Question:
I am a Eucharistic minister at my church. During training by the deacon's wife, I was told that when people and children come up for Communion, if they have their hands crossed on their chest then in means that they aren't to receive the Host but that we are to bless them. We weren't instructed on how to bless them. I did some research about this and I am finding conflicting answers. Some forums say it is okay to bless people but not to make the Sign of the Cross over them and do not lay hands on their head but touch their shoulder and say "May God bless you". Other forums say that Eucharistic ministers are not allowed to give any blessing to people when they come up with their arms crossed. I'm confused about whether this is correct or not. I just lightly touch the person's shoulder and say "May God bless you".
If it isn't correct, should I tell my priest? If I do and he tells me to continue to bless people should I still be a Eucharistic minister?
Thanks for your help.
Mary
Dear Mary,
Yes as you know there's a lot of confusion about this practice.. after all there is no real liturgical rule that describes it, it seems it just "popped up" and gained popularity. Therefore, all I can do for you is give you my opinion.
Ideally, the only people that should be in the Communion line are.. guess what.. people who are actually receiving Communion! But here in the US we have strong feelings against any sense of exclusion and unfortunately most Catholics and non-Catholics do not fully understand what Eucharist truly is, and therefore when they are instructed or asked not to receive, regardless of the reason, they feel excluded and therefore believe they are being treated rudely.
So what do they do? They march right up in the Communion line anyway and ask for a special blessing, usually completely forgetting that if they would just wait about 10-15 minutes that the priest will be blessing EVERYONE as part of the dismissal.
Do NOT give a blessing like a priest would, and do not use the host in away way, for example to make the Sign of the Cross.
Whenever you encounter these people in your line I really don't think it's right to just turn them away empty handed.. I think that would do more harm than good. I think that what you're currently doing is just fine.. touch them on the shoulder and say something like "may God bless you". This way you're not actually blessing the person, but rather you're asking the Lord for a simple blessing.. anyone can do this for anyone.
Again this is just my opinion, I think it would still be a good idea to discuss this with your pastor so that everyone at your parish is on the same page.. and depending on how frequently this is happening maybe the priest could consider talking with the people and reminding them that Communion time is for *Communion*.
Mr. Slavek
Update from Bro. Ignatius 2017-05-15:
This novel practice, in an unconfirmed report, may have been stated by Fr. Dale Fushek, founder of Life Teen. Not surprised. 
From there it spread across the world even though there was no authorization for it.
To confirm Mr. Slavek's opinon on this subject, a letter from Father Anthony Ward, SM, undersecretary of the Sacred Congregation on Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Protocol No. 930/08/L) dated Nov. 22, 2008, was sent in response to a private query.
"This matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation, so for the present, this dicastery wishes to limit itself to the following observations":
“1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.
“2. Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, §2; Canon 1169, §2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).
“3. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here — by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.
“4. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, ‘forbids any pastor, for whatever reason or pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry’. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.
“5. In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin)."
A private reply does not in itself have the force of law, but it reveals the mind of the dicastery and Holy See at the time the letter was written. I have not read of any update to this that changes the norms of this letter.
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.