Trouble in confirmation class

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Califman831

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During confirmation class last week the instructor demonstrated the part where the priests blesses and eats the eucharist. Normally I would not find fault with this except this was done on the actual altar and the instructor has made statements to the class that women are also included in the priesthood which contradicts whats is written in the catechism. Question, under what circumstances may one use the altar and the surrounding area? I was under the impression that this area was for the sole use of the priests and his assistants?
 
Califman831 said:
During confirmation class last week the instructor demonstrated the part where the priests blesses and eats the eucharist. Normally I would not find fault with this except this was done on the actual altar and the instructor has made statements to the class that women are also included in the priesthood which contradicts whats is written in the catechism. Question, under what circumstances may one use the altar and the surrounding area? I was under the impression that this area was for the sole use of the priests and his assistants?
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In your Catechism, look up the references to “priesthood and priest” and you will find an explanation of the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. I think you may have misunderstood your instructor on this. All of the faithful belong to the “priesthood of the faithful”, sometimes called the “priesthood of believers”, women and men, but only those men ordained by the Sacrament of Holy Orders belong to the mnisterial priesthood.

I don’t know about the altar.
 
CB_Catholic said:
In your Catechism, look up the references to “priesthood and priest” and you will find an explanation of the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. I think you may have misunderstood your instructor on this. All of the faithful belong to the “priesthood of the faithful”, sometimes called the “priesthood of believers”, women and men, but only those men ordained by the Sacrament of Holy Orders belong to the mnisterial priesthood.

I don’t know about the altar.
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I don’t think it’s so much that the OP was confused as was the instructor. One shouldn’t blur the lines between the ministerial pristhood and the common priesthood, especially, if the students are of an impressionable age and might easiliy be led astray.

The notion of using the altar as a prop is also very problematic. This is not a First Holy Communion class. These students should already be beyond that point. Even with the First Communion class, I wouldn’t go so far as to have anything on the altar because that would really blur the lines. It is sad that even the catechists aren’t being properly catechized.🤷
 
What in the world would such a demonstration have to do with instructions for Confirmation? :confused:
 
A lay person should use the altar is most Masses.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. above, no. 74).
An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.”

This is from the description of Mass without a Deacon. If there was a deacon, or concelebrants then a lay person would not have to do this.

So you will not find a general rule about only priests using an altar in any way.
 
John_Lilburne said:
A lay person should use the altar is most Masses.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. above, no. 74).
An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.”

This is from the description of Mass without a Deacon. If there was a deacon, or concelebrants then a lay person would not have to do this.

So you will not find a general rule about only priests using an altar in any way.
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Not to mention that in a Liturgy of the Word with Communion (Communion Service) the EMHC brings the Blessed Sacrament to the altar for the Communion Rite.
 
John_Lilburne said:
A lay person should use the altar is most Masses.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. above, no. 74).
An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.”

This is from the description of Mass without a Deacon. If there was a deacon, or concelebrants then a lay person would not have to do this.

So you will not find a general rule about only priests using an altar in any way.
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John, this was not in the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, nor in a Communion Service. This was a demonstration concerning the priest and his reception of communion. I find this rather problematic because one shouldn’t use the altar for demonstrative purposes, especially in front of a group of students who are well beyond First Communion age.

What the OP described was not a liturgical function at all. It was more of a ahow-and-tell scenario, and, a most inappropriate one, at that.
 
This was not a mass; so there is no problem with the instructor making it clear that they are NOT saying mass, but merely demonstrating what the priest does.

There is a priesthood of all the baptized. This idea is promulgated in the catechism, as well as by every “far right”, “orthodox” priest I’ve ever known as well.

It was the OP who got confused, not the catechist.
 
Califman831 said:
During confirmation class last week the instructor demonstrated the part where the priests blesses and eats the eucharist. Normally I would not find fault with this except this was done on the actual altar and the instructor has made statements to the class that women are also included in the priesthood which contradicts whats is written in the catechism. Question, under what circumstances may one use the altar and the surrounding area? I was under the impression that this area was for the sole use of the priests and his assistants?
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The altar is not to be used for anything except the celebration of the Mass and other specific liturgical functions, and only by those authorized to do so.
 
PaixGioiaAmor said:
This was not a mass; so there is no problem with the instructor making it clear that they are NOT saying mass, but merely demonstrating what the priest does.

There is a priesthood of all the baptized. This idea is promulgated in the catechism, as well as by every “far right”, “orthodox” priest I’ve ever known as well.

It was the OP who got confused, not the catechist.
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She does stress that point about the baptized but so far has not said a word about the papal position that only men can be priests. The demostration could have been done away from the altar, without it appearing to be some political point, on a classroom table for example.
 
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