Some excerpts from
Redemptionis Sacramentum:
1. In the Most Holy Eucharist, Mother Church with
steadfast faith acknowledges the Sacrament of redemption,1 joyfully takes it to herself, celebrates it and reveres
it in adoration, proclaiming the death of Christ Jesus
and confessing his Resurrection until he comes in glory 2
to hand over, as unconquered Lord and Ruler, eternal
Priest and King of the Universe, a kingdom of truth
and life to the immense majesty of the Almighty Father. 3
THE RIGHT OF THE FAITHFUL TO A WELL CELEBRATED MASS
12. On the contrary, it is the right of all of Christ’s
faithful that the Liturgy, and in particular the celebration
of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes,
according to her stipulations as prescribed in the
liturgical books and in the other laws and norms. Likewise,
the Catholic people have the right that the Sacrifice
of the Holy Mass should be celebrated for them in an
integral manner, according to the entire doctrine of
the Church’s Magisterium. Finally, it is the
Catholic community’s right that the celebration
of the Most Holy Eucharist should be carried out for
it in such a manner that it truly stands out as a sacrament
of unity, to the exclusion of all blemishes and actions
that might engender divisions and factions in the Church. 32
KEEP ALTAR BOYS
47. It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble
custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed
servers, provide service of the altar after the manner
of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their
function in accordance with their power of comprehension. 119
Nor should it be forgotten that a great number of sacred
ministers over the course of the centuries have come
from among boys such as these. 120 Associations for
them, including also the participation and assistance
of their parents, should be established or promoted,
and in such a way greater pastoral care will be provided
for the ministers. Whenever such associations are international
in nature, it pertains to the competence of the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
to establish them or to approve and revise their statutes. 121
Girls or women may also be admitted to this service
of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop
and in observance of the established norms. 122
COMMUNION IN HAND … PRESENCE OF THE MINISTER
92. Although each of the faithful always has the right
to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, 178
if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament
in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference
with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given
permission, the sacred host is to be administered
to him or her. However, special care should be taken
to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant
in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes
away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand.
If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion
should not be given in the hand to the faithful. 179
COMMUNION PATEN FOR THE FAITHFUL
93. The Communion-plate for the Communion of the faithful
should be retained, so as to avoid the danger of the
sacred host or some fragment of it falling. 180
INTINCTION
103. The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle
that in cases where Communion is administered under
both kinds, “the Blood of the Lord may be received
either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by
intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon”. 191
As regards the administering of Communion to lay members
of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude
Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is
not the local custom, though the option of administering
Communion by intinction always remains. If this modality
is employed, however, hosts should be used which are
neither too thin nor too small, and the communicant
should receive the Sacrament from the Priest only on
the tongue. 192
104. The communicant must not be permitted to intinct
the host himself in the chalice, nor to receive the
intincted host in the hand. As for the host to be used
for the intinction, it should be made of valid matter,
also consecrated; it is altogether forbidden to use
non-consecrated bread or other matter.
SACRARIUM
107. In accordance with what is laid down by the canons, “one
who throws away the consecrated species or takes them
away or keeps them for a sacrilegious purpose, incurs
a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the
Apostolic See; a cleric, moreover, may be punished
by another penalty, not excluding dismissal from the
clerical state”. 194 To be regarded as pertaining
to this case is any action that is voluntarily and
gravely disrespectful of the sacred species. Anyone,
therefore, who acts contrary to these norms, for example
casting the sacred species into the sacrarium or in
an unworthy place or on the ground, incurs the penalties
laid down. 195 Furthermore all will remember that once
the distribution of Holy Communion during the celebration
of Mass has been completed, the prescriptions of the
Roman Missal are to be observed, and in particular,
whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ must be
entirely and immediately consumed by the Priest or
by another minister, according to the norms, while
the consecrated hosts that are left are to be consumed
by the Priest at the altar or carried to the place
for the reservation of the Eucharist. 196
CLEANING ALTAR LINENS
120. Let Pastors take care that the linens for the
sacred table, especially those which will receive the
sacred species, are always kept clean and that they
are washed in the traditional way. It is praiseworthy
for this to be done by pouring the water from the first
washing, done by hand, into the church’s sacrarium
or into the ground in a suitable place. After this
a second washing can be done in the usual way.
