Papal Masses

When I came in from my (fun and yet very depressing,) "3rd Order" meeting I flicked on the tv, and a rerun of the papal "youth" mass of Palm Sunday in St Peter's Square was nearly over.
It looked to me as if they showed a shot a a priest in the crowd distributing Communion just before the cut to a shot of the Pop communicating.

Huh?

I know that at mega-Masses all the Blessed Sacrament to be distributed isn't actually on the altar, (perhaps not all even consecrated at that Mass?) and of course a priest distributing at some distance from the altar needs to set out well in advance of when he hopes to arrive at his appointed spot, BUT -- surely it is not right to be giving the Host to a communicant in the crowd before the main celebrant (er... the POPE,) has consumed the Body and Blood?

Another note taken with much satisfaction -- as my signal was breaking up I believe someone was singing the Gregorian Ave Verum.

Nice.

(And a very nice improvement indeed, over the stuff played an sung during what I heard of the JPII anniversary Mass.)