Women Extra Ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist?

[marlo]

I want to know what does the GIRM states about women being extra ordinary ministers of the Eucharist while there are a lot of men available in our parish to do this job.

Please don’t get me wrong I’m not a sexist, i just want to know that is the proper order

thanks
marlo

 

[JM3]

It doesn’t say.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html

1. The priest may be assisted in the distribution of Communion by other priests who happen to be present. If such priests are not present and there is a very large number of communicants, the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him, i.e., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose.[97] In case of necessity, the priest may depute suitable faithful for this single occasion.[98]

These ministers should not approach the altar before the priest has received Communion, and they are always to receive from the hands of the priest celebrant the vessel containing either species of the Most Holy Eucharist for distribution to the faithful.

1. When the distribution of Communion is finished, the priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; as for any consecrated hosts that are left, he either consumes them at the altar or carries them to the place designated for the reservation of the Eucharist.

Upon returning to the altar, the priest collects any fragments that may remain. Then, standing at the altar or at the credence table, he purifies the paten or ciborium over the chalice, then purifies the chalice, saying quietly, Quod ore sumpsimus (Lord, may I receive), and dries the chalice with a purificator. If the vessels are purified at the altar, they are carried to the credence table by a minister. Nevertheless, it is also permitted, especially if there are several vessels to be purified, to leave them suitably covered on a corporal, either at the altar or at the credence table, and to purify them immediately after Mass following the dismissal of the people.

 

[acarlson]

I’m sure that if the GIRM said something, then my home parish would have maybe 1/3 of the EMHC’s as we do now, and I wouldn’t be mandated in two dioceses (home and school). We have over 2,000 families in an “in the round” church style. It’s simply impractical, and possibly against fire code, to have that many people filtering around towards two lines.

 

[thistle]

At our Church all the EMHC’s are male but the Commentator and Readers are mostly female.

 

[puzzleannie]

the GIRM is silent on this issue. If the men are available in your parish why are they not volunteering?

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Instituted acolytes are, uniquely, de iure extraordinary ministers of holy communion.

After them, according to the 1973 instruction Immensae Caritatis, EMHCs “will be designated according to the order of this listing (which may be changed at the prudent discretion of the local ordinary): reader, major seminarian, man religious, woman religious, catechist, one of the faithful- a man or a woman.”

I assume “reader” here means not the ordinary readers/lectors at mass, but a formally instituted lector. I am not certain whether Immensae Caritatis is still in force, nor what decisions many local ordinaries (generally, diocesan bishops) may have made to alter this order.

 

[Phemie]

Instituted acolytes are, uniquely, de iure extraordinary ministers of holy communion.

After them, according to the 1973 instruction Immensae Caritatis, EMHCs “will be designated according to the order of this listing (which may be changed at the prudent discretion of the local ordinary): reader, major seminarian, man religious, woman religious, catechist, one of the faithful- a man or a woman.”

I assume “reader” here means not the ordinary readers/lectors at mass, but a formally instituted lector. I am not certain whether Immensae Caritatis is still in force, nor what decisions many local ordinaries (generally, diocesan bishops) may have made to alter this order.

Even if I.C. is still in effect, most parishes I’ve belonged to had no Instituted Acolyte or Reader/Lector, no major seminarian, no man or woman religious. That leaves catechists, who, in my experience have been 99% female, then the faithful. I’ve never seen a man turned away.

 

[ConstantineTG]

At our Church all the EMHC’s are male but the Commentator and Readers are mostly female.

Yes, in the Philippines it always males. The only female EMHCs are religious sisters. But this is a discipline imposed by the local Episcopal Conference, which they can certainly do.

 

[MissRose73]

Most parishes I’ve been to have a mix of male and female extraordinary ministers for the Eucharist and reading the 1st/2nd readings. The only time its been males is for EF as the priest has 2 male servers to assist at the altar then 1 helps him with Communion by holding the plate thing placed near the communicant when the host is given.

 

[Love_Divine]

the GIRM is silent on this issue. If the men are available in your parish why are they not volunteering?

Because the women are taking over. I have actually witnessed a female EMHC get into a tug-of-war with purificator when the the brand newly ordained priest caught her taking the chalice off the Altar to distribute it to the other EMHCs and he tried to get her to give her the chalice and purificator.It was a spiritually damaging moment for me. It’s instances like that which make me wish women would stay out of the sanctuary.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Puzzleannie here in my parish in NOVA (northern virginia) EMHCs are “called” or “invited” by the pastor of a parish. This is not a volunteer activity. We received a written and mailed letter asking if you would do so. Its formal. I never sought it out, the pastor called me regarding it. As such we are at about 50/50. I like our process, it keeps some of those seeking the spotlight out of the process.

 

[silicasandra]

Because the women are taking over. I have actually witnessed a female EMHC get into a tug-of-war with purificator when the the brand newly ordained priest caught her taking the chalice off the Altar to distribute it to the other EMHCs and he tried to get her to give her the chalice and purificator.It was a spiritually damaging moment for me. It’s instances like that which make me wish women would stay out of the sanctuary.

I hope you don’t mean to be uncharitable with statements like this. Certainly because one woman behaved in an inappropriate manner doesn’t mean that all women would be prone to such behavior, any more than a man would.

The guidelines shared by a PP seem to indicate that while having a layperson act as EMHC isn’t ideal, if it must be done there is no preference, man or woman.

There is a mixture of both men and women EMHCs at my parish, which is very large. I have not witnessed any of them behaving in a way that is inappropriate, although we are changing the logistics of how communion will be distributed to try and lessen the number used and to offer under both species - and I am definitely glad about that!

