If I am unable to receive Communion, can I still go up and get a blessing?

[babochka]

buc fan is a Priest.

I must say , here in Aus, in my Diocese, my clergy delight in giving blessings in the Communion line. I have a wonderful image of my Bishop beaming on Father’s Day, giving children and adults blessings in the Communion line. The blessings I see are not xyz , go away. They are considered and caring blessings.

We are the Communion of Saints. We are the Body of Christ. All of us.

My pastor used to bless my child in the womb when my pregnancy was not yet public knowledge. It was a small and “secret” gesture, seen only by me, but meaningful, tangible, and comforting to me, given the circumstances of a difficult pregnancy.

 

[anon10271182]

Is additional grace conferred by going through the line to receive a blessing, vs. remaining in one’s seat where one will receive the final blessing anyway?

 

[anon10271182]

And that’s important. Some parishes encourage it, others discourage it. If you’re not sure, no harm in staying in the pew, where you’ll get a blessing anyway.
As if the entire Mass isn’t one big blessing…

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I’m with Don Ruggero on this one. This is an easy way for people who are not disposed to receive the Eucharist on a given day to not stand out.

Thank you, Father. It is nice to hear from you again.

 

[anon10271182]

And of course, all those going up to receive have been shriven, since they all came to confession recently…

 

[Don_Ruggero]

My pastor used to bless my child in the womb when my pregnancy was not yet public knowledge. It was a small and “secret” gesture, seen only by me, but meaningful, tangible, and comforting to me, given the circumstances of a difficult pregnancy.

I do the same thing, when I know.

 

[Reuben_J]

This is a very contentious issue here on CA. My suggestion is that you talk to your parish priest and follow his advice. When I was in RCIA, I was advised by the priests in the parish that I could come forward for a blessing, or I could choose to stay in the pew. It was up to me. I chose to go forward because I believed that I was receiving graces from the blessing, and because it helped me acclimate to the tradition and custom of going forward after ten years of hiding in the back of the church.

You have to take the CAF group with a pinch of salt. There are those who are semantic and argue just for the sake of it. It depends on where they come from.

Without arguing on the legality of the blessing, if you are a new Catholic, I suggest you keep on with what you are taught. I mean, if you could not receive Communion, you can go up for a blessing.

It really depends on the church locality. There are churches where blessing is not allowed, and there are some where it is.

In my archdiocese, it is allowed. Our Archbishop permits it. It is really beautiful to see small children trudging along the communion with their mothers crossing their arms on their chest signifying that they are not old enough to receive Holy Communion but they can always receive personal blessing from the clebrant.

They are also adults coming up for blessing as well and you can only feel very touched that they honor the Eucharist by not receiving it and thus come for the blessing only.

As you said, they will become familiar with the church and the mass. To receive personal blessing is only for them to experience and maybe that is why our Archbishop did not prohibit it.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Blessings might “Disrupt the flow of traffic in the communion line”?

Goodness gracious.

Never in my experience. There are other things that be disruptive but not that.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

That’s pretty uncharitable. We cannot know what is another’s business, nor should we concern ourselves with it.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

This is one of the most lovely things I have heard

 

[anon10271182]

And if someone is embarrassed about staying in the pew (and I’m talking about confirmed Catholics, obviously) here’s a wild idea: go to confession on Saturday afternoon! (Those lines often aren’t very long) Then, hold out from committing a mortal sin for less than 24 hours! An hour or two, if you attend the Vigil Mass!

 

[anon10271182]

No one should give a second thought to someone who stays in the pew, or goes forward for a blessing for that matter. Such “embarrassment” is unfounded.
And, I won’t respond to ad hominems, or those who use them. I will say, in general, that I can read statistics–llike those from CARA, as reported here:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bo...n-steep-price/NbMVFfYljv26Gcphu17yPJ/amp.html

Though perhaps people are just sinning far less. That must be it.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I’ve noticed that in giving a blessing, the priest has to adjust his grip on things first.

I am holding a ciborium…in my left hand. I give the blessing with my right hand. I don’t have to adjust anything.

 

[paperwight]

If you mean a formal proper blessing possibly with hand raised like in a stained glass window.- no, EMHCs should not be doing that. But what is wrong with a smile and a sincere ;God bless you!’ just like one would say to a friend?

 

[anon10271182]

Must have been a new priest then. I worried he was going to drop the host.

 

[Reuben_J]

Must have been a new priest then. I worried he was going to drop the host.

You can rest assure that by the time that they were ordained, distributing Communion would probably be the least of their worries. But of course, there may be exception, and if that is so, I should say it is quite unusual. Probably if they are too old maybe, where their locomotor may not be efficient anymore.

I am saying this from experience as an EMHC.

 

[thistle]

This is from the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium, highlight mine:

"22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

1. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.
2. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority."

I assume therefore that in all parish churches where a priest allows people to come up for a blessing in the Communion line that they must have had specific authority from either the Bishops Conference or the local Bishop?
Is that correct?

 

[TC3033]

At that wedding, I really didn’t want to go through. We were just told “we had to”.

If the priest makes the invitation, I’ll most likely go. It means a lot to my wife when we can walk up together as a family. That was one of the reasons she wanted me to come to Ash Wednesday with her so bad last year. It was something we could do as a family.

Also, once in a while it’s kind of nice to not have the awkwardness if sitting in the pew by myself or having people mad that they have to go around you.

It’s all kind of moot right now anyway, since I’m never in the sanctuary for communion. My 15 month old won’t sit still for more than 5 min. Now it’s just the awkwardness of trying to explain to the EMCH each week why I’m not partaking when they come out to the gathering space to offer the parents of little ones.

 

[FrDavid96]

FrDavid96:

So where is the “official declaration” allowing blessings in the Communion line?

This question about this has been answered to you on more than one occasion, Father David. Asking again as though you have never read this is, at best, disingenuous.
…

That is not the case.

At what point has the Holy See either (a) approved of this practice or (b) delegated that decision to either the conference of the local bishop?

We both know that the answer to that question is “never.”

Adaptations to the Mass cannot be done on the national or diocesan level without prior approval of the Holy See. I would hope it’s not necessary to quote the numerous times this has been repeated since Vatican II (SC 22), but I am prepared to do so.

Silence does not imply consent.

 

[exnihilo]

Also, once in a while it’s kind of nice to not have the awkwardness if sitting in the pew by myself or having people mad that they have to go around you.

I understand the awkward feeling. If I’m not receiving I try to sit at one end. If closest to the inside aisle I just step out and back of the pew and let others go up. I then get back in the pew. Or, if on the other end, I don’t go up and when people return I step out to let them by.

Problems of getting back into the pew and your spot can be a problem anyway as people can arrive back at different times.

If people are judging you for not going up that is their sin. If people are mad because of some perceived inconvenience then that is again their sin.