Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

I offer here a simple reflection on the present prevailing abuse of "ministers" which confuses the proper nature and function of the priest in the administration of the Sacraments, especially of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is good to consider the nature and role of the priest during this year of the priesthood. Bear in mind that my perspective comes from twenty five years of parish ministry in the northeast (including daily parish Masses during my yearly vacations in sundry parts of the country and the world).

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (emhc's) are not necessary in the parish liturgies of the United States to distribute Holy Communion. It is an artificial necessity produced by

1. needless use of the "cup" at Mass;

2. the ubiquitous communion line (which, along with "communion in the hand," considerably makes the distribution of the host more tedious and time-consuming for the priests and for the communicants [N.B. Kneeling reception at the communion rail is much more expeditious for the priest(s) distributing {because the communicant waits for him} and much more leisurely and devout {much less like "fast food"} for the communicant, who can remain in kneeling prayerful adoration for a few moments as the priest(s) go(es) down the rail.]);

3. the slothful neglect of the priests of the parish who should come out during communion time to help in the distribution when necessary; and

4. the tabernacle too far removed from the sanctuary.


The Catholic logic and true sacramental and sacerdotal perspective is that every parish should regret having to use emhc's and, therefore, use them as little as possible and ever less.

Every emhc should likewise regret having to handle the Most Sacred Host, the touching of which is proper only to the ordained clergy!

And every priest should himself regret and limit, as much as possible, by his sacramental zeal and work, this irregular situation.



Below is the relevant quote from the Vatican on this abuse and the need for immediate correction. The full text of the document is at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/laity/documents/rc_con_interdic_doc_15081997_en.html







Article 8 from the INSTRUCTION ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING THE COLLABORATION OF THE NON-ORDAINEDFAITHFUL IN THE SACRED MINISTRY OF PRIEST (LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA, VATICAN CITY 1997)

The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion



The non-ordained faithful already collaborate with the sacred ministers in diverse pastoral situations since "This wonderful gift of the Eucharist, which is the greatest gift of all, demands that such an important mystery should be increasingly better known and its saving power more fully shared".(95)



Such liturgical service is a response to the objective needs of the faithful especially those of the sick and to those liturgical assemblies in which there are particularly large numbers of the faithful who wish to receive Holy Communion.



§ 1. The canonical discipline concerning extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must be correctly applied so as to avoid generating confusion. The same discipline establishes that the ordinary minister of Holy Communion is the Bishop, the Priest and the the Deacon.(96)



Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are those instituted as acolytes and the faithful so deputed in accordance with Canon 230, § 3.(97)

A non-ordained member of the faithful, in cases of true necessity, may be deputed by the diocesan bishop, using the appropriate form of blessing for these situation, to act as an extraordinary minister to distribute Holy Communion outside of liturgical celebrations ad actum vel ad tempus or for a more stable period. In exceptional cases or in un foreseen circumstances, the priest presiding at the liturgy may authorize such ad actum.(98)

§ 2. Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion.(99) They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion. (100)

This function is supplementary and extraordinary (101) and must be exercised in accordance with the norm of law. It is thus useful for the diocesan bishop to issue particular norms concerning extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion which, in complete harmony with the universal law of the Church, should regulate the exercise of this function in his diocese. Such norms should provide, amongst other things, for matters such as the instruction in eucharistic doctrine of those chosen to be extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, the meaning of the service they provide, the rubrics to be observed, the reverence to be shown for such an august Sacrament and instruction concerning the discipline on admission to Holy Communion.



To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:



— extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;



— association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;



— the habitual use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of "a great number of the faithful".

(95) Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Premiss of the Instruction Immensae caritatis (29 January 1973), AAS 65 (1973), p. 264.
(96) Cf. C.I.C., can. 910, § 1; cf. John Paul II, Letter Dominicae coenae (24 February 1980), n. 11; AAS 72 (1980), p. 142.
(97) Cf. C.I.C., can. 910, § 2.
(98) Cf. Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction Immensae caritatis (29 January 1973), AAS 65 (1973), p. 264, n. 1; Missale Romanum, Appendix: Ritus ad deputandum ministrum S. Communionis ad actum distribuendae; Pontificale Romanum, De institutione lectorum et acolythorum.
(99) Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of The Code of Canon Law, Response (1 June 1998), AAS 80 (1988), p. 1373.
(100) Cf. Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction Immensae caritatis (29 January 1973), n. 1; AAS 65 (1973), p. 264; Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, Instruction Inestimabile donum (3 April 1980), n. 10: AAS 72 (1980), p. 336.
(101) Can. 230, § 2 and § 3 C.I.C., affirms that the liturgical services can be assigned to non-ordained faithful only "ex temporanea deputatione" or for supply.

For more on the topic of liturgical abuses please go to
http://catholicactionuk.blogspot.com/2008/05/liturgical-abuses.html

As you see, the proper perspective here is restrictive and requiring the greatest care to safeguard the exclusivity of the priestly function so as to show the uniqueness of the priestly nature and dignity.