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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Respect for the Tabernacle John Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Question:

Is it proper for our priest and pastor who, standing on the Altar directly after the 8 a.m Mass, having a man approach him with a pix to ask him for a Host to be placed inside so that he can bring Holy Communion home to his sick wife have our priest say to the man, “sure, just go ahead, help yourself”. And so, the man goes ahead and does just that.
In seeing this happen right before my eyes I thought to myself this is God’s House and this is God’s Holy and Sacred Tabernacle, it is not a cookie jar in someone’s kitchen. Should not our priest have shown a little more respect and reverence for the Sacred Tabernacle? Should not our priest have walked over to the Tabernacle and taken the Host out himself and placed it in the pix, given both the man and the pix a special blessing for the sick wife who was about to receive our Lord's Body and Blood?

John
Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear John,

I am inclined to agree with you that the priest could have retrieved the host himself, assuming of course that he wasn't tied up with a greater problem.  One of the priest's primary responsibilities is the personal care and protection of the Eucharist, especially in his own parish.

However I don't believe there is any law, canonical or liturgical, that would have *required* the priest to help the man.

Mr. Slavek
Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers.

(b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks.

(c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively.