Extraordinary or Ordinary?

Enrico Finotti

Father,

In my parish, the pastor allows extraordinary ministers to distribute Communion even when there are enough priests available. But isn’t there a risk that extraordinary ministers will become ordinary ministers? (A parishioner)

The extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is a relatively recent institution designed to support sacred ministers (bishops, priests, and deacons) in administering Holy Communion during Mass or in the homes of the sick. This ministry is conferred through a liturgical rite or, in cases of genuine necessity, ad actum (on a case-by-case basis).

1. First, we must consider the meaning of the terms:

• Minister of Holy Communion. This means a minister responsible solely for administering the sacramental Communion. This implies that the phrase extraordinary minister of the Eucharist is inaccurate since the Eucharist refers to the entire rite of the Mass, which includes other essential parts that do not belong to the extraordinary minister (e.g., the sacrificial liturgy, the homily, etc.). However, with the Ordinary’s permission, extraordinary ministers may be granted the ability, in the absence of a priest or deacon, to expose the Blessed Sacrament and lead Eucharistic adoration (but not to impart the Eucharistic blessing).

• Extraordinary minister. The extraordinary nature of this ministry must be considered from both a theological and a pastoral perspective. Theologically, the minister remains extraordinary even if he or she exercises his ministry daily. Indeed, only sacred ministers are ordinary ministers of Communion, as they are consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders to act in persona Christi, both in the offering of the unbloody Sacrifice and in the consecration (conficere sacramentum) and administration of the divine Sacrament. According to the perennial liturgical tradition, both Latin and Eastern, these ministers are primarily bishops and priests, to whom current canon law also associates deacons, as they share in the Sacrament of Orders for service at the Lord’s Chalice.

• Pastorally, the extraordinary minister must remain within the limits set by the Church, respect the hierarchy of ministries, and intervene only in cases of true necessity. Exceeding these limits causes liturgical practice to diverge from theological reality, conveying an erroneous doctrine about the nature of sacred ministry, which is essentially different from instituted ministries. The lex orandi must faithfully reflect the lex credendi.

Given these clarifications, it is evident that current practice often deviates from canonical norms due to excessive delegation to an ever-increasing number of ministers, beyond actual need. It is not uncommon for a priest to delegate the administration of Holy Communion to an extraordinary minister while remaining seated, as do any concelebrants present, as if the extraordinary minister were de facto ordinary and exercised his ministry by an intrinsic right received with the liturgical blessing. Sometimes, one gets the impression that it is merely a matter of time before the Church officially acknowledges this as ordinary practice. However, this can never happen because administering Holy Communion is fundamentally a priestly act, rooted in the Eucharistic gestures of the Lord: He took the bread (offertory), said the blessing (Eucharistic prayer—consecration), and gave it to His disciples (Communion). These three actions belong strictly to the priesthood in fidelity to what Christ did. Therefore, the priest must always administer Holy Communion to maintain the integrity of the rite. Only in cases of physical incapacity (illness, old age, or other disability) and in the absence of other priests or deacons should an extraordinary minister be called upon.