Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist QUESTION from Mrs. Barbara Walker January 31, 1999
Are women permitted to distribute communion as Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist? How can I get a copy of the letter sent to the faithful regarding same? Thank you and may God bless your ministry. Your website is beautiful - full of Catholic art!! ANSWER by Mr. John Miskell on January 31, 1999
Dear Barbara, Thank you for your question and for your kind comments. In a document titled Fidei Custos, issued in 1969 by the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, we read the following ruling by the Holy See: A lay Christian who is to be chosen as [an extraordinary] minister of Communion should be outstanding in Christian life, in faith, and in morals, and one whose mature age warrants the choice and who is properly trained to carry out so exalted a function. A woman of outstanding piety may be chosen in case of necessity, that is, whenever another fit person cannot be found. In time the ministry became equally as open to women as for men. This is reflected in the Holy See's 1973 instruction titled Immensae Caritatis, in which no differentiation is made between women and men being chosen for this ministry: [Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion] will be designated according to the order of this listing (which may be changed at the prudent discretion of the local ordinary): reader, major seminarian, man religious, woman religious, catechist, one of the faithful -- a man or a woman. I haven't been able to find a copy of either document on-line. My copies are listed in the book Documents on the Liturgy (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1983). I hope this helps. In Christ, John Miskell Back to Index Page