Openly gay Eucharistic Minister?

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ncguy

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At Mass on Sunday, I noticed one of the Eucharistic Ministers was someone who is openly gay (lives with his “partner”). Should I say something to someone (the pastor knows)? Should I just go to a different line for Communion? Should I not be concerned because we’re all sinners? Any responses would be appreciated.
 
All you know is that they share a dwelling. You don’t know if they’re having sex.

I know many same-sex couples who are in what’s called a “mariage a blanc”.

Mind your own business.

I would also remind you that the Church condemns Donatism as a heresy. If the spiritual state of the priest does not affect the efficacy of the Sacraments he celebrates, how much more does that apply to the one who merely helps distribute Communion?
 
The only way you have a case is if the minister is manifestly (publically) admitting practicing homosexual acts. If he’s just living with a person of the same sex and the homosexual part is merely being implied through the gossip mill, you are off the map.
 
ncguy said:
Should I just go to a different line for Communion?
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Its alright, ‘‘gay’’ isn’t contagious 😃 .

As far as I’m aware because we’re all sinners then it is ok, and as the poster above said, openly gay doesn’t necessarily mean actively gay.
 
ncguy said:
At Mass on Sunday, I noticed one of the Eucharistic Ministers was someone who is openly gay (lives with his “partner”). Should I say something to someone (the pastor knows)? Should I just go to a different line for Communion? Should I not be concerned because we’re all sinners? Any responses would be appreciated.
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You have received some good advice, but it’s a little more subtle than that. If this is an individual who introduces another man as his “partner” within your community then he needs to be dealt with – even if he hasn’t spoken out publicly about actively living a homosexual lifestyle, by your pastor. Failing to do so can really take a toll on a parish.

If on the other hand if two men are simply splitting rent/a mortgage and people are gossiping, then they should be ashamed of themselves.
 
bpbasilphx said:
All you know is that they share a dwelling. You don’t know if they’re having sex.

I know many same-sex couples who are in what’s called a “mariage a blanc”.

Mind your own business.
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Then I’d guess it would be OK for an unmarried couple (male/female) to live together?

Think scandal…
 
Personally I’d just go in another line. I would not like that persons hands near my mouth. The STD rate for the gay community is high.
 
Think –

Mind your own business.

In this day and age, I would also wonder where the priest’s hands have been.
 
…yet another reason why permitting Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion was a bad idea. It gave Satan a massive opportunity to profane the Eucharist, and he’s taken full advantage.
 
mschrank said:
Personally I’d just go in another line. I would not like that persons hands near my mouth. The STD rate for the gay community is high.
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Ech, I resent that. “Gay” does not equal “unable to control themselves”.

Whatever he’s got on his hands(especially considering that at least in my parish, all EMHC’s wash their hands right before receiving Communion) can’t be any worse than what’s on any other EMHC’s hands.
 
bpbasilphx said:
If the spiritual state of the priest does not affect the efficacy of the Sacraments he celebrates, how much more does that apply to the one who merely helps distribute Communion?
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Because the Church said when it introduced the capacity of “extraordinary minister of Holy Communion” in Immensae Caritatis:The faithful who are special ministers of communion must be persons whose good qualities of Christian life, faith, and morals recommend them. Let them strive to be worthy of this great office, foster their own devotion to the Eucharist, and show an example to the rest of the faithful by their own devotion and reverence toward the most august sacrament of the altar. No one is to be chosen whose appointment the faithful might find disquieting.
The Church repeated herself in Redemptionis Sacramentum, n. 46:The lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them. It is fitting that such a one should have received a liturgical formation in accordance with his or her age, condition, state of life, and religious culture. No one should be selected whose designation could cause consternation for the faithful.
It’s not like we’re calling for a “how good a Catholic are you?” witch-hunt.
 
Dauphin said:
…yet another reason why permitting Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion was a bad idea. It gave Satan a massive opportunity to profane the Eucharist, and he’s taken full advantage.
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? Do openly gay EM’s profane the Eucharist any more than openly gay, or child abusing, priests?

Please look up “Donatism”.
 
theistgal said:
? Do openly gay EM’s profane the Eucharist any more than openly gay, or child abusing, priests?

Please look up “Donatism”.
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I’m well aware of what Donatism is and it’s utterly unrelated to the issue at hand. Please state the definition of donatism so we can see just how irrelevant it is. Go ahead - look it up. It has absolutely no bearing on whether it’s appropriate for laymen to distribute Holy Communion.

If a priest stomps on the Eucharist, I’m not a Donatist if I say that’s wrong. I’m talking about whether certain activities increase the risk of profanation of the Host. I believe the permission to use Extraordinary Ministers does just that.
 
theistgal said:
? Do openly gay EM’s profane the Eucharist any more than openly gay, or child abusing, priests?

Please look up “Donatism”.
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Here it is. Please explain the relevance to the issue at hand
The primary disagreement between Donatists and the rest of the early Christian church was over the treatment of those who renounced their faith during the persecution of Roman emperor Diocletian (303–305), a disagreement that had implications both for the Church’s understanding of the Sacrament of Penance and of the other sacraments in general.

The Donatists refused to accept the sacraments and spiritual authority of the priests and bishops who had fallen away from the faith during the persecution. Many church leaders had gone so far as to turn Christians over to Roman authorities and had handed over sacred religious texts to authorities to be publicly burned. These people were called traditors (“people who had handed over”). These traditors had returned to positions of authority under Constantine I, and the Donatists proclaimed that any sacraments celebrated by these priests and bishops were invalid.
 
theistgal said:
? Do openly gay EM’s profane the Eucharist any more than openly gay, or child abusing, priests?

Please look up “Donatism”.
Click to expand...
No one said they do. You’re attempting a strawman argument.

‘A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent’s position. To “set up a straw man argument” is to describe a position that superficially resembles an opponent’s actual view but is easier to refute, then attribute that position to the opponent (for example, deliberately overstating the opponent’s position).A straw man argument can be a successful rhetorical technique (that is, it may succeed in persuading people) but it carries little or no real evidential weight, because the opponent’s actual argument has not been refuted.’

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Why are you trying to introduce “openly gay, or child abusing, priests” into this discussion? A little shock value to make an openly homosexual EMHC more palatable?

Please stick to the matter under discussion.
 
ncguy said:
At Mass on Sunday, I noticed one of the Eucharistic Ministers was someone who is openly gay (lives with his “partner”). Should I say something to someone (the pastor knows)? Should I just go to a different line for Communion? Should I not be concerned because we’re all sinners? Any responses would be appreciated.
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It is the pastors responsibility to see to it that public EMHC are practicing Catholics in good standing with the Church. Such as not living with someone to whom they are not married.
 
Such as not living with someone to whom they are not married.

Like monks or nuns in a religious community?
 
Whatever he’s got on his hands(especially considering that at least in my parish,** all EMHC’s wash their hands right before receiving Communion)** can’t be any worse than what’s on any other EMHC’s hands.

I have never seen this occur in the parishes near me…

Another reason to stop this practice…

pax
 
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