www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Layman gives Communion

To my knowledge all of those subdeacons mentioned by Deacon Lance for Parma are completing requirements for diaconal ordination.

There are several subdeacons serving in the UGCC who are not, at least for the near future, intending on pursuing ordination to the diaconate. The Eparchy of Toronto has a specific formation track for formation of subdeacons. In fact I just steered a prospective reader/subdeacon that way, and the initial informational meeting for the prospective subdeacon candidates was a week or two ago.

I know several people that have known this man for several years. According to them, he has never been Ordained to any Minor or Major Order. I have not yet spoken with this Ordinary EMHC.

For some time I have been aware of the Metroplia Canon Law that allows for lay men to distribute The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. I firmly disagree with the practice. It is nothing short of sacriledge. If Old Testament lay men cannot touch the Ark containing symbols of the Eucharist without perishing, then New Testament lay men men cannot distribute the real Eucharist.

This was the first time that I had seen a lay man distribute Jesus Christ's Body and Blood in an Eastern Catholic Church. I would still like to know the answer to my original question, how do the rest of the lay men that distribute Communion in Eastern Catholic Churches dress/Vest?

Our subdeacon wears the crossed orarion to distinguish himself from the altar servers. This is what I've seen in AOA and OCA parishes as well. Subdeacons also cannot serve communion, read the Gospel, etc.

Our deacon can serve communion and usually will along with our priest on most Sundays. On the rare occasion that our priest is gone, and the one who normally fills in cannot come either, our deacon will serve a typika.

I cannot imagine a single circumstance ever where a lay person would be aloud to serve communion.

"For some time I have been aware of the Metroplia Canon Law that allows for lay men to distribute The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. I firmly disagree with the practice. It is nothing short of sacriledge. If Old Testament lay men cannot touch the Ark containing symbols of the Eucharist without perishing, then New Testament lay men men cannot distribute the real Eucharist."

And yet no lay person has been struck dead as those who touched the Ark were, which may communicate something of God's felings on the matter.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but of course it is in conflict with the opinion and practice of St. Basil the Great who reported that his laity, men and women, took the Holy Gifts home to communicate themselves throughout the week.

To have laity assist in the distribution at Liturgy is of course not the historical norm but we are approaching circumstances in which it may be inevitable in many parishes.

But to your original question I cannot say as I have never seen anyone less than a deacon distribute Holy Communion. I would presume they would at the very least wear a sticharion.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Hmm..I mentioned ROCOR because of its reputation here as traditional..but as I read again my text of the Liturgy, I see the words in my text (Hapgood service book) are a bit vague.

The priest says the comunion words "the servant of God etc" and the Deacon distributes, right?

OK, you learn something every day; I shall look upon this ROCOR parish in a new light...

Ned

A priest or deacon may serve communion. On the rare occasion that we have no priest, our deacon will serve a typika with presanctified gifts. When both our deacon and priest are present on a normal Sunday, we will have two chalices and two lines given the number of people that need to be served. When it's a lighter attended liturgy like on a feast, and both are present, only the priest will serve communion.

AMM that was pretty much the practice I've seen here; although I accept other poster's asertions that a full deacon should be given the opportunity to distribute I guess I must meet a lot of priests who do pretty much everything they can. Or a lot of unasertive deacons!

Ned

Dear Gordon,

St Patrick's Day in Tokyo? How fascinating!

I understand one may identify the Irish in London rather easily - they're the ones with the shamrocks in their turbans . . .

Alex