Is this proper for EMHC'S

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Today I attended a funeral mass. There were not that many people so I felt there was no need for EMHC’s. But anyway, there were two that went up to help the priest. One of them happened to be a pallbearer. He and another pallbearer were with the county sherriff’s office so both wore their full uniform and police equipment; walkie talkie, handcuffs, maze, and handgun, etc. Do you think it was proper for an EMHC’s to be distributing communion while wearing a handgun? It happened to be his parish and apparently he is one of the gobs of EMHC’s they have there. What are the church rules about how EMHC’s should dress?

Thanks for your replies.
 
My parish requires men to at least wear a tie and preferrably a jacket.

I don’t see any problem with a sheriffs deputy serving as an EMHC when he is in uniform as long as his radio is off and he isn’t using his gun and pepper spray:D .

Peace

Tim
 
Pax vobiscum!

If ever watch the EWTN Mass on TV, there is an armed policeman that comes up for Communion in full uniform. He stands at the front doors and acts as security, I believe, because I have read that people have shot at the chapel in the past. How great of an overtime job would that be! Going to the EWTN Mass!

I am sure I’ll be attending Mass in full uniform at times because I’m going to be a police officer when I graduate college.

In Christ,
Rand
 
TobyLue said:
Today I attended a funeral mass. There were not that many people so I felt there was no need for EMHC’s. But anyway, there were two that went up to help the priest. One of them happened to be a pallbearer. He and another pallbearer were with the county sherriff’s office so both wore their full uniform and police equipment; walkie talkie, handcuffs, maze, and handgun, etc. Do you think it was proper for an EMHC’s to be distributing communion while wearing a handgun? It happened to be his parish and apparently he is one of the gobs of EMHC’s they have there. What are the church rules about how EMHC’s should dress?

Thanks for your replies.
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I would say that that would be improper dress for an EMHC.

There is nothing wrong with him receiving Holy Communion , but not acting as a minister.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I would say that that would be improper dress for an EMHC.

There is nothing wrong with him receiving Holy Communion , but not acting as a minister.
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Then would it also be improper for a Marine in dress uniform and a man in shorts, flip flops and a tank top? Both of which I have seen by the way.
 
The Church laws cannot predict every conceivable situation in the international community. This was very, very strange, and probably won’t happen again, especially after they train their next group of EMHC’s.
 
palmas85 said:
Then would it also be improper for a Marine in dress uniform and a man in shorts, flip flops and a tank top? Both of which I have seen by the way.
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No to the Marine, I don’t think, if he/she is on a military base. Consult military regulations on this one for rules off-duty.

Yes to the man with shorts, flip flops and a tank top, considering that it is not proper to attend dressed like this, let alone serve as such.
 
palmas85 said:
Then would it also be improper for a Marine in dress uniform and a man in shorts, flip flops and a tank top? Both of which I have seen by the way.
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Now, palmas, don’t you know that shorts, tank tops and flip flops are the new norm for
EMHC? :rolleyes:
 
palmas85 said:
Then would it also be improper for a Marine in dress uniform and a man in shorts, flip flops and a tank top? Both of which I have seen by the way.
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In my opinion yes. A person serving in a ministry should be dressed for the part. The focus needs to be on the Eucharist not them.
 
Merely my opinion, but the deputy was certainly acting out of the Emergency part of EMHC. The priest made the determination he needed two. This man was one of them. One doesn’t always have a place to put one’s weapon safely, such as a home vault with a lock. The safest place for that weapon was on the peace officer.
 
Merely my opinion, but the deputy was certainly acting out of the Emergency part of EMHC. The priest made the determination he needed two. This man was one of them. One doesn’t always have a place to put one’s weapon safely, such as a home vault with a lock. The safest place for that weapon was on the peace officer.
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Well, the priest was a visiting priest and this looked like it was planned well ahead of time. The priest had barely finished the consecration when these two persons got up. The priest didn’t call them. There was a lady there that seemed to be the organizer as she was directing the lectors and she called these two persons and took them to the tabernacle without the priest signaling that he needed assistance. So the priest didn’t act out of an emergency. Besides with about 20 persons going up to receive communion we can’t say that it would have prolonged the mass if only the priest distributed communion.
 
If there is a reason for a uniformed police officer to be called upon unexpectedly to serve as an EMHC, then there should be no issue with his or her mode of dress and them carrying the sidearm. If they were had a reason to be at Mass in their uniform, this shouldn’t be held against them. The safest place for a police officer’s sidearm in this instance is on HIS belt, not sitting on a countertop in the Sacristy.

People really should never be at Mass in shorts or flipflops, so if they are EMsHC and there is an unexpected need for EMsHC, they shouldn’t be called upon.

In this situation, since it was planned in advance to have these two deputies distribute Communion, I still don’t have an issue with the uniform/side arms ASSUMING that there was a legitimate purpose for the deputies to be wearing them to the funeral.

As for using EMsHC when there was no need, that is a judgement call of the priest, and I want to stay out of questioning the judgement of a priest in these matters.
 
One might ask was the one being buried in some way connected with the officers. May have been a way of honoring the dead person.
 
Perhaps the issue of more importance is that the OP says there really was no need for EMHC, since the attandance was low. :rolleyes:
 
Thank you all for your replies. As I stated, the attendance was low and the priest was a visiting priest and he did call for assistance. This was planned ahead of time and the deceased was uncle and grandfather to those who were in uniform. I have a brother who retired as a police officer. When my dad and then my mom passed away, my brother didn’t wear his uniform. However, there was a larger escort than usual provided by the police department. Several cars and several motorcycle patrolmen plus the assistant of the police chief. They were in attendance during the mass and they did wear the sidearms but stayed towards the back of the church. At my mothers funeral there was a very large congregation so the priest at that time did call for help in distributing communion but it was an authorized EMHC and only one. (This was not a my present parish BTW). I had no problem with the patrolmen wearing their uniform and being pallbearers. I just had a problem with one of them distributing communion.

Thanks all and God Bless…
 
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