Mothers Giving First Communion?

Shocked but not surprised...

Q: Sunday last an acquaintance of my wife's remarked, in passing, that it had been a stressful spring, "You know, with first Communion and all." The lady explained that at her parish in Virginia, mothers (as in moms) administer first Eucharist to their children. She was "so nervous [she] almost couldn't say 'the Body of Christ'" and had to be prompted. Have you ever heard of such a thing, and is it not a gross liturgical/sacramental abuse? -- L.L., Washington, D.C.

A: This practice is not only unlawful but is also rather poor pastoral practice. From the legal point of view, an analogous case was dealt with in the instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum," No. 94. To wit:

"It is not licit for the faithful 'to take … by themselves and, still less, to hand … from one to another' the sacred host or the sacred chalice. Moreover, in this regard, the abuse is to be set aside whereby spouses administer Holy Communion to each other at a Nuptial Mass."

A mother and child are in a similar relationship to that of spouses with respect to the above norm.

Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion are commissioned by the bishop to respond to concrete pastoral needs. Appointing a parent as ad hoc extraordinary minister can never correspond to such a necessity.

Apart from the legal consideration, one could honestly ask, what kind of message is onveyed by such initiatives.

And the liturgy committee responds: Uh...we're trying to practice and live "pastoral sensitivity"...Why should we have to concern ourselves with outdated theology or repressive liturgical rules? We've progressed beyond that - ...blah, blah, blah!!! Who has the banners?

More at Zenit, here.