Non-Catholic Eucharistic Ministers

[Alterum]

Are non-Catholic baptized Christians allowed to be Eucharistic ministers? Can someone point out what the Church teaches, and where?

Thanks!

 

[cmgeo]

Dont you have sufficient Catholics for distributing Communion?
For non Catholics Eucharist is a piece of bread
Should they have to be Eucharistic ministers?

Alterum:

Are non-Catholic baptized Christians allowed to be Eucharistic ministers? Can someone point out what the Church teaches, and where?

Thanks!

 

[Brendan]

And picking nits here

But a Eucharistic Minister is one who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist, namely a priest or bishop only.

What you are refering to is a “Minister of Holy Communion” which is one who distributes Holy Communion to the Faithful.

A priest or deacon is an Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and a lay person can be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

But a deacon or a lay person is NOT a Eucharistic Minister.

 

[cameron_lansing]

Alterum:

Are non-Catholic baptized Christians allowed to be Eucharistic ministers? Can someone point out what the Church teaches, and where?Thanks!

The term “Eucharistic minister” is something of a misnomer, as canon 912, cited below, would indicate.

Canon law, the liturgical law and rites of the Church, and the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 1993, simply do not envision this possibility. The Eucharist is a sign of ecclesial unity and intrimately connected to the Church served by her ministers.

Canon 912 provides that “§1. The ordinary minister of holy communion is a bishop, a presbyter or a deacon. §2. The extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is an acolyte or other member of the Christian faithful designated according to the norm of can. 230,§3.” Properly understood, all these parties would need to be Catholic (which is what “Christian faithful” means in the context of the code).

Canon 834 would summarize the practice of restricting such care of the Blessed Sacrament and its underlying theology: “§1. The Church fulfills sanctifying function in a particular way through the sacred liturgy, which an exercise of the priestly function of Jesus Christ. In the sacred liturgy the the sanctification of humanity is signified through sensible signs and effected in a manner proper to each sign. In the sacred liturgy, the whole public worship of God is carried out by the Head and members of the mystical Body of Jesus Christ. §2. Such worship takes place when it is carried out in the name of the Church by persons legitimately designated and through acts approved by the authority of the Church.”

To my knowledge, the Church has not designated such others to do what you mention (but I could always be surprised).

There is only the limited condition of canon 844 §2 in which a Catholic might receive the sacrament from a non Catholic (and baptized) Christian ministers. I do not think you mean to include this in your question, but I’ll mention it in case you could have had this in mind. Otherwise, please ignore it. “Whenever necessity requires 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.” Generally, the Churches in which the sacraments would be considered valid are the separated Churches of the East, i.e., the Eastern Orthodox. They would not include those in the Anglican or or Reformation communions.

Looking into the possibility (the most remote one I could think of at the time) that a non Catholic chaplain in the military might be authorized to give Holy Communion to Catholics (using consecrated Hosts), I also discovered that the practice is expressly prohibited by the Military Archdiocese of the U.S. Similarly, I am not aware of pastoral care chaplains of other faiths who have been authorized to take “Catholic communion” to the the sick, but someone may be.

 

[Alterum]

Thanks for all the info.

So, short answer – it’s not really okay to have a non-Catholic distribute the Eucharist.

I was wondering because this happened on campus recently, though I don’t think the priest knew that the person in question was not Catholic (and I do not think the person knew that there was anything wrong with it).

 

[Fidelis]

Official Church documents are sort of vague on the issue.

From the US Bishop’s Committee in the Liturgy document on Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

When the size of the congregation or the incapacity of the bishop, priest, or deacon requires it, the celebrant may be assisted by other bishops, priests, or deacons. If such ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not present, “the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him, i.e., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose. In case of necessity, the priest may also depute suitable faithful for this single occasion (GIRM 162).”

That leads to the question of what is meant by “the faithful.” The following is from the glossary of the Catechism, and the referenced sections:

FAITHFUL, THE CHRISTIAN: Those who have been incorporated into Christ in Baptism and constituted as the people of God, the Church (871). The term “lay faithful” refers to the laity, all the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church (897).

**871 **
“The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one.”

897
“The term ‘laity’ is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church. That is, the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world.”

Now, common sense would dictate that by “the faithful” is meant baptized Catholics. However, I can see some persons being able to find enough wiggle-room to include anyone that has been baptized.

 

[iserve]

It seems rather strange that the priest did not notice that this person did not recieve Communion prior to distribution. This is part of the protocol and might send out a huge signal to him that something is wrong.

PS. It was certainly not the laity that suddenly began calling themselves Eucharistic Ministers. Had the name been clearly defined when the practice began, it would not be a problem today, so cut a little slack for those who misuse it.

 

[m134e5]

cmgeo:

Dont you have sufficient Catholics for distributing Communion?
For non Catholics Eucharist is a piece of bread
Should they have to be Eucharistic ministers?

If there aren’t enough Catholics for one to be an EMHC, then they don’t need one. If no lay person is available (who can be an EMHC), they don’t have to give the chalice (they don’t have to give the chalice anyway…)

You said “For non Catholics Eucharist is a piece of bread”. The Eucharist is the Eucharist- whether you believe in the real presence or not does not make the real presence happen or not happen- He is there- truly and substantially- regardless of whether or not you believe. A communion service that is not Catholic or Eastern Orthodox does not have a valid eucharist- it is a piece of bread.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Alterum:

Are non-Catholic baptized Christians allowed to be Eucharistic ministers? Can someone point out what the Church teaches, and where?

Thanks!

Here is my thinking. IF the Church prohibits Non-Catholic Christians from being Godparents or Sponsors. One must be at least 16, Baptized and Confirmed active Catholic, in good standing with the Church. Since Holy Communion is also a Sacrament. Then it seems to me that a person acting in a extra-ordinary MINISTRY within a public liturgy of the Church would also at least be required to meet these requirements.