not approach the altar before the priest has received Communion, and they are always to receive from the hands of the priest celebrant the vessel containing either species of the Most Holy Eucharist for distribution to the faithful.”

It also has:
“159. The Communion chant begins while the priest is receiving the Sacrament (cf. above, no. 86).
160. The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession. The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another.”

The issue was also addressed in a 1997 Instruction:

“To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
— extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;”
(From the Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests, article 8, §2. It is also called Ecclesiae de mysterio).

Also relevant would be from 2002 GIRM:
“161. … As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely.”

So Extraordinary Ministers holding the Body of Christ to consume it with the priest is clearly wrong.
 
Meh, call 'em Communion Distributors. It cuts down on the “specialness” of the duty and prevents things like unnecessary Word and Communion Services led by lay people wanting to be mini-priests.
 
John_Lilburne said:
I would be happy to comment on the letter. Either put it here or email me: jr@romanrite.com .
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will contact you soon.

Regarding GIRM, I am living in Ireland at present and I am not sure if GRIM you are quoting from is valid here.
Is there a special version for each country?
 
nas_matko said:
Thank you, I will contact you soon.

Regarding GIRM, I am living in Ireland at present and I am not sure if GRIM you are quoting from is valid here.
Is there a special version for each country?
Click to expand...
Yes. The GIRM enables a country’s conference of bishops to make adaptations in particular areas, with the Vatican’s approval.

In Ireland it has been reported in a Press Release of 16 March 2005 at catholiccommunications.ie/Pressrel/16-march-2005.html that:
“Irish Bishops’ Conference welcomed this week’s publication, by Irish Liturgical Publications, of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. …”.

I have not seen this copy and so I cannot be sure if there are adaptations that effect Extraordinary Ministers in Ireland. So ideally you should buy a copy of the GIRM from Irish Liturgical Publications.

Contact details are at veritas.ie/veritas/asp/section.asp?s=8 which is selling the book online in a page dated 2004:
"A new English translation of the Roman Missal is being prepared at present. To facilitate publication of this, which will be in approximately two years’ time, an agreement has been reached for a joint venture between Veritas Publications and The Columba Press.

This joint venture will be called:
Irish Liturgical Publications (ILP)
7/8 Lower Abbey Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 01 878 8177
Fax: 01 878 6507
Email: ilp@veritas.ie

The first part of the project is the publication of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, ISBN 0 95498 180 4, retail price €14.95."
 
Thanks John, I am going to buy tthat GIRM, it may be very helpful.
 
Hi,
I have a similar question to nas_matko’s. At my parish there are always at least 15 Eucharistic ministers during Sunday mass. At daily mass they about 8, including the priest. They also have articles in our parish bulletin about how we are short of Eucharistic ministers and that it would be very much appreciated if people would sign up before mass. I was wondering does this sound like liturgical abuse? Is my parish over using Eucharistic ministers?
 
I’m not 100% about this, but I think I read on CA somewhere that no one is to be present around the alter during the consecration and that the Extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not to “give” themselves communion. (I forget the correct terminology for this).

I’ll try to find the information and give it to you.

OK, I found it. The info is in the CAs Library in the Answer Guides under the heading “New Mass Changes”.
 
maryelizabeth1 said:
Hi,
I have a similar question to nas_matko’s. At my parish there are always at least **15 **Eucharistic ministers during Sunday mass. At daily mass they about 8, including the priest. They also have articles in our parish bulletin about how we are short of Eucharistic ministers and that it would be very much appreciated if people would sign up before mass. I was wondering does this sound like liturgical abuse? Is my parish over using Eucharistic ministers?
Click to expand...
Without knowing the circumstances it would be inappropriate for us to judge, but it does sound like an abuse. Using 8 sounds dreadful for a daily mass. In that setting, none should ever really be needed.

They may never, as was posted above, be called Eucharistic ministers. They are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

In most parishes, no/ v few EMHCs are needed for a normal Sunday mass, and if they are needed, way too many are used. They are extraordinary. The priest may distribute communion alone, or best with the deacon and/ or assisting priest or concelebrant. The Precious Blood need not be offered, or it may be offered by intiction.
 
At our parish, we also have about 20-30 at daily mass, but the extraordinary eucharistic minister offers only the cup of Precious blood, never the Holy Eucharist. Is this your case?
 
nas_matko said:
In my current parish (I am living within this parish for 7 months now) I have noticed several liturgical abuses according to Redemptionis Sacramentum .

I am trying to attend holy mass every morning and at that particular mass there is about 20-30 people present, however there is always at least one extraordinary minister. On sunday, there is usually 80-90 people per mass but at least 4 extraordinary ministers.

[157.]If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it.
[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

And in recent parish letter I have noticed that they are addressing those extraordinary ministers as eucharistic ministers.
http://www.kredo.sk/pic/ministers.jpg.

[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.

Other people seem to be happy about it or maybe they are just unaware about Redemptionis Sacramentum. I would like to approach parish priest with my concerns but I don’t want to look like I am complaining or criticising him.

Can you help me?
Click to expand...
I think you’re getting upset over nothing. First off, it’s up to your pastor to decide how many if any extra-odinary Eucharistic Ministers are needed. Also, using EOEM’s is so common, that the term Eucharistic minister is used as part of the common language of the day, even though technically, it is incorrect. Again, don’t get upset over it.

Complaining about it will make things worse for you and your parish, than just letting it go. It’s not really an abuse per se.

Jim
 
stbruno said:
At our parish, we also have about 20-30 at daily mass, but the extraordinary eucharistic minister offers only the cup of Precious blood, never the Holy Eucharist. Is this your case?
Click to expand...
The Precious Blood is the Holy Eucharist too!
 
Most assuredly, but we do not receive the Eucharist by intinction at our parish, therefore our priests ask the Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers to assists to provide both species to our congregrants.
 
stbruno said:
Most assuredly, but we do not receive the Eucharist by intinction at our parish, therefore our priests ask the Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers to assists to provide both species to our congregrants.
Click to expand...
How many people at your average daily mass? 20-30 EMHCs sounds crazy.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Complaining about it will make things worse for you and your parish, than just letting it go. It’s not really an abuse per se.

Jim
Click to expand...
I can’t agree with you. This isn’t that important at a first glance. But when you think about it, it is clearly showing poor understanding of what’s happening at the altar. You start with givinig incorrect names and you end up abusing liturgy.

If everybody will take atitude let it go for the sake of personal comfort, shortly we will will se much worse things than this (for example in Holland my friend attended a mass celebrated by NUN!, priest only showed briefly for consecation
and then he left again).

To write a letter is the minimum I can do to show, that not everybody is indefferent to abusing of what is most sacred for us…
 
nas_matko said:
I can’t agree with you. This isn’t that important at a first glance. But when you think about it, it is clearly showing poor understanding of what’s happening at the altar. You start with givinig incorrect names and you end up abusing liturgy.

If everybody will take atitude let it go for the sake of personal comfort, shortly we will will se much worse things than this (for example in Holland my friend attended a mass celebrated by NUN!, priest only showed briefly for consecation
and then he left again).

To write a letter is the minimum I can do to show, that not everybody is indefferent to abusing of what is most sacred for us…
Click to expand...
But it’s only an abuse in your mind.

How about giving a little benefit of the doubt to your parish priest, that he actually knows what he’s doing, and also does it within the spirit of the gospel?

If this still upsets you, perhaps you need to find a fundamentalist church where the letter of the law is followed to the last detail and God forbid if anyone fails to follow it.

Jim
 
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