Q: During the Mass when the priest and the Extraordinary Ministers are distributing Communion, the priest often times runs out of the Eucharist first. He then sits down and the extraordinary ministers finish. Is this proper procedure? Sincerely, Kathy.
A: There are ordinary and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The ordinary ministers are the bishops, priests, and deacons. The extraordinary are lay people who have received the proper training to do this ministry when extraordinary circumstances call for their help. Priests are even permitted, in very unusual circumstances, to depute some lay people for a single occasion to administer Holy Communion.
"After the priest's communion, the deacon receives under both kinds (from the priest) and then assists the priest in giving communion to the people. But if communion is given under both kinds, the deacon ministers the chalice to the communicants and is the last to drink from it."1 I mentioned the deacon's responsibility to ministering the chalice because I personally see this being ignored in most Masses that I attend wherein the deacon ministers the consecrated host and leaves the chalice duty to an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.
"A priest also, who possesses within the Church the power of Holy Orders to offer the sacrifice in the person of Christ, stands for this reason at the head of the faithful people gathered together here and now, presides over their prayer, proclaims the message of salvation to them, associates the people with himself in the offering of sacrifice through Christ in the Holy Spirit to God the Father, gives the brothers and sisters the Bread of eternal life (my emphasis), and partakes of it with them."2
"At Mass the deacon has his own part in proclaiming the Gospel, in preaching God's word from time to time, in announcing the intentions of the Prayer of the faithful, in ministering to the priest, in preparing the altar and serving the celebration of the Sacrifice, in distributing the Eucharist to the faithful (my emphasis), especially under the species of wine, and sometimes in giving direction regarding the people's gestures and posture."3
"The priest may be assisted in the distribution of Communion by other priests who happen to be present. If such priests are not present and there is a very large number of communicants, the priest may call upon Extraordinary Ministers to assist him, i.e., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose. In case of necessity, the priest may depute suitable faithful for this single occasion."4
Nowhere in the rubrics does it state that if a priest (or deacon) runs out of consecrated hosts before the Extraordinary Ministers of Communion do that they may not sit down. The priest has the option, if there are still faithful in his 'line' waiting to receive, to obtain additional hosts from another minister near him. So, as long as your priest distributes all of his hosts, there is no procedural problem with him sitting down. It would probably cause confusion and look quite awkward for him to remain standing in place with an empty ciboria.
1 The Sacramentary, (1985), Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, NY., Paragraph 137, P. 34
2 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, (2003), US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC., Paragraph 93, P. 47
3 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, (2003), US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC., Paragraph 94, P.P. 47-48
4 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, (2003), US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC., Paragraph 162, P. 66
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