Is it proper to go up for a blessing when not receiving Communion?

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In the front of every missal in every Catholic Church I’ve been to, it describes why we request that our fellow Christians, if not Catholic, do not receive Holy Communion. Right after that it says if they’d like to go up in line and receive a blessing, they can.

I always bring my daughter with me when I receive Holy Communion (she’s 21 months old) and if I receive from the priest he gives her a blessing, though most Eucharist ministers don’t.

🙂
 
Windmill said:
My opinion is similar to that of Fr. Peter Stravinskas, editor of the Catholic Answer.

In most other countries, you don’t have ushers filing people out of pews one row at a time. There are no ushers. Everyone just ambles to the center aisle when they are ready to receive and they file up the center, then return to their seats here and there. No one knows who’s gone to receive and who’s stayed behind because everyone is going up at different times.

In this country it’s different. Ushers go aisle by aisle and everyone in that pew is expected to go up if they are receiving. This creates an expectation whereby a person must face the prospect of revealing the state of their soul to others. They cannot hide behind the chaos of a random mob like they could in other countries. While the militant Catholic may say, “Why is it anyone’s business if this guy stays in the pew,” the reality is that it is forcing a private matter out into public view.

When a person is able to go up and receive a blessing, they draw far less attention to themselves while still maintaining the law against receiving outside a state of grace.

As far as I’m concerned, as long as Americans are going to insist on maintaining the un-rubrical practice of ushers filing people out pew by pew, then they should give those members, not receiving, the freedom to avoid public humiliation (ie, the un-rubrical practice of asking for a blessing).

Non-Americans enjoy this privacy in their churches. Why can’t we?
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I don’t know that going up in line is any less conspicuous. Instead of sitting in the pew and maybe a few people notice, you’re up in line with arms crossed, in front of the whole church!

The piling over me gets a little weird sometimes, but everyone is always polite and I try to be the same.
 
Belle10 said:
In the front of every missal in every Catholic Church I’ve been to, it describes why we request that our fellow Christians, if not Catholic, do not receive Holy Communion. Right after that it says if they’d like to go up in line and receive a blessing, they can.
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There is no possible way that what you are reading is licit. It sounds like something that someone at the parish made up and stuck in the pews in order to be politically-correct.

I’ve encountered numerous missals as well, and they all conform to Canon Law regarding their communion instructions, which says nothing about using the communion line for individual blessings.

Regardless, Canon Law trumps any missal. Straight from the Vatican:

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2T.HTM

Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and ⇒ can. 861, §2.

§2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-

Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.

§3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.

§4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

§5. For the cases mentioned in §§2, 3, and 4, the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops is not to issue general norms except after consultation at least with the local competent authority of the interested non-Catholic Church or community.
 
Windmill said:
My opinion is similar to that of Fr. Peter Stravinskas, editor of the Catholic Answer.

In most other countries, you don’t have ushers filing people out of pews one row at a time. There are no ushers. Everyone just ambles to the center aisle when they are ready to receive and they file up the center, then return to their seats here and there. No one knows who’s gone to receive and who’s stayed behind because everyone is going up at different times.

In this country it’s different. Ushers go aisle by aisle and everyone in that pew is expected to go up if they are receiving. This creates an expectation whereby a person not receiving must face the prospect of revealing the state of their soul to others. They cannot hide behind the chaos of a random mob like they could in other countries. While the militant Catholic may say, “Why is it anyone’s business if this guy stays in the pew,” the reality is that it is forcing a private matter out into public view.

When a person is able to go up and receive a blessing, they draw far less attention to themselves while still maintaining the law against receiving outside a state of grace.

As far as I’m concerned, as long as Americans are going to insist on maintaining the un-rubrical practice of ushers filing people out pew by pew, then they should give those members, not receiving, the freedom to avoid public humiliation (ie, the un-rubrical practice of asking for a blessing).

Non-Americans enjoy this privacy in their churches. Why can’t we?
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Another reason not to remain in Mortal Sin any longer than necessary! Maybe bringing “a private matter out into public view” is just a consequence of the sin.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Another reason not to remain in Mortal Sin any longer than necessary! Maybe bringing “a private matter out into public view” is just a consequence of the sin.
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I didn’t know that we were required to make known our sinfullness for others to see. That doesn’ t seem to be the standard in other countries. Besides, you are assuming that those who refrain from communion are necessarily remaining obstinately in sin. That may not be the case, They may have honestly been impeded from getting to confession, have made a perfect act of contrition, be in the state of grace, but still need to refrain until sacramental reconciliation. Do these people deserve to be a spectacle? Especially in those parishes where most people have no scruples about approaching the altar for communion while living in gravely sinful states (cohabitation, fornication, contraception, etc…) and openly flaunt the church’s teachings?

No, no one is required to divulge the state of their soul. That doesn’ t give them license to make a sacreligious communion, but it puts them in a dilemma where the American Church custom (filing out of the pews) conflicts with traditional Catholic pastoral care of souls (ie, people are not required to divulge the state of their souls). This is why I think american catholics need to find a solution. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t insist on the un-rubrical filing out of pews on command without dealing with the greater need to allow each soul his dignity.
 
Some parishes do this. Some priests offer a blessing instead of a host for communion for non-Catholics to make them feel welcome (as we continue to work out the long-held disagreements between sects and past schisms). It is a acceptable way of ecumenical friendship. This goes for adults and pre-First Communion children.
 
