Posted on 07/08/2002 5:14:57 PM PDT by NYer
In response to the question: "What is the church's teaching on Eucharistic Ministers? Are women allowed to be Eucharistic Ministers?
Bill offers the following response:
In 1969 the Holy See ruled that "a woman of outstanding piety may be chosen in case of necessity, that is, whenever another fit person cannot be found." In 1973, the role was expanded to be as open to women as to men; the document "Immensae Caritatis" makes no differentiation between men and women as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
Pope Paul VI's January 29, 1973 decree permitting non-ordained persons to distribute Holy Communion (Instruction on Facilitating Communion in Particular Circumstances) and the 1983 revised Code of Canon Law (Canons 230 and 910) describe in very specific language the circumstances that could make the use of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist advisable. There are three-- (1) The lack of an Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist; (priest, deacon, or ordained acolyte) (2) The inability of an Ordinary Minister to function because of ill health or advanced age; (3) An unwieldy number of communicants with an insufficient number of Ordinary Ministers.
It is clear that Pope Paul VI and the revised Code of Canon Law had good intentions--but the lived reality in the United States has had negative consequences. The above clearly defined circumstances notwithstanding, it has become routine in most parishes to have Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist assist with the distribution of Holy Communion, regardless of the number of communicants or available clergy--even for small daily Mass congregations. Because of the extensive use of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, many parishioners see their priests only when they are celebrants at Mass. This means that priests are absent from their people at the peak moments of parish life. Often priests are available to greet people before and following Sunday liturgy--but are not available to distribute Holy Communion.
The newsletter of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Liturgy stated in its February 1988 issue: "When ordinary ministers (bishops, priests, deacons) are present during a Eucharistic celebration, whether they are participating in it or not, and are not prevented from doing so, they are to assist in the distribution of Communion. Accordingly, if the ordinary ministers are in sufficient number, special ministers of the Eucharist [Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist] are not allowed to distribute Communion at that Eucharistic celebration." This decision was approved by Pope John Paul II.
Mother Teresa, God rest your soul, and Fr. Rutledge. Wouldn't it be more respectful to cusp one's hands in a manner as to make a 'throne' to receive the Holy Eucharist adoringly rather than receiving by tongue....In Sir.28, 12-26 is this not what the tongue is capable of doing?
How about a dissertation on what the hand is capable of? Would you make the same argument to St. Thomas Aquinas and attempt to refute Summa Theologica?
How is Father and font these days?
After Mass this week the new priest said "I guess you noticed that the bathtub is gone" and before he could go any futher everybody started clapping.
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