From EWTN’s frequently asked questions page:
Who has the capacity to bless another person? I know that clergy may bless, but can laity do this also? And if the laity blesses, what exact formula is involved, and what is appropriate? Do they have power of laying on hands, like the Apostles did? Thanks and God Bless You Nick
Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 09-29-2004: Priests and bishops can always bless people.
Deacons can bless according to the blessings permitted in the Book of Blessings, which are rather broad. So deacons generally can bless people in most circumstances.
Laity can only bless people in restricted circumstances and following specific guidelines and using the official words. For example, parents can always bless their own children, making the sign of the cross on their foreheads. This blessing is based in Scripture and the relationship of authority and responsibility that parents have with their children.
I would suggest reviewing the official Book of Blessings for other circumstances where lay people can bless. I cannot think of any circumstance where a lay person can do the laying on of hands. The Book of Blessings is clear that lay persons, when giving blessings, do not imitate gestures reserved to the ordained (e.g., making a large sign of the cross). Often, the blessings by a lay person uses different wording, such as “May God bless us…” rather than “you.” A widespread abuse that I have noticed and have tried to correct in a prior parish was to see extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion bless children who have not yet received first Holy Communion with a large sign of the cross at Communion time. This is clearly outside of the norms of law. At most what might seem justified would be simply to say, “God bless you,” like someone might say to another person when they sneeze. This might be justified by the force of custom, although I would not be surprised if the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments condemned this at some point.
