Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

[Gwyn]

Can anyone offer some guidance on this one?

Is there a proper form to use when a child or adult approaches an Extraordinary Minister in the Communion Procession but who does not wish to take Holy Communion? A priest or Deacon can simply give a blessing, but where does this leave the EMHC who cannot actually bless?

Thanks for any input brethren/sistren.

Gwyn.

[alan29]

I have seen them lay a hand on the head and say "God bless you," as a parent might to a child.
Alan

[Southern Comfort]

It is quite untrue to say that a Minister of Communion cannot give a blessing.

I have a priest friend who, when someone says to him "Please, Father, will you bless my rosary?", responds with a very firm "No!", and then adds "...but I'll ask God to". This is precisely the theological point. No one can give a blessing, not even a priest. All that any of us can do is invoke God's blessing on the person or thing. Parents 'bless' their children (perhaps not so much these days), and we say "Bless you!" when someone sneezes.

The problem is that many people view what happens during a blessing as something akin to transubstantiation - the person or thing is changed. Actually, that's not the case, and that's why a rosary or other artefact blessed by the Pope has no greater intrinsic value (except by association) than one blessed by your PP. In neither case have they actually blessed it themselves - God has, at their request. When we ask God to bless something or someone, we pray that through that person or thing others may be made more holy - sanctified, if you like. At the end of Mass, the priest does not say "I bless you...." but "May Almighty God bless you....".

I believe that a number of dioceses have guidelines which specifically state that lay Ministers of Communion may give a blessing, and even provide sample words for this. My own diocese certainly does. These guidelines also state that touching the head may be undesirable on hygienic grounds, but that a hand held over the head is fine.

[Gwyn]

Interesting response, Southern Comfort. THat makes perfect sense.

That's useful Alan29.

Thanks both.
Gwyn.

[docmattc]

Can I muddy the waters with a bit of Canon Law?

Can. 1169 §1. Those marked with the episcopal character and presbyters permitted by law or legitimate grant can perform consecrations and dedications validly.
§2. Any presbyter can impart blessings except those reserved to the Roman Pontiff or bishops.
§3. A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law.

This seems to make things a bit more complicated than that which Southern Comfort's suggests.

I think the question hinges on the issue of what is a blessing. There is some distinction between a blessing by a lay person and one given by an ordained minister. If there wasn't, no would would ask Father to bless their rosary, they'd do it themselves.
Its going to take a better theologian/liturgist than me to define it though. Is Presbyter about?

[JW]

The context of the Canon Law quote seems to refer to formal liturgical blessings. These aren't the only kind and the Church makes provision at times for laity giving blessings - for example the concluding blessing laid down for the Office differs according to whether a priest or deacon is present or not. However they are both blessings as they both contain the word 'bless'. I often "bless" people when they sneeze and intend to continue to do so. Also, I have sometimes "blessed" my children following OT tradition.

[organist]

Remember Andy Raine at summer school? Most important thing he said was "We should bless each other" - in other words ask God bless every one you meet. Goodbye is originally God be with you!

[Gwyn]

Thanks for your responses everyone. They have clarified things for me.

Organist wins for being the earliest contributor - 5.46am. Phew!

[festivaltrumpet]

Can anyone offer some guidance on this one?

Is there a proper form to use when a child or adult approaches an Extraordinary Minister in the Communion Procession but who does not wish to take Holy Communion? A priest or Deacon can simply give a blessing, but where does this leave the EMHC who cannot actually bless?

Gwyn.

I apologise if it is considered impolite to resume old threads on this forum. Recently some official thinking on this topic was reported which differs from the conclusions reached here.

There is no proper form for either the Extraordinary or Ordinary Minister to use in such a case. Those who cannot receive communion should remain in their seats.

[Southern Comfort]

I apologise if it is considered impolite to resume old threads on this forum. Recently some official thinking on this topic was reported which differs from the conclusions reached here.

There is no proper form for either the Extraordinary or Ordinary Minister to use in such a case. Those who cannot receive communion should remain in their seats.

I'm afraid dear old Tony Ward, who among others at the Congregation is intent on undoing everything that Vatican II achieved, is completely wrong. His theology has always been up the spout, and he doesn't understand the difference between an informal blessing (which is what we were talking about) and a formal liturgical blessing (complete with textual form and gesture, which is reserved to a deacon or priest). The nonsense about being very worried about blessings at communion in case divorced-remarried folk should come up to get one and thus be seen to be in some way approved of by the Church is nothing more than paranoid bunk. And his personal musings are not (yet) "official thinking", though in the present climate they may unfortunately become so.

Fr McNamara, whose column Ward's response is quoted in, is also well-known as a liturgical and ecclesiological conservative.

That said, we also need to know that there is a school of thought which is currently debating this whole issue in a more rational manner (than McNamara on Zenit) in other internet liturgy fora. The feeling among a proportion of academic liturgists is that no one should be in the Communion procession who is not going to receive when they get to the end of it - that the powerful symbolism of being in the Communion procession (which our bishops enunciate brilliantly in Celebrating the Mass, 210) is to a degree undermined when non-communicants are present in the "line". There is more to it than that, of course, but that will do for now.

On the other hand there is a pastoral viewpoint on this which, if enough people are interested, I would be happy to outline here. It would run counter to festival trumpet's final two sentences, quoted above.

[festivaltrumpet]

he doesn't understand the difference between an informal blessing (which is what we were talking about) and a formal liturgical blessing (complete with textual form and gesture, which is reserved to a deacon or priest).

If we accept that this is the case, do those in the communion procession grasp that difference any better?