Self communing is forbidden, correct?

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Tarpeian_Rock said:
By this logic, someone is unlawfully “taking” the Eucharist when they have the chalice in their hands, only to tip it into their own mouth, even if they were handed the chalice by an authorized minister. To conform to the principle you cited, the minister with the Precious Blood should “place on the tongue” that also.
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Wrong. That is exactly the same as receiving the Host in your hand. Once it has been placed in your hands you have received it. You may then put it in your mouth.
 
FAB said:
I’m givining the priest the benefit of the doubt.
At what point does a person recieve. If as clergy, I am in the process of giving the person the host and instead of it going to their palm they take it with thier fingers they have recieved it form me, although not as prefered.
With the precious blood, a person is taking the chalice and drinkig from it, they have recieved it.
The only difference in a person taking the host off a patton or from a cleargy’s fingers in the 3" of metal.
I propose this is what is happening and to leave it in the hands, no pun intended, of the clergy.
Deacon Frank
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A person receives when the Host is placed on their tongue or in the palm of their hand.
 
tafan said:
I know that, but did not want to type “Eucharistic Minister or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion”. In this case, either one being at the side altar to distribute the Precious Blood would seem to make it legitimate, so it seemed fine the way I phrased it.
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It confuses people. Many EMHC’s still think they are Eucharistic Ministers. They are not.
Not much typing if you had simply said the “priest or an EMHC”.
 
thistle said:
Wrong. That is exactly the same as receiving the Host in your hand. Once it has been placed in your hands you have received it. You may then put it in your mouth.
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So by direct analogy it would be OK for a Minister of Holy Communion to offer the paten which I then take and lift the host from it, consume the host and hand back the paten? Is that any better than offering the paten from which I take the host? We’re into extreme hair splitting here and someone has already pointed out that the pastor is attempting to make a reasonable accommodation for a disability, so I think we should just submit to his judgement in this regard.
 
Elizium23 said:
So by direct analogy it would be OK for a Minister of Holy Communion to offer the paten which I then take and lift the host from it, consume the host and hand back the paten? Is that any better than offering the paten from which I take the host? We’re into extreme hair splitting here and someone has already pointed out that the pastor is attempting to make a reasonable accommodation for a disability, so I think we should just submit to his judgement in this regard.
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The EMHC is not permitted to offer you the paten for you to take the Host.
A priest or EMHC must place the Host on your tongue or in your hand.
It is not permitted for the Communicant to TAKE the host from the paten.
If an EMHC has a disability that does not enable them to properly distribute the Host then they should step down from that duty.
 
One method I have seen is that the communicant brings a pyx to the priest before Mass with an approved low-gluten host inside it. It is consecrated on the altar inside the pyx, which is open during the Consecration. When the communicant comes forward to receive, the priest says “The Body of Christ” and hands him the pyx, which the communicant then opens and consumes the host.
 
thistle said:
If an EMHC has a disability that does not enable them to properly distribute the Host then they should step down from that duty.
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Psst… the ‘disability’ is the gluten intolerance on the part of the communicant… 😉
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
One method I have seen is that the communicant brings a pyx to the priest before Mass with an approved low-gluten host inside it. It is consecrated on the altar inside the pyx, which is open during the Consecration. When the communicant comes forward to receive, the priest says “The Body of Christ” and hands him the pyx, which the communicant then opens and consumes the host.
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Yep, I’ve seen this, too. The problem, though, might come into play when a larger number of gluten-intolerant communicants utilize this solution. Can you imagine a priest or EMHC juggling a large number of pyxes, and trying to get the right one to the right person?

Of course, in this case, an EMHC might be utilized solely for the distribution of low-gluten hosts, from a dedicated paten.
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
One method I have seen is that the communicant brings a pyx to the priest before Mass with an approved low-gluten host inside it. It is consecrated on the altar inside the pyx, which is open during the Consecration. When the communicant comes forward to receive, the priest says “The Body of Christ” and hands him the pyx, which the communicant then opens and consumes the host.
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This what they do in my parish.
 
Dear Hamburglar,

Long time since we last communicated. Have you finished college? And have you discerned your vocation ?

Well any way back to your question. It’s good that you found your answer yourself / or did you already know that?

You are correct when you quote the GIRM, but we must remember the reason for such a rule and fight the need to turn such a rule into a golden calf. Christ reminds us that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around.

In the Divine Liturgy (anglican use) there is a sentence that the priest says post consecration prayer and prior to the distribution of the Eucharist, which is “the gifts of God for the people of God”. If one thinks about it this really a very profound statement. And there is the answer to your question.

Another poster made the statement that we should “receive” and not “take” the Eucharist. But that begs the question, what did Christ mean when he said " take and eat this is my body". (Matt 25:26)

Hamburglar you stated that you were going to confront your priest with this information that you uncovered, I am not sure if this a wise course of action. If you did confront your priest, I would be interested in what his reaction was.

In the Love of Christ,

Br Mark. osb
 
It’s also hard when you consider the severeity of the gluten intolerance. I have a friend who has celiac to the extreme that he cannot even touch a surface that gluten has recently touched without having to be rushed to the ER. So what do you do under those circumstances?
 
If its a parish that distributes Communion under both species then such a person could receive from the chalice and not receive the Host. Christ is fully present in both species so its not necessary to receive both.
 
hamburglar said:
At my parish, they offer low-gluten hosts for those with gluten allergies. The priest has instructed those who wish to receive one of these to tell him they want a low-gluten Host and to take the Blessed Sacrament from the paten themselves so that the priest doesn’t touch the Eucharist and spread gluten onto it. This seems borderline sacrilege. This is forbidden, right? Please provide documentation.
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I’m sorry to be pedantic, but why is it so important for people not to take the Blessed Sacrament from the paten themselves? Would God mind? If God would understand and not mind - should we?
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
One method I have seen is that the communicant brings a pyx to the priest before Mass with an approved low-gluten host inside it. It is consecrated on the altar inside the pyx, which is open during the Consecration. When the communicant comes forward to receive, the priest says “The Body of Christ” and hands him the pyx, which the communicant then opens and consumes the host.
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Gorgias said:
Yep, I’ve seen this, too. The problem, though, might come into play when a larger number of gluten-intolerant communicants utilize this solution. Can you imagine a priest or EMHC juggling a large number of pyxes, and trying to get the right one to the right person?

Of course, in this case, an EMHC might be utilized solely for the distribution of low-gluten hosts, from a dedicated paten.
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I’ve seen this. What we have is an extra tray (not a paten, just a gold tray). The altar server stands with the tray beside and a little bit behind the priest. If someone needs a gluten free host they indicate this to the priest when coming up.
 
hamburglar said:
Is anybody able to find anything in Canon Law, GIRM, something from the CDWDS, or anything of that sort? I want to be able to present official documentation when I bring this issue up with the priest. I really feel this is something that is a major abuse that might constitute sacrilege (although probably unintentional).
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It can’t be sacrilege for one lay person to do this and not for another – and an EMHC who distributes Communion at a lay-led service self communicates per the documents.

This may be the best way for your pastor to deal with those who need low-gluten Hosts. This is definitely one time that I’d keep my nose out of it.
 
minkymurph said:
I’m sorry to be pedantic, but why is it so important for people not to take the Blessed Sacrament from the paten themselves? Would God mind? If God would understand and not mind - should we?
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It would be quite presumptuous for us to suppose God would not mind if we broke a law of His church.
 
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