Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Training Practicalities

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.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) Published 2005 Approved by Rome Recommended reading

The Missale Romanum 1970 editio typica latina 1975 editio typica altera 2000 editio typica tertia

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

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.)

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).

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.

Redemptionis Sacramentum It is ‘the right of all Christ’s faithful that the Liturgy, and in particular the celebration of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes’. -RS 12

What is ‘liturgical abuse’? Something that would ‘contribute to the obscuring of the Catholic faith and doctrine concerning this wonderful sacrament’. Redemptionis Sacramentum 6

‘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

‘It is not in herself…but in us that the Church is injured ‘It is not in herself…but 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

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.

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]

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.

§ 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.

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".

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.