PedroX Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 Hey, this may be the wrong board to post on (maybe belongs in questions and answers?) but, I seem to remember that we talked a while back that people not recieving communion should stay in the pew rather than going forward to ask for a blessing. Am I right? Any documentation on this? peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 You don't need documentation, this has always been done this way. THis blessing thing is new, and nowhere is there any documentation says blessings are to be given out in lieu of Communion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundsheep Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 Our Bishop just ordered it stop except for very small children that have to come up with a parent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Why would a priest deny someone a blessing? Personally, it is way more of a distraction for me to climb over people that remain in the pews. I understand the argument about the communion line being one unified body, but don't believe that people going up for a blessing destroys this. I'm open to read documentation regarding this though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkan_hanil Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Why would a priest deny someone a blessing? Why would a priest deny someone absolution? This happened to me once and I'm still trying to recover from the shock from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Oh, and Tony Blair went up during communion and received a blessing from JPII. The Holy Father didn't seem to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Why would a priest deny someone absolution? This happened to me once and I'm still trying to recover from the shock from that. What was the reason the priest gave? I'm sure his answer is better than anything we could guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 The period of time reserved for reception of the Eucharist during the Mass is for reception of the Eucharist. After Communion, at the time of dismissal, the entire assembly is blessed by the priest and dismissed. Going up the Communion line for a blessing rather than for Communion, then, seems inappropriate for two reasons: 1. You're inserting a different function into this part of the liturgy than was originally intended. 2. You're rendering the final blessing to be somewhat redundant. Further, many peeps go up to Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, expecting a blessing in lieu of Communion. This is terribly wrong, and puts them in the akward spot of either denying the blessing, or performing an inappropriate act, for during the Sacrifice of the Mass, it is the celebrant who renders blessings, not the laity. We mustn't re-write things just cuz they suit us for the moment. As far as having absolution denied, there are a number of reasons this may have been done: Perhaps the priest questioned you... He may have found that you were not guilty of a sin, that you hadn't intentionally committed any sin; therefore absolution would be unnecessary. He may have determined through questions that you were not completely sorry for having offended God, (true contrition) but maybe just sorry cuz you offended someone...(imperfect contrition). Or, he may have determined, again, through his questions, that you did not have a firm purpose of ammendment...That you didn't really have any plan in mind to avoid committing this same sin again in the future. The only other reason your sins wouldn't be absolved would be if you didn't perform the imposed penance. Pax Christi. <>< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatcatholic Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 how did this practice of receiving a blessing during communion come about? is it expressly condemed in any church documents? what does the canon or the GIRM say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperdulia again Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 absolution cannot be denied because someone's contrition isn't perfect contrition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundsheep Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 absolution cannot be denied because someone's contrition isn't perfect contrition. Biblicaly they can deny someone. Maybe he didnt show sincerety or was giggling when he confessed(didnt take it seriously). But Nikkan is kind of young to be denied. It can give a young person the wrong idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 We are talking to different things here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adeodatus Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 I can't find any documentation on getting blessed during communion. Anyone else had any luck? It is a very common practice here (U.K.), and I have to admit that unless the Church decrees otherwise, I personally think that it's a good thing. For one thing, these days it seems almost expected that you HAVE to go to Communion, and there are plenty of people who can't receive the Sacrament for one reason or another (e.g. non-Catholics at Mass, waiting for an annulment, conscious of mortal sin but not yet confessed sacramentally, etc.). So if they get up and go forward for a blessing, it means other (nosey) people won't look and ask questions, and the flow of people keeps going without us having to clamber over each other in the pews. But more importantly, I think it's a way for such people to seek the Church's blessing as they make a "spiritual communion"---to seek some of the graces in the Eucharist without physically being able to receive Communion. So in that way maybe the grace of God can help them to sort out their irregular situation and come back into full communion. Nikkan, a friend of mine was once refused absolution because he hadn't really thought through his confession and what he was sorry about, and whether he was actually sorry (even a little contrition). He said it was the best thing that could have happened to him. I hope you'll be able to say that some day soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 This is because we don't want to hurt anybodys feelings or (gasp) expect them to go to confession and confess actual sins ( if they remember what they are). Its just another form of political correctness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsFrozen Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 I also would like to know when this whole blessing thing came about. Before I had my First Communion, I don't think I remember ever being blessed when I went up with my parents. Now that I think of it, though, I do remember seeing my priest give a little girl a blessing, but it wasn't someone who couldn't take Communion before they went to Confession. I tend to agree with Anna, though.. We're all blessed before Mass ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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