 

[zab]

I hope you don’t mean to be uncharitable with statements like this. Certainly because one woman behaved in an inappropriate manner doesn’t mean that all women would be prone to such behavior, any more than a man would.

The guidelines shared by a PP seem to indicate that while having a layperson act as EMHC isn’t ideal, if it must be done there is no preference, man or woman.

There is a mixture of both men and women EMHCs at my parish, which is very large. I have not witnessed any of them behaving in a way that is inappropriate, although we are changing the logistics of how communion will be distributed to try and lessen the number used and to offer under both species - and I am definitely glad about that!

Thank you.

 

[JulianNorwich]

Because the women are taking over. I have actually witnessed a female EMHC get into a tug-of-war with purificator when the the brand newly ordained priest caught her taking the chalice off the Altar to distribute it to the other EMHCs and he tried to get her to give her the chalice and purificator.It was a spiritually damaging moment for me. It’s instances like that which make me wish women would stay out of the sanctuary.

First of all, in an organization with a completely male hierarchy, one can hardly think women are “taking over.”

And if they were, why exactly would that be presumed to be a bad thing? People don’t seem to make disparaging remarks about men “taking over.”

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Even if I.C. is still in effect, most parishes I’ve belonged to had no Instituted Acolyte or Reader/Lector, no major seminarian, no man or woman religious. That leaves catechists, who, in my experience have been 99% female, then the faithful. I’ve never seen a man turned away.

Clearly so. I’m just giving the one official list of the preferred order from which EMHC should be chosen that I’m aware of.

When EMHCs were first allowed in 1969, women were only to be chosen if no other suitable person was available. The 1973 list seems to continue the pattern of preferring males for this particular ministry inasmuch as male religious are preferred over female religious for it, but the wording of the seems to make no distinction between male and female lay faithful for this service. Perhaps one could make the argument that the 1973 list should be interpreted according to the 1969 norm, but given the rapidity of change during that period, the fact that the list was so precise when it came to religious that one would have expected it to be just as precise regarding lay faithful if that had been the intention of the writers, and also given the discretion given to the local ordinary this may not be accurate or reasonable.

Personally I would like more of a connection retained between the male sex and the ministry of distributing communion (and also acting as lector and serving at the altar) to help retain the head-body/bridegroom-bride relationship between the sanctuary and the naive, and also the historically cleric-connected nature of these ministries (though as Paul VI discerned they can be delegated to ordinary laypeople), perhaps through a much wider use of (male) formally instituted lectors and acolytes (including as EMHCs, when truly needed), and a discontinuation of alter girls. I realize that this would be highly traumatic and scandalous to many Catholics though, so it may not be worth it, within our lifetimes at least. The fact that only men can be true acolytes and lectors does help in theory, though it hardly ever touches on ordinary parish life. Maybe that theoretical structure of ministry in the Church, if it survives this period which is a huge “if”, will someday act as a seed for a renewal of these ministries, but not anytime soon I think.

 

[Phemie]

Personally I would like more of a connection retained between the male sex and the ministry of distributing communion (and also acting as lector and serving at the altar) to help retain the head-body/bridegroom-bride relationship between the sanctuary and the naive, and also the historically cleric-connected nature of these ministries (though as Paul VI discerned they can be delegated to ordinary laypeople), perhaps through a much wider use of (male) formally instituted lectors and acolytes (including as EMHCs, when truly needed), and a discontinuation of alter girls. I realize that this would be highly traumatic and scandalous to many Catholics though, so it may not be worth it, within our lifetimes at least. The fact that only men can be true acolytes and lectors does help in theory, though it hardly ever touches on ordinary parish life. Maybe that theoretical structure of ministry in the Church, if it survives this period which is a huge “if”, will someday act as a seed for a renewal of these ministries, but not anytime soon I think.

You’ll have to start by convincing the bishops. In Canada, they have deceed that only men who are preparing for the priesthood can be Instituted Lectors and Acolytes.

 

[centurionguard]

the GIRM is silent on this issue. If the men are available in your parish why are they not volunteering?

Good question. And it deserves thought provoking debate.

But you might as well ask why in many parishes and dioceses less and less Alter Boys are serving at Mass as well?

Personally; if I can give charitable scrutiny here; the increasing population of female EMHC’s and Female Altar Girls was implemented by diocesan Bishops and Priest. I think this does little to promote a spiritual calling for older Altar boys into the priesthood with any remote desire to serve on the Altar because some priests don’t push it enough.

Sorry but No young guy wants a bunch of woman and girls on the sanctuary. This is not being chauvinistic. Its just a plain fact of nature.

Having women or girls on the sanctuary does nothing to inspire young men into the priesthood. Why some Bishops and Priests can’t figure that out is beyond me.

Again let me respectfully reiterate this has nothing to do with denigrating the role of women in the Church. Though I suspect some women may find this insulting.

But then again few people do understand the human equation in nature.
A complete breakdown in overall morality also adds to this ingredient for all respective parties. Who ever said this World was perfect.

 

[TrueLight]

.

Personally I would like more of a connection retained between the male sex and the ministry of distributing communion (and also acting as lector and serving at the altar) to help retain the head-body/bridegroom-bride relationship between the sanctuary and the naive…

I totally agree. If EMHC’s are stepping in as necessary and are giving communion, as the priest does, I don’t think they should be women.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

You’ll have to start by convincing the bishops. In Canada, they have deceed that only men who are preparing for the priesthood can be Instituted Lectors and Acolytes.

The same is true in most, though not all, dioceses in the United States.