Who can deal with the Tabernacle?

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snow_white

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I attend a Church where the Tabernacle is on the side, in a glassed room. Before and after Communion, the Eucharistic Ministers (normally women) are the ones who open and close the Tabernacle. Is that allowed? I thought only the Acolyte or the priest could do that.
 
Most people around here will say “no, that is not allowed.” Which is kind of true, but those women are called Extraordinary ministers, so in that case it is allowed. But a lot of people do not like EMs.
 
Just thought of something here. If the Reserved Hosts are kept in a room off to the side, how can the priest retrieve them. Isnt the Priest supposed to NOT leave the sanctuary until the distribution of the Eucharist. If they did, that would leave Jesus unattended on the altar.
 
She might mean IN the Sanctuary. We have the Tabernacle off to the side in the Sanctuary.
 
I think that the rules require that a priest obtain, and return, the hosts from the tabernacle during mass. However this seems to be commonly ignored, with the bishop’s at least implicit approval.

On the other hand, EMHC’s who are taking the Eucharist to the sick, may retrieve and return hosts to the tabernacle, if it is not convenient to receive them from a priest or EMHC at Communion time in the mass.

I prefer to obtain hosts at Communion time to preserve the linkage of the sick call to the mass. However, it is almost never convenient to return an unused host at Communion time. Returning them to the tabernacle is much preferred to the alternative of the EMHC consuming them.
 
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