Is it a SIN to purify the sacred vessels?

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I am an EMHC, and serve in different churches from time to time when there is a need and no one else comes forward. Two weeks ago, Father looked at me and I got up and went forward and administered the cup (also another EMHC administered the cup on the other side.) Anyway, before even returning to the altar, Father gestured us toward the sacristy and the other minister purified the glass (!) cup and I felt I had to do the same because if I left the cup there unpurified, there might be an irreverance by someone not knowing it hadn’t been cleansed and the church has no sacrarium… It was an on the spot decision I didn’t feel good about.

I went to confession and told my confessor who gave me absolution but no instruction on how to handle this and I forgot to ask about how serious a sin it is. Yet here I am two weeks later in the same church, different priest, with him doing the same thing. And me doing the same thing. But it would have been very disruptive to disobey him and just go to the altar and leave the drained (?) cup. Or undrained cup. Tonight at Mass, I knew they were a minister short, but I knelt and put my head down at the Domine non sum Dignus so if the priest looked at me and gestured to me I wouldn’t see him. This seems ridiculous to be hiding, yet I am afraid I am sinning by being drawn into this situation. It isn’t even my parish, and the pastor (not one of the two priests above) seems uninterested. I spoke to him about two months ago when it seemed EMHC’s were just rinsing the cups down the drain without even purifying. Sometimes this is the only church I can get to for daily Mass. I don’t want to sin. What am I to do? How serious a sin is it? Ideas?
 
You must be considering that, under current liturgical norms, only a priest, deacon, or acolyte may purify the vessels.

However, I would suggest that, under these circumstances, it is not a sin at all. Your choices are (1) taking the duties that Church law says are to be done by others and (2) risking profanation of the Sacred Species. Based on what you wrote, that risk appears great. Taking care of the Body and Blood of Christ seems to be more important. Therefore, you probably did the right thing by purifying the vessels properly when no one else seems to want (or know how) to do so.

-Illini
 
I may be mistaken, but I do not believe you should be habitually functioning as an EMHC outside of your own pastor’s jurisdiction? Of course, you may be deputed for an individual occassion.

I cannot judge the sinfulness if any of the situation, but if I were in the situation, I would speak to the priests involved to as what the expected practice is, and if it is in conflict with the norms of the Church, politely decline future deputation. :twocents:

tee
 
very similar situation as me…I served as an (adult) altar boy for a funeral mass about 10 days ago. (no kids availible that day to serve mass). there was a deacon availible at this mass and he passed out the host on one side of the isle while the priest on the other. BOth of us servers are also deputed EMHCs so the priest asked us to serve the chalice. When mass was over and the church was empty I was up on the altar snuffing candles when the priest hollered from the door of the church for me to “purify” the vessels…he said this as he was leaving the church to go to the cemetary. So here I am alone in the church with unpurified vessels. I knew I wasn’t supposed to do this but I also knew that the church would be empty for 4 more days (we have a separate chapel in an adjoining building for daily mass). I weighed the consequences of not doing it vs. letting the vessels sit around for 4 days. I went ahead and cleansed the empty ciborium and chalices… I was shocked to she how many fragments remained in the “empty” ciborium…My rationale was backed up by my parish deacon (who is orthodox in his ways) he said that I did the right thing considering the fact that the glorified christ present in the fragments and remaining cup would have sat around for 4 days in a dark sacristy only to be found by someone on Saturday vigil mass. If my bishop would just go ahead and commission acolytes this would not be a problem. In reality the deacon present at the Mass should have purified but he was gone when the priest told me to do it.
 
tee_eff_em said:
I may be mistaken, but I do not believe you should be habitually functioning as an EMHC outside of your own pastor’s jurisdiction? Of course, you may be deputed for an individual occassion.

I cannot judge the sinfulness if any of the situation, but if I were in the situation, I would speak to the priests involved to as what the expected practice is, and if it is in conflict with the norms of the Church, politely decline future deputation. :twocents:

tee
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whoops—new issue I guess. Can you direct me to a reference that I should not be “habitually functioning as an EMHC (lector too?) outside of my own pastor’s jurisdiction?” Where does this come from, please? My own church has one Mass a week, on Sunday morning that I always attend. I am in other churches 6/7 of my Masses. I rotate among 6-8 different churches depending on schedules, mine and theirs. Sometimes I even go to a funeral of someone I don’t know, just to get to Mass. Sometimes I just show up for Mass and it turns out to be a funeral. That isn’t at all bad, BTW, it certainly gives one a perspective on life and the difference we can or do not make.

