Should Father Be Arrested By The Liturgicops For This?

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1338314937' post='2437214']
i simply smile at the kiddo and say 'God Bless You'. not a blessing, no contact, and I don;t even present the host to them
[/quote]Back when I was young I used to do this too because that's what they told us to do at my parish (when I was in Fort Worth).

Over the last few years I have told people straight up that I can't give blessings. I am in a place where blessings are given constantly by everyone and in that time I've had only one person come up to ask me why I couldn't give a blessing. I simply explained that I'm not ordained and that priests really aren't supposed to be giving blessings then either. She seemed to accept my answer and didn't push it further.

I've been surprised by how many people are willing to keep moving if I don't offer a blessing (and they can't just go to anyone else).

Edited May 29, 2012 by qfnol31

[tinytherese]

Our parish priest has us extend our hands to bless the kids before they leave for the children's liturgy of the word and when it is Mother's Day and Father's Day to extend our hand to the mothers or fathers around us. When I told my mom that we weren't supposed to do that as lay people, she told me that it isn't worth correcting and to basically go with it.

Edited May 29, 2012 by tinytherese

[Groo the Wanderer]

[quote name='Aloysius' timestamp='1338315470' post='2437220']
I think Groo is saying he does that to appease the many parents who have come to expect the child to receive something. It's a nasty situation for an EMHC to deny to give a blessing in a parish where everyone does it. I don't endorse his solution, but I understand it, especially if one doesn't have the backing of the priest in not "blessing" the children in line. All that said, I would still strongly advise against even that, Groo. saying "God bless you" is generally okay in most situations, but when you're delegated as an EMHC even something so little as what we say to someone when they sneeze still mimics a constitutive blessing by virtue of the fact that you're standing in the front of the Church in the middle of the liturgy and you're actually holding God literally in your hands.
[/quote]

yeah. tired of the dirty looks when i used to tell them i am not a priest.

it would be supremely helpful if the clergy would stop the whole whackness of letting/telling people to come forward for a blessing in the first place. ain't supposed to be happening either.

[cmotherofpirl]

I actually quit the Church choir when they insisted we hold hands for the Our Father. I just couldn't do it.

[Groo the Wanderer]

i taught all the acolytes to neither hold hands nor orans at the our father, but rather to keep them steepled.

altar servers are next