This is why I don’t like standing at Communion time. Yes, it does make it harder to stay in the pew if someone is not receiving Communion. I got the impression standing at this time was initiated just so that everyone can be herded together into the Communion line. It used to be that we were all kneeling and if we were not going to Holy Communion we could sit down and those who wanted to go would more easily go passed us. If we are all to stand the one who doesn’t go to Communion is left standing alone, like a sore thumb. It was much less conspicuous to just sit it out or kneel in a spiritual communion. I hate the standing at Communion. There seems to be an effort to just get everyone to go up.
 
Cathryn said:
This is why I don’t like standing at Communion time. Yes, it does make it harder to stay in the pew if someone is not receiving Communion. I got the impression standing at this time was initiated just so that everyone can be herded together into the Communion line. It used to be that we were all kneeling and if we were not going to Holy Communion we could sit down and those who wanted to go would more easily go passed us. If we are all to stand the one who doesn’t is left standing alone, like a sore thumb. It was much less conspicuous to just sit it out or kneel in a spiritual communion. I hate the standing at Communion. There seems to be an effort to just get everyone to go up.
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During Communion everyone who cannot received Communion should be sitting or kneeling and received Spiritual Communion. I think most Catholics failed to realized that what they have in front of them is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus.

Give reverence and honor and adoration to him. If you really must need Jesus. Go to confession so you can received him worthily. If you are not Catholic, consider RCIA and convert become one of us.

That way, you will received the Lord worthily. Blessing I think demeans the Eucharist and it opens door to sin by having them bless. I don’t agree with blessing. You can’t add anything to the Mass.

You have to stick by the book… use the Missal. Read the GIRM. I have a file on it… read it…
 
Mannyfit75 said:
During Communion everyone who cannot received Communion should be sitting or kneeling and received Spiritual Communion. I think most Catholics failed to realized that what they have in front of them is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus.

Give reverence and honor and adoration to him. If you really must need Jesus. Go to confession so you can received him worthily. If you are not Catholic, consider RCIA and convert become one of us.

That way, you will received the Lord worthily. Blessing I think demeans the Eucharist and it opens door to sin by having them bless. I don’t agree with blessing. You can’t add anything to the Mass.

You have to stick by the book… use the Missal. Read the GIRM. I have a file on it… read it…
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I am able to receive Holy Communion. In my diocese it is the order of the Bishop that everyone stand. This was initiated a few years ago.
 
In my parish, not only are the priests and deacons giving out blessings to non-communicants in line, but so are the Eucharistic Ministers.

I am not making that up.
 
During Communion everyone who cannot received Communion should be sitting or kneeling and received Spiritual Communion.
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That would be nice and beneficial and reverent.

This is from the Portland GIRM which is the diocese I attend:
The faithful kneel after Agnus Dei unless the diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
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In the Archdiocese of Portland, the faithful stand after the Lamb of God.
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The GIRM indicates it is up to the Bishop.
 
Benedictine said:
In my parish, not only are the priests and deacons giving out blessings to non-communicants in line, but so are the Eucharistic Ministers.

I am not making that up.
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I know it happens. It was done at the Military Catholic Chapel. It was the first time I saw it done at Ft. Stewart like in March, 2007.
 
Cathryn said:
This is from the Portland GIRM which is the diocese I attend:

The GIRM indicates it is up to the Bishop.
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Aren’t all GIRM the same concerning the blessing. What page in the GIRM I have a PDF copy of it.
 
Mannyfit75 said:
Aren’t all GIRM the same concerning the blessing. What page in the GIRM I have a PDF copy of it.
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The faithful kneel after Agnus Dei unless the diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
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In the Archdiocese of Portland, the faithful stand after the Lamb of God.
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archdpdx.org/liturgy/girm.html

This was in regard to standing at Communion time. In Portland Diocese the Bishop choses to have everyone stand in some sort of solidarity or communion, even if not everyone is in communion.
I would prefer to kneel and rise to go to Communion, those who chose to not go to Communion could sit down. Instead we are herded up, for Communion or blessings.
 
Cathryn said:
archdpdx.org/liturgy/girm.html

This was in regard to standing at Communion time. In Portland Diocese the Bishop choses to have everyone stand in some sort of solidarity or communion, even if not everyone is in communion.
I would prefer to kneel and rise to go to Communion, those who chose to not go to Communion could sit down. Instead we are herded up, for Communion or blessings.
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Is that within the guidelines of the Vatican as well?
 
lepanto said:
Who says it’s acceptable? The Catechism? Canon Law? The GIRM or some other official Church document?
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I guess you need to show us Chapter 9 of the GIRM does not extend that far?
RebeccaJ said:
I see some people go up in the Communion line, arms crossed, and the Priest blesses them. Does this occur in all parishes? Should a person going up for a blessing bow like those receiving the Eucharist?
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I have seen this all my life, and I am older than a few years. Yes you should bow as that is humbling yourself before God. I read on the form this occurs in Italy, 'um I assume that is Italy the country with Rome not Italy, Texas
 
Texas_Roofer said:
I guess you need to show us Chapter 9 of the GIRM does not extend that far?

I have seen this all my life, and I am older than a few years. Yes you should bow as that is humbling yourself before God. I read on the form this occurs in Italy, 'um I assume that is Italy the country with Rome not Italy, Texas
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There is an Italy, TX, really?

Thanks for the information.
 
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