5/24/2021
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| Duccio, "Christ Appearing to Mary" |
sacred ministers are altogether lacking;
the sacred minister is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason;
the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged; a brief prolongation being not at all sufficient.
RS 159 EMHCs are never allowed to delegate to anyone the extraordinary function for which they have been specifically appointed.
RS 160 instructs bishops to consider the way recourse to EMHCs is had in his territory. He may issue special norms for the carrying out of this function when true necessity prompts the widespread appointment of EMHCs. His determinations are to be in accord with the law and considerate of the Church’s tradition.
RS 161-167 deal with preaching and celebrations carried out in the absence of a priest. We will pass over these as not particularly germane the purpose of this study.
RS 168 concerns priests who have left the clerical state. They are prohibited from exercising the power of order. Excepting for the case set forth in the law, it is not licit for them to celebrate the sacraments.
This section, Chapter Seven on Extraordinary Functions of the lay faithful, does not explicitly address laymen exposing or reposing the MBS for adoration. Can it be that the Eucharistic adoration of the MBS exposed has been so neglected by the sacred ministers that the great frequency with which it carried out almost exclusively by laymen is of such little concern as to merit hardly any mention?
Image: Duccio, “Christ appearing to Mary"
