Q: Can a Eucharistic minister withhold Communion from someone?

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graceandglory

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This is completely hypothetical; I don’t think I will ever choose to be a EMHC.
If I were distributing the Eucharist, and someone came to receive from me,
and I knew they were in mortal sin, let’s say a non-repentant family member, who is just showing up to cause trouble and discomfort;
no judgement here, could be a proudly practicing homosexual, child molester, or wife beater; maybe someone I knew who was in the midst of embezzlement or something.

Does an EMHC have a right to withhold the EUcharist?
 
I think there are a number of issues raised here, not least of which is Judgement, which is reserved for God. Years ago we were taught that under no circumstances was communion to be withheld because it could be interpreted wrong by the faithful. Since the person approaching may have gone to confession immediately prior to entering the Mass,
 
How do you know this person didn’t go to confession right before Mass? Has God given you the ability and authority to judge souls?
 
graceandglory said:
This is completely hypothetical; I don’t think I will ever choose to be a EMHC.
If I were distributing the Eucharist, and someone came to receive from me,
and I knew they were in mortal sin, let’s say a non-repentant family member, who is just showing up to cause trouble and discomfort;
no judgement here, could be a proudly practicing homosexual, child molester, or wife beater; maybe someone I knew who was in the midst of embezzlement or something.

Does an EMHC have a right to withhold the EUcharist?
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Communion can only be withheld if the sin is publicly known. Private information should not be used to publicly address an issue.
 
graceandglory said:
This is completely hypothetical; I don’t think I will ever choose to be a EMHC.
If I were distributing the Eucharist, and someone came to receive from me,
and I knew they were in mortal sin, let’s say a non-repentant family member, who is just showing up to cause trouble and discomfort;
no judgement here, could be a proudly practicing homosexual, child molester, or wife beater; maybe someone I knew who was in the midst of embezzlement or something.

Does an EMHC have a right to withhold the EUcharist?
Click to expand...
Canon law permits withholding of the Eucharist only in cases of manifest, grave sin which is obstinately persisted in. This means, in general, that the priest must have had a sit-down-talk with that person and advised them to cease their sinning or face withholding of the Eucharist. Only if they persist in their manifest sin is the priest then within his rights to invoke the relevant section of canon law in withholding Eucharist. In general, this means an EMHC should never withhold Eucharist without firm instruction on the part of the priest. Given that priests rarely ever invoke this section of canon law, this will probably never happen.
 
Anna_Claire said:
Never!
Also,with the feelings you hold toward other Christians, you are correct that you should not be part of that ministry.
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Hello,

While your “feelings” toward the OP are rather clear, I’m not sure what these “feelings” you mention are and how you know what “feelings” the OP has toward other Christians. It’s a good, hypothetical question with hypothetical circumstances and no sure course of action proposed by the OP.

Anyway, regarding the hypothetical scenario, of course an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion *can *withhold Communion. Whether or not it is the correct course of action would depend on whether or not the minister was sure that the communicant was obstinately persisting in manifest grave sin–in other words, that the communicant is publicly unworthy.

The above link to the opinion of Dr. Peters is a good start in understanding the issue. Practically, an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion should not be making these decisions without the consent and counsel of the pastor. However, there are certain cases where this is not necessary because the diocesan bishop (such as in Chicago regarding the “rainbow sash movement” catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20040601.htm or Card. Burke when he was a bishop in the USA ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/BURKELET.HTM) or “the Vatican” (such as in regard to the divorced and remarried vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/intrptxt/documents/rc_pc_intrptxt_doc_20000706_declaration_en.html esp. # 3b and #4) has said that Communion should not be administered. Even so, the parish priest should be made aware of the EMHC’s intentions before the Mass so there will not be any “incidents.”

Dan
 
NewEnglandPriest said:
Communion can only be withheld if the sin is publicly known. Private information should not be used to publicly address an issue.
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Exactly, and I would add that an EMHC can only do so under specific instructions from the priest or local Ordinary
 
graceandglory said:
This is completely hypothetical; I don’t think I will ever choose to be a EMHC.
If I were distributing the Eucharist, and someone came to receive from me,
and I knew they were in mortal sin, let’s say a non-repentant family member, who is just showing up to cause trouble and discomfort;
no judgement here, could be a proudly practicing homosexual, child molester, or wife beater; maybe someone I knew who was in the midst of embezzlement or something.

Does an EMHC have a right to withhold the EUcharist?
Click to expand...
NO, NEVER.

The laity simply does not have that authority.

