Don't all Eucharistic Ministers have the responsibility to prevent profanation of the Sacrament?
Don't ushers, even, have the responsibility to prevent sacrilege in the Church? (I want to ask: why do the Knights of Columbus carry those swords?)
I'm not seriously suggesting shishkebabbing Kerry and Cuomo and the rest. But seriously: Canon Law says clearly that these open, manifest, grave, persistent, unrepentant, public offenders ARE NOT TO BE ADMITTED to Holy Communion.
Does anything exempt Eucharistic Ministers from carrying out this Canon?
An excellent question that has surfaced in the forum on several occasions. One of the issues, obviously entwined with this question, would be: "Is this (well known political) communicant in a state of grace?" And the only one to answer it would be the priest to whom the individual applied earlier that day or the day before, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (assuming that even happened).
From what I have seen over the years, normally the 'celebrity' communicant is seated up front in the Church and receives from the priest. I do recall, however, that during his run for the presidency, when all eyes (and cameras) were focused on him, John Kerry avoided the priest and went to a Eucharistic Minister. I also recall at the installation Mass for Bishop Sean O'Malley, Ted Kennedy was seated up front and left the Church before Communion.
Since the Eucharistic Minister would have no way of knowing if the 'celebrity' had gone to Confession, the onus is on the EEM to withhold communion, based on their own conscience.
At Pentecost this year, a group of Eucharistic Ministers actually stepped forward and distributed Communion to the rainbow sashers. They even planted individuals in the front rows, equipped with cameras, to catch their "statement" on celuloid.