Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Purification of Sacred Vessels in U.S.
ROME, FEB. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Our Feb. 12 column touched on the Holy Father's decision not to renew the indult permitting extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels. Subsequently, several readers asked if I could give further explanations as to the reasons behind the decision.
Not being privy to the discussions between the Pope and the U.S. bishops, I think it is necessary to take at face value the reasons cited in Cardinal Francis Arinze's letter. That letter emphasized that the possible manners of distributing Communion rendered the need for many vessels moot, and it did not seem opportune to derogate from a general law that applied to the whole Church.
It is necessary to understand that the norm reserving purification of the vessels to an ordained minister or instituted acolyte applies to the celebration of Mass, or a Communion service presided over by an ordained minister, in which the Church acts as a hierarchically arrayed community. In such a community each minister fulfills his or her precise ministry.
During Mass, the role of extraordinary minister of Communion is to assist the priest and deacon in distributing the Eucharist when this assistance is requisite. No other roles are foreseen for extraordinary ministers during Mass.
Outside of Mass, duly authorized extraordinary ministers may perform other duties such as taking Communion to the sick, conducting Communion services when no ordained minister is available, and exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. In performing these deeds extraordinary ministers offer an invaluable service to the Church and to the good of souls.
In such specific cases, as is logical, authorized extraordinary ministers may perform duties that are normally reserved to the priest or deacon at Mass, such as taking the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle, reserving it after Communion or adoration, and, consequently, also purifying any sacred vessels that need purifying.
Another reader asked why the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte are reserved to males, while readers, servers and extraordinary ministers may be of either sex.
In 1972 Pope Paul VI published an apostolic letter, "Ministeria Quaedam," in which he announced his decision to abolish the erstwhile "minor orders" of porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte and the "major order" of subdeacon, hitherto received in steps by all candidates to the priesthood. Paul VI replaced these orders with the two ministries of lector and acolyte. The new ministries were no longer reserved to seminarians. But because of the historic connection of the ministries with the sacrament of orders, the Holy Father decided that they would be open only to laymen.
In the same document, Paul VI also abolished the historic rite of first tonsure, which canonically ascribed a seminarian to the clerical state. Henceforth, one would be a cleric only upon receiving ordination to the diaconate.
Our Feb. 12 column touched on the Holy Father's decision not to renew the indult permitting extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels. Subsequently, several readers asked if I could give further explanations as to the reasons behind the decision.
Not being privy to the discussions between the Pope and the U.S. bishops, I think it is necessary to take at face value the reasons cited in Cardinal Francis Arinze's letter. That letter emphasized that the possible manners of distributing Communion rendered the need for many vessels moot, and it did not seem opportune to derogate from a general law that applied to the whole Church.
It is necessary to understand that the norm reserving purification of the vessels to an ordained minister or instituted acolyte applies to the celebration of Mass, or a Communion service presided over by an ordained minister, in which the Church acts as a hierarchically arrayed community. In such a community each minister fulfills his or her precise ministry.
During Mass, the role of extraordinary minister of Communion is to assist the priest and deacon in distributing the Eucharist when this assistance is requisite. No other roles are foreseen for extraordinary ministers during Mass.
Outside of Mass, duly authorized extraordinary ministers may perform other duties such as taking Communion to the sick, conducting Communion services when no ordained minister is available, and exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. In performing these deeds extraordinary ministers offer an invaluable service to the Church and to the good of souls.
In such specific cases, as is logical, authorized extraordinary ministers may perform duties that are normally reserved to the priest or deacon at Mass, such as taking the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle, reserving it after Communion or adoration, and, consequently, also purifying any sacred vessels that need purifying.
Another reader asked why the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte are reserved to males, while readers, servers and extraordinary ministers may be of either sex.
In 1972 Pope Paul VI published an apostolic letter, "Ministeria Quaedam," in which he announced his decision to abolish the erstwhile "minor orders" of porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte and the "major order" of subdeacon, hitherto received in steps by all candidates to the priesthood. Paul VI replaced these orders with the two ministries of lector and acolyte. The new ministries were no longer reserved to seminarians. But because of the historic connection of the ministries with the sacrament of orders, the Holy Father decided that they would be open only to laymen.
In the same document, Paul VI also abolished the historic rite of first tonsure, which canonically ascribed a seminarian to the clerical state. Henceforth, one would be a cleric only upon receiving ordination to the diaconate.
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