Replies

It is Christ we are receiving in the Eucharist. Taking Him from an EEM doesn't lessen His Presence nor the graces one receives.

I agree. If the matter, form, intention, etc. are valid Christ is present no matter who you receive Him from. My issue is not with validity or graces. I sincerely believe that receiving Him into my unconsecrated hands, from hands also unconsecrated offends Him. I don't want to be a party to that. There is nothing in our Church history indicating that this was ever the norm, and nothing that suggests that the use of EMs has brought about deeper devotion to the Real Presense.

It is already a reality that laymen are conducting Communion services in some mission parishes on Sundays, and during the week in many others when the priest is unavailable.

Here in our country? If so, I can't help but wonder where their missions are located. Can they not travel a bit to get to a Mass? Is there no priest who can travel to bring Mass to them? Are people settling for this perhaps because its convenient? And really, how positive can the long term effects of such a situation possibly be?

Drastic times call for drastic measures, sure. But what are the requirements for becoming an EM? Obviously no one is without sin, but it seems to me a person meets the requirements simply by wanting to do the task. You asked me earlier if a priest with a "lavish lifestyle" waters down belief in the Real Presense, I said he could. But I also think his "lifestyle" is less apparent to the average Catholic than the EM who lives in the community. There's more of a chance of scandal with an EM. And as I understand it, an EM is not permitted to deny Communion to anyone. That's a risk of scandal, too. If you're an EM and a doctor whom you know provides abortions comes to you to receive, what do you do?

IIRC, in my NO parish the priest would was his fingers both before the consecration and after distribution of Communion. How come the EMs didn't do likewise? How come the faithful receiving in the hand don't do likewise? The cleansing of the fingers either means something and has a purpose, or it doesn't.