Medical attention during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

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FaithfulServ23

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I am looking for church documents or guidelines in regards to if a person were to have a heart attack or stroke during Mass. I understand the Mass to be a divine worship so why stop something so important. At the sametime I understand if a person is at the point of death that a priest may annoint or give the Viaticum for what may be a journey home. What points of the Mass can a bishop or priest attend a person and when can they not (middle of the eucharistic prayer)?
 
FaithfulServ23 said:
I am looking for church documents or guidelines in regards to if a person were to have a heart attack or stroke during Mass. I understand the Mass to be a divine worship so why stop something so important. At the sametime I understand if a person is at the point of death that a priest may annoint or give the Viaticum for what may be a journey home. What points of the Mass can a bishop or priest attend a person and when can they not (middle of the eucharistic prayer)?
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I assume you’re asking: can the priest interrupt the Mass to administer the Anointing of the Sick in the circumstances you describe? I hope your not implying we should all ignore someone having a heart attack until Mass is over.😃 If it is the former I’m not too sure what the answer is. There have been similar posts to this and I’m sure you’ll receive other responses.
 
FaithfulServ23 said:
I am looking for church documents or guidelines in regards to if a person were to have a heart attack or stroke during Mass. I understand the Mass to be a divine worship so why stop something so important. At the sametime I understand if a person is at the point of death that a priest may annoint or give the Viaticum for what may be a journey home. What points of the Mass can a bishop or priest attend a person and when can they not (middle of the eucharistic prayer)?
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Anytime during the mass.
The middle of the Eucharistic Prayer? suppose that the priest had an attack then?
 
No idea what the church documents say. Prudence and charity would expect that an usher or parishioner would call 911 and the person would receive whatever care they need from the EMTs. The priest could then administer the annointing of the sick after that. If your parish has more than one priest, someone could run over to the rectory to get the second priest if necessary.

Church documents wouldn’t necessarily speak to this exact circumstance. The priest shouldn’t interrupt the consecration once he’s begun, but circumstance other than someone else’s medical needs may mean he has to–something like fire breaking out in the building or the like.
 
FaithfulServ23 said:
I am looking for church documents or guidelines in regards to if a person were to have a heart attack or stroke during Mass. I understand the Mass to be a divine worship so why stop something so important. At the sametime I understand if a person is at the point of death that a priest may annoint or give the Viaticum for what may be a journey home. What points of the Mass can a bishop or priest attend a person and when can they not (middle of the eucharistic prayer)?
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There was a thread on this once before but I can’t find it. My understanding from that thread was that if someone is having a heart attack or otherwise taken very seriously ill the priest will not interrupt Mass. The ill person would have to be taken care of by whoever can help.
If the priest is the one taken ill then another priest is called for to continue the Mass, even if it takes hours to find one.
 
I have been at Mass three times when this has happened. Once the priest summoned the usher and whispered something to him, but Sunday Mass continued without missing a beat. At the end of Mass, I think the priest did ask us to keep the person in our prayers.

Another time, a lady fainted during daily Mass. It was right after the homily as the priest was offering a prayer of petition. He stopped in mid-sentence, went to the lady who was in the front row, instructed someone to call 911, and anointed her. We waited until the fire truck and ambulance arrived and did their thing. After they left, Mass continued. Most people stayed, and Father thanked us for that.

The third time was a Sunday Mass, and I didn’t realize that anything was amiss until we left Mass and saw a fire truck in front. I think that time it was someone who wandered in from the street, and the action may have transpired in the vestibule or even outside.

When I was in second grade, I was in church when a tornado hit. The roof was torn off, and i’m pretty sure Mass stopped at that point. I remember seeing the priest walking around inside the church later with an umbrella.
 
…When I was in second grade, I was in church when a tornado hit. The roof was torn off, and i’m pretty sure Mass stopped at that point…:ouch:

This thread makes me think of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Would any of us think He would disapprove of a priest pausing Mass long enough to administer rites to a possibly dying person?
 
Just spoke to my 75 year old priest friend. I asked him what he would do if he was saying Mass and someone had a heart attack. He said if there were no other priests present then he would interrupt the Mass and give the person the last rites and resume the Mass after that.
 
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