One may, however addresses their concerns to their Priest and/or their Bishop in private. However in some of the cases listed, one would first need to contact the Police and especially if an individual was in or suspected to be in immediate harm WITHOUT DELAY!
 
Apparently even priests can’t withhold, given the current state of affairs ( recently cases in the news ect) so surely EMHC can’t.

Eucharist for all seems to be the rallying cry.

:mad:
 
Cider said:
Apparently even priests can’t withhold, given the current state of affairs ( recently cases in the news ect) so surely EMHC can’t.

Eucharist for all seems to be the rallying cry.

:mad:
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They can, but certain conditions need to be met. Namely, they need to make clear to the offender that their sins are manifest and grave and need to be repented of or else they will be severed from the body and blood of Christ. I suspect you’re referring to the lesbian Buddhist case in DC, which, while the Father was morally in the right, ran afoul of canon law because he did not warn the woman about her sins and the need to discontinue them.

Overall, yes, the EMHC can withhold communion, but not on their own authority – only in the case of firm instruction by the priest or bishop. I don’t think anyone could fault an EMHC alerting the priest to the manifest and grave sins of a particular person, though, so that he might speak with them.
 
agnes_therese said:
How do you know this person didn’t go to confession right before Mass? Has God given you the ability and authority to judge souls?
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There are two relevant Canons that would deny a person Holy Communion. Your comment on the state of their soul is Canon 916

There is another Canon 915, that address the current public behavior of the recipient, and is there to protect Holy Communion from scandal. The actual state of the person’s soul is immaterial. What matters is a change of public behavior.
Can. 915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.
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Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
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Canon 915 is based on the theology of the Church as articulated by Aquinas.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III:q 80: article 6
“A distinction must be made among sinners: some are secret; others are notorious, either from evidence of the fact, as public usurers, or public robbers or from being denounced as evil men by some ecclesiastical or civil tribunal. Therefore Holy Communion ought not to be given to open sinners when they ask for it.”
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Note, though that the determination of manifest sin must come from an ecclesial source. That would include the priest or the local Ordinary and cannot be the determination of a lay EMHC.
 
At EMHC training at our parish we were told that we have authority to deny communion under only one circumstance - if the person presenting themselves was chewing gum.

-Tim-
 
Cider said:
Not in the DC diocese, the bishop has a rule saying you can never refuse anyone the eucharist.
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Unless that rule conforms with some other section of canon law that I’m not aware of, it’s illicit. Cardinal Wuerl may himself choose not to invoke that section of canon law, as would be his right, but unless another section of the law gives him the authority to dictate it’s applicability within his archdiocese, he cannot forbid other priests from obeying it.
 
graceandglory said:
This is completely hypothetical; I don’t think I will ever choose to be a EMHC.
If I were distributing the Eucharist, and someone came to receive from me,
and I knew they were in mortal sin, let’s say a non-repentant family member, who is just showing up to cause trouble and discomfort;
no judgement here, could be a proudly practicing homosexual, child molester, or wife beater; maybe someone I knew who was in the midst of embezzlement or something.

Does an EMHC have a right to withhold the EUcharist?
Click to expand...
Dan…the OP has made his feelings clear. He would have trouble giving communion to people whom he has decided are non-repented sinners.
We don’t ask…We never know if a person has been reconciled. We never know what is in their heart. we are all sinners. If anyone has questions in their mind or may be judgmental in the communion line…they should not participate in this ministry.
 
People who receive this sacrament unworthily will be eating and drinking judgement upon themselves.

If it is now not the “done thing” for even a priest to refuse the Eucharist to someone, then I would like to hear more homilies on why some people should refrain from receiving.
 
Maybe we Catholics should have little “punch cards” that we can take to confession with us, and show to the EMHC or any other person in the congregation who has a quesion as to whether or not someone else should be receiving communion. :rolleyes:

Bottom line here-
NO ONE, WITHOUT DIRECT CONSENT OF A PRIEST OR BISHOP, CAN OR SHOULD DENY THE EUCHARIST TO ANYONE, EVER!!
 
Anna_Claire said:
Dan…the OP has made his feelings clear. He would have trouble giving communion to people whom he has decided are non-repented sinners.
We don’t ask…We never know if a person has been reconciled. We never know what is in their heart. we are all sinners. If anyone has questions in their mind or may be judgmental in the communion line…they should not participate in this ministry.
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Hello,

I hope I’m not the only one who sees a bit of irony or contradiction in your statement. The OP is not even a “he” and did not say “he” would “have trouble” doing anything. “He” was asking a reasonable question yet you, apparently a reader of hearts and souls, think you are justified in declaring “him” unworthy/unable to be an EMHC.

Dan
 
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