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| Duccio, "Apostle Philip" |
RS 149, 150: These emphasize that the purpose of allowing for these extraordinary functions is to assist and not to replace the role of the sacred ministers.
RS 151: Emphasizes that true necessity is required for priests to seek recourse of the assistance of extraordinary ministers. It cites the 1997 interdicasterial Instruction Ecclesiæ de Mysterio, “On Certain Questions Regarding Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priest.” It restates the supplementary and provisional purpose of this recourse, explaining that “the fuller participation of the laity” is not what is intended. It adds that as often as necessity prompts such recourse to the supplemental and provisional assistance of extraordinary ministers that urgent prayers likewise be offered for more vocations to the priesthood. Here it cites JPII’s 2003, EE.
RS 152 cautions against use of this recourse as an occasion to disfigure the ministry of priests. Such disfiguration may involve priests themselves neglecting their liturgical and pastoral responsibilities in favor of the use of the purely provisional use of the extraordinary minister. Indiscriminate alteration of pastoral service between priests, deacons and laymen is a confusion of what responsibilities are proper to each and should thus altogether be avoided. RS 153 similarly adds that assuming the role or vesture of a priest or deacon by a layman is never licit.
Before proceeding to the first subsection of this chapter on EMHCs, let’s review what has been said so far on this topic of provisional assistance. The 1997 interdicasterial citation is helpful. The double understanding that recourse is only to be prompted out of true necessity and not for the sake of a fuller participation of the laity in the liturgy needs to be drilled into the minds of everybody, the contrary certainly having already too much taken hold. Urgent prayers for vocations, too, stands to be repeatedly emphasized.
Image: Duccio, "Apostle Philip"