The EMHC training was done by the diocese and my certificate came from them. Also, there was no such mention in the training program. So I would appreciate a reference. I also travel and am in other dioceses a lot. If a priest called for an EMHC I would wait to see if a local responded, and no one else came forward, I would not have hesitated to go up. I want to obey the norms, but am concerned about bundles being tied up that are too heavy to carry (or even remember.) If you post the reference, I will of course be obedient to it.

The other issue, related to my oringial post, is that until Communion is over, one doesn’t know what attitude the priest is going to take toward the cleansing of the vessels. Or if it will be the same as he did last week. And if he calls for an EMHC, it would be rather inappropriate for me to stand up and say “I’ll come up if you promise to follow the Church norms on cleansing the sacred vessels.”🙂 Comments or ideas?
 
Given that you were commissioned by the Diocese, then you are probably quite proper in offering to serve throughout that diocese.

Generally, though, EMHC’s are commissioned by the Pastor, not the Bishop. And commissioned for a parish, not diocese wide.

When faced with a choice between a minor venial sin (purifying vessels) and a mortal sin (disrespect for the body of Christ), picking the venial is always the right choice.

The priest and deacons might need to be reminded of the rules in the GIRM.

But also, pray for those clerics… they need it.
 
Generally it is the bishop’s appointment, rather than the pastors.

From the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“[155.] In addition to the ordinary ministers there is the formally instituted acolyte, who by virtue of his institution is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion even outside the celebration of Mass. If, moreover, reasons of real necessity prompt it, another lay member of Christ’s faithful may also be delegated by the diocesan Bishop, in accordance with the norm of law,[footnote 256: Cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 230 § 3.] for one occasion or for a specified time, and an appropriate formula of blessing may be used for the occasion. This act of appointment, however, does not necessarily take a liturgical form, nor, if it does take a liturgical form, should it resemble sacred Ordination in any way. Finally, in special cases of an unforeseen nature, permission can be given for a single occasion by the Priest who presides at the celebration of the Eucharist. [footnote 257: Cf. S. Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Immensae caritatis, prooemium: AAS 65 (1973) p. 264; Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Letter (Motu Proprio), Ministeria quaedam, 15 August 1972: AAS 64 (1972) p. 532; Missale Romanum, Appendix III: Ritus ad deputandum ministrum sacrae Communionis ad actum distribuendae, p. 1253; Congregation for the Clergy et al., Instruction, Ecclesiae de mysterio, Practical Provisions, art. 8 § 1: AAS 89 (1997) p. 871.]”

Regarding the sin of purifying the vessels by a lay person who is not an instituted acolyte. There is the obvious sin committed – publicly not following the instructions of the liturgical books. Less obvious is the sins of omission: failing to take action that might correct the situation, (e.g. the priest’s directions to others to do the purifications.)

Some extracts from the Compendium of the Catechism that may be helpful:

“377. What is a virtue? … A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God” (Saint Gregory of Nyssa). There are human virtues and theological virtues.”

“381. What is justice? … Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give to others their due. Justice toward God is called “the virtue of religion.”
382. What is fortitude? … Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It reaches even to the ability of possibly sacrificing one’s own life for a just cause.”

“399. Do we have any responsibility for sins committed by others? … We do have such a responsibility when we culpably cooperate with them.”
 
Bummer. I thought I could just get away with keeping my head down and not being an EMHC to avoid the situation but now it is sounding like I have an absolute obligation to correct the priest. It makes me feel like a policeman of the liturgy or something. I will start another thread on the laity’s obligation to correct a priest; i.e. to bring to his attention something not in accord with the GIRM, for example. Thanks for all the good (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
hopefull said:
Bummer. I thought I could just get away with keeping my head down and not being an EMHC to avoid the situation but now it is sounding like I have an absolute obligation to correct the priest. It makes me feel like a policeman of the liturgy or something. I will start another thread on the laity’s obligation to correct a priest; i.e. to bring to his attention something not in accord with the GIRM, for example. Thanks for all the good (name removed by moderator)ut.
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Remember: We poor banished children of Eve, whether or not we have been granted the grace of Holy Orders, are all frail creatures, prone to errors. No man is above error.

Not all priests remember all rules. Most try, but being human means being fallible.
 
hopefull said:
Bummer. I thought I could just get away with keeping my head down and not being an EMHC to avoid the situation but now it is sounding like I have an absolute obligation to correct the priest. It makes me feel like a policeman of the liturgy or something. I will start another thread on the laity’s obligation to correct a priest; i.e. to bring to his attention something not in accord with the GIRM, for example. Thanks for all the good (name removed by moderator)ut.
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It’s unfortunate that the priest put you in the position of needing to correct him. I’m sure you’ll do it with kindness.
 
Hopeful, if it makes you feel better, I went through this exact same thing, and I ended up talking to the parish priest. I showed him the appropriate passages from the church documents and he was fine with that.

Many priests are unaware.
 
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