Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Training

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Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Training

Practicalities
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Selected Church Documents

• General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)
• Redemptionis Sacramentum
• Instruction On Certain Questions regarding The
  Collaboration of the Non-Ordained faithful in the
  Sacred Ministry of Priest.

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General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)

• Published 2005
• Approved by Rome
• Recommended reading

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• 1970 editio typica latina
• 1975 editio typica altera
• 2000 editio typica tertia

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Adaptation of the Missale Romanum
1. Translation ICEL and Liturgiam
authenticam 2. Appendix for the Ireland 3.
Norms for Holy Communion
under Both Kinds
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GIRM - General principles

• In every celebration of the Eucharist, there
  should be a sufficient number of ministers of
  Holy Communion so that it may be distributed in a
  reverent and orderly manner. Bishops, priests and
  deacons distribute Holy Communion in virtue of
  their office as ordinary ministers of the Body
  and Blood of the Lord.
• (Cf. GIRM, no. 108.)

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GIRM - General principles

• If such ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are
  not present, "the priest may call upon
  extraordinary ministers to assist him, i.e., duly
  instituted acolytes or even other faithful who
  have been deputed for this purpose. In case of
  necessity, the priest may also depute suitable
  faithful for this single occasion (GIRM 162).

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GIRM - General principles

• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should
  receive sufficient spiritual, theological, and
  practical preparation to fulfil their role with
  knowledge and reverence.

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GIRM - General principles

• All ministers of Holy Communion should show the
  greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by
  their demeanour, their attire, and the manner in
  which they handle the consecrated bread or wine.

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

• If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are
  required by pastoral need, they approach the
  altar as the priest receives Communion. After the
  priest has concluded his own Communion, he
  distributes Communion to the extraordinary
  ministers, assisted by the deacon, and then hands
  the sacred vessels to them for distribution of
  Holy Communion to the people.

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

• Neither deacons nor lay ministers may ever
  receive Holy Communion in the manner of a
  concelebrating priest.
• The practice of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy
  Communion waiting to receive Holy Communion until
  after the distribution of Holy Communion is not
  in accord with liturgical law. (GIRM, 160).

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

• After all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy
  Communion have received the Eucharist, the bishop
  or priest celebrant reverently hands vessels
  containing the Body or the Blood of the Lord to
  the deacons or extraordinary ministers who will
  assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.
  The deacon may assist the priest in handing the
  vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord
  to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

• The proper and only permissible form for
  distributing Holy Communion is to offer the
  consecrated bread by saying, "The Body of Christ"
  and to offer the consecrated wine by saying, "The
  Blood of Christ." No other words or names should
  be added and the formula should not be edited in
  any way. (Cf. GIRM, 161 284-287).

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The Reception of Communion

• Those who receive Communion may receive either in
  the hand or on the tongue, and the decision
  should be that of the individual receiving, not
  of the person distributing Communion.
• They may receive standing of kneeling.

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Reception of Holy Communion

• When one receives from the chalice, the same
  proclamation is made by the person distributing
  Communion and the Communicant again responds
  'Amen.' It should be noted that it is never
  permissible for a person to dip the host he or
  she has received into the chalice. If, for some
  reason, the communicant is not able or willing to
  drink from the cup then that person should
  receive only under the form of bread.

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Redemptionis Sacramentum

• It is the right of all Christs faithful that
  the Liturgy, and in particular the celebration of
  Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes.
• -RS 12

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What is liturgical abuse?

• Something that would contribute to the obscuring
  of the Catholic faith and doctrine concerning
  this wonderful sacrament.
• Redemptionis Sacramentum 6

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• To evangelise the world there is need of
  apostles who are experts in the celebration,
  adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist.
• Eucharist and Mission - Message for World Mission
  Sunday 2004

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• It is not in herselfbut in us that the Church
  is injured. Let us take care so that our own
  failure may not cause injury to the Church
• De Virginitate
• Saint Ambrose

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Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

• The name minister of the Eucharist belongs
  properly to the Priest alone. By reason of their
  sacred Ordination, the ordinary ministers of Holy
  Communion are the Bishop, the Priest and the
  Deacon.154
• In addition there is the instituted acolyte, who
  by virtue of his institution is an extraordinary
  minister of Holy Communion even outside the
  celebration of Mass.

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• If, reasons of real necessity prompt it, another
  lay person may be delegated by the diocesan
  Bishop, for one occasion or for a specified time.
• Finally, in special cases of an unforeseen
  nature, permission can be given for a single
  occasion by the Priest who presides at the
  celebration of the Eucharist. 155
• This function is to be understood according to
  the name by which it is known extraordinary
  minister of Holy Communion, and not special
  minister of Holy Communion extraordinary
  minister of the Eucharist nor special minister
  of the Eucharist. 156

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Instruction On Certain Questions

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

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• 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.
• 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.

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• 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".

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The Apostolate to the Sick

• It must also be affirmed that the reservation of
  the ministry of Anointing to the priest is
  related to the connection of this sacrament to
  the forgiveness of sin and the worthy reception
  of the Holy Eucharist. No other person may act as
  ordinary or extraordinary minister of the
  sacrament since such constitutes simulation of
  the sacrament.