DEACON WEARING DALMATICS
125. The proper vestment of the Deacon is the dalmatic,
to be worn over an alb and stole. In order that the
beautiful tradition of the Church may be preserved,
it is praiseworthy to refrain from exercising the option
of omitting the dalmatic. 215
TAKING THE EUCHARIST HOME
132. No one may carry the Most Holy Eucharist to his
or her home, or to any other place contrary to the
norm of law. It should also be borne in mind that removing
or retaining the consecrated species for a sacrilegious
purpose or casting them away are graviora delicta,
the absolution of which is reserved to the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith. 225
VISITS TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
135. The faithful “should not omit making visits
during the day to the Most Holy Sacrament, as a proof
of gratitude, a pledge of love, and a debt of the adoration
due to Christ the Lord who is present in it.” 231
For the contemplation of Jesus present in the Most
Holy Sacrament, as a communion of desire, powerfully
joins the faithful to Christ, as is splendidly evident
in the example of so many Saints. 232 ‘Unless
there is a grave reason to the contrary, a church in
which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved should be
open to the faithful for at least some hours each day,
so that they can spend time in prayer before the Most
Holy Sacrament.” 233
NEVER LEAVE JESUS ALONE IN ADORATION
135. The faithful “should not omit making visits
during the day to the Most Holy Sacrament, as a proof
of gratitude, a pledge of love, and a debt of the adoration
due to Christ the Lord who is present in it.” 231
For the contemplation of Jesus present in the Most
Holy Sacrament, as a communion of desire, powerfully
joins the faithful to Christ, as is splendidly evident
in the example of so many Saints.232 ‘Unless
there is a grave reason to the contrary, a church in
which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved should be
open to the faithful for at least some hours each day,
so that they can spend time in prayer before the Most
Holy Sacrament.”233
EUCHARISTIC PROCESSIONS
143. “Wherever it is possible in the judgement
of the diocesan Bishop, a procession through the public
streets should be held, especially on the Solemnity
of the Body and Blood of Christ as a public witness
of reverence for the Most Holy Sacrament”,242
for the “devout participation of the faithful
in the eucharistic procession on the Solemnity of the
Body and Blood of Christ is a grace from the Lord which
yearly fills with joy those who take part in it”.243
144. Although this cannot be done in some places, the
tradition of holding eucharistic processions should
not be allowed to be lost. Instead, new ways should
be sought of holding them in today’s conditions:
for example, at shrines, or in public gardens if the
civil authority.
TRAINING OF CATECHISTS
148. Particular importance is to be attached to the
training of catechists, who by means of great labours
have given and still give outstanding and altogether
necessary help in the spreading of the faith and of
the Church.251
EXTAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION
151. Only out of true necessity is there to be recourse
to the assistance of extraordinary ministers in the
celebration of the Liturgy. Such recourse is not intended
for the sake of a fuller participation of the laity
but rather, by its very nature, is supplementary and
provisional.252 Furthermore, when recourse is had out
of necessity to the functions of extraordinary ministers,
special urgent prayers of intercession should be multiplied
that the Lord may soon send a Priest for the service
of the community and raise up an abundance of vocations
to sacred Orders.253
156. This function is to be understood strictly according
to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that
of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special
minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary
minister of the Eucharist” nor “special
minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the
meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly
broadened.
157. If there is usually present a sufficient number
of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion,
extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be
appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who
may have already been appointed to this ministry should
not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated
who, even though present at the celebration, abstain
from distributing Communion and hand this function
over to laypersons.258
158. Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion
may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon
are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness
or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when
the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great
that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.259
This, however, is to be understood in such a way that
a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances
and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient
reason.
159. It is never allowed for the extraordinary minister
of Holy Communion to delegate anyone else to administer
the Eucharist, as for example a parent or spouse or
child of the sick person who is the communicant.
CONCLUSION
185. “Against the seeds of discord which daily
experience shows to be so deeply ingrained in human
nature as a result of sin, there stands the creative
power of the unity of Christ’s body. For it is
precisely by building up the Church that the Eucharist
establishes fellowship among men.”291 It is therefore
the hope of this Congregation for Divine Worship and
the Discipline of the Sacraments that also, by the
diligent application of those things that are recalled
in this Instruction, human weakness may come to pose
less of an obstacle to the action of the Most Holy
Sacrament of the Eucharist, and that with all distortion
set aside and every reprobated practice removed,292
through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Woman
of the Eucharist”, the saving presence of Christ
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood may shine brightly
upon all people.
186. Let all Christ’s faithful participate in
the Most Holy Eucharist as fully, consciously and actively
as they can,293 honouring it lovingly by their devotion
and the manner of their life. Let Bishops, Priests
and Deacons, in the exercise of the sacred ministry,
examine their consciences as regards the authenticity
and fidelity of the actions they have performed in
the name of Christ and the Church in the celebration
of the Sacred Liturgy. Let each one of the sacred ministers
ask himself, even with severity, whether he has respected
the rights of the lay members of Christ’s faithful,
who confidently entrust themselves and their children
to him, relying on him to fulfill for the faithful
those sacred functions that the Church intends to carry
out in celebrating the sacred Liturgy at Christ’s
command.294 For each one should always remember that
he is a servant of the Sacred Liturgy.295
For more information, go to:
www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwrdsac.htm .
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