| Viewing Single Post From: Services of Word and Holy Communion | |
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| Fortunatus | Saturday, 27. June 2009, 11:45 |
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I take your point but I don't actually agree with you. We have a rota for EMs to take Communion to the sick. Since there are never more than three on any one day according to the current list I have to ask what our parish priest is up to. What has happened is that the creation of EMs has given priests the opportunity to back away from one of their prime responsibilities (IMHO) of visiting the sick. And what happens if an EM turns up with Communion and the recipient feels obliged in a state of considerable embarrassment to refuse for whatever reason? I agree that the housebound might be considered less likely than the average to get themsleves into a state of mortal sin (though why one should make that assumption I am not sure) but what if they feel the need to go to Confession anyway? The Church tells us that the two sacraments are linked; surely the one function the priest should not be delegating is his care for the spiritual well-being of the sick unless he absolutely has to. And "I've got a baptism immediately after Mass" is not a good enough reason, though I have heard it. The need for EMs in some parts of the world (and perhaps even in some parts of the UK though probably only a very small percentage of those that actually have them) has provided those who appear not to understand the difference between the ordained priesthood and the universal priesthood with the perfect opportunity to blur the distinction between the two. |
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| Services of Word and Holy Communion · The Mass , Liturgy, Sacraments, Priesthood | |
11:53 AM Nov 25