Where should EMHC's consume the remaining Precious Blood?

[tequilamac]

The correct term is “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion” not “Eucahristic Minister”.

From the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
[154.] As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest”. Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. …
[156.] This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened.”

The point of the term “Extraordinary Minister” is that the Ordinary Minister is a bishop, priest or deacon. Others do the job when there is a special need and not enough Ordinary Ministers. Since the introduction of the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, around 1972, this is what the Vatican’s official documents have said.

What is the Vatican doing to discourage lay people from taking Communion to the sick, when not enough Ordinary Ministers are available? What is the Vatican doing to discourage exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? What is the Vatican doing to discourage Communion under both kinds?

I believe the Vatican is encouraging all these in its official documents. So what basis do you have for the assertion: “… the Vatican is attempting to if not suppress the use of EM’s, to discourage it.”

Yeah- but your stuff is a bit misleading as you left out the part I am discussing:

[151.] Only out of true necessity is there to be recourse to the assistance of extraordinary ministers in the celebration of the Liturgy. Such recourse is not intended for the sake of a fuller participation of the laity but rather, by its very nature, is supplementary and provisional.[252] Furthermore, when recourse is had out of necessity to the functions of extraordinary ministers, special urgent prayers of intercession should be multiplied that the Lord may soon send a Priest for the service of the community and raise up an abundance of vocations to sacred Orders.[253]

152.] These purely supplementary functions must not be an occasion for disfiguring the very ministry of Priests, in such a way that the latter neglect the celebration of Holy Mass for the people for whom they are responsible, or their personal care of the sick, or the baptism of children, or assistance at weddings or the celebration of Christian funerals, matters which pertain in the first place to Priests assisted by Deacons. It must therefore never be the case that in parishes Priests alternate indiscriminately in shifts of pastoral service with Deacons or laypersons, thus confusing what is specific to each.

And of course there is this:

If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons.[258]

[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

The parts in bold are what I am most concerned with. As I said earlier, my parish is tiny, tiny. Maybe 60 families max show up at Mass on Sundays. Our brand new priest inherited a gaggle of EMHC’s who still insist in assisting at every Mass. We have up to six EMHC’s at a time for a congregation of 60 families. And they KNOW what the Vatican thinks of this.
A cathedral or a special midnight mass in a urban area sure, have a couple extra people on hand. But this is too much. My parish is not alone. It is up to the EMHC’s to do what the Vatican document stated if they want to claim to be following the Vatican:

Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it.

 

[Walking_Home]

Yeah- but your stuff is a bit misleading as you left out the part I am discussing:

[151.] Only out of true necessity is there to be recourse to the assistance of extraordinary ministers in the celebration of the Liturgy. Such recourse is not intended for the sake of a fuller participation of the laity but rather, by its very nature, is supplementary and provisional.[252] Furthermore, when recourse is had out of necessity to the functions of extraordinary ministers, special urgent prayers of intercession should be multiplied that the Lord may soon send a Priest for the service of the community and raise up an abundance of vocations to sacred Orders.[253]

152.] These purely supplementary functions must not be an occasion for disfiguring the very ministry of Priests, in such a way that the latter neglect the celebration of Holy Mass for the people for whom they are responsible, or their personal care of the sick, or the baptism of children, or assistance at weddings or the celebration of Christian funerals, matters which pertain in the first place to Priests assisted by Deacons. It must therefore never be the case that in parishes Priests alternate indiscriminately in shifts of pastoral service with Deacons or laypersons, thus confusing what is specific to each.

And of course there is this:

If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons.[258]

[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

The parts in bold are what I am most concerned with. As I said earlier, my parish is tiny, tiny. Maybe 60 families max show up at Mass on Sundays. Our brand new priest inherited a gaggle of EMHC’s who still insist in assisting at every Mass. We have up to six EMHC’s at a time for a congregation of 60 families. And they KNOW what the Vatican thinks of this.
A cathedral or a special midnight mass in a urban area sure, have a couple extra people on hand. But this is too much. My parish is not alone. It is up to the EMHC’s to do what the Vatican document stated if they want to claim to be following the Vatican:

Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it.

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Maybe you should consider having a nice chat with your new priest—or write him a letter. From what you state—it seems the EMHCs consider themselves the authority.

 

[John_Lilburne]

If someone were rostered to read, they would feel a duty to attend and present themselves. The Ordinary Minister to do the readings is an instituted lector, a man instituted by a bishop. Only one person can proclaim the reading, so the correct thing would be for all the readings to be done by the instituted lector.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture.”

Even though the other person has been rostered, has attended and prepared.

An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion will feel a duty to follow the roster and present themselves. But they are not in a position to insist on this in the face of objections from the parish priest.

From the 2002 GIRM “97. The faithful, moreover, should not refuse to serve the People of God gladly whenever they are asked to perform some particular ministry or function in the celebration.”

And: “107. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.”

So perhaps be a little gentler with the EMHCs and a bit harder with the parish priest.

 

[tequilamac]

If someone were rostered to read, they would feel a duty to attend and present themselves. The Ordinary Minister to do the readings is an instituted lector, a man instituted by a bishop. Only one person can proclaim the reading, so the correct thing would be for all the readings to be done by the instituted lector.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture.”

Even though the other person has been rostered, has attended and prepared.

An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion will feel a duty to follow the roster and present themselves. But they are not in a position to insist on this in the face of objections from the parish priest.

From the 2002 GIRM “97. The faithful, moreover, should not refuse to serve the People of God gladly whenever they are asked to perform some particular ministry or function in the celebration.”

And: “107. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.”

So perhaps be a little gentler with the EMHCs and a bit harder with the parish priest.

I don’t think so. We are on our third priest in two years. The last one fled after telling me our parish had “more than it’s share of old shrews.” I was instituted as lector with him and the “shrews” objected as I was not born here.

Now our Bishop has imported a priest from the Philippines. He has only been with us for a couple of months. I don’t think he’s quite ready for the Battle of the Shrews. He’s still trying to make friends…

 

[Walking_Home]

I don’t think so. We are on our third priest in two years. The last one fled after telling me our parish had “more than it’s share of old shrews.” I was instituted as lector with him and the “shrews” objected as I was not born here.

Now our Bishop has imported a priest from the Philippines. He has only been with us for a couple of months. I don’t think he’s quite ready for the Battle of the Shrews. He’s still trying to make friends…

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Looks like your priest will meet some resistance. Hopefully–he will be a strong enough priest to deal with the situation. If he does start to exert himself–let him know you are on his side.