Intercommunion to Be Studied

[cappie]

Intercommunion to Be Studied
Doesn't Seem an Adequate Means to Achieve Unity, Cautions Relator

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 3, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Among the topics set forth for the debate of the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist is that of "intercommunion" -- whether non-Catholic Christians may receive holy Communion.

In his "report before the discussion," the general relator, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, acknowledged that it is "a rather delicate pastoral problem" that enables one to understand better "the inseparable connection between the Eucharist and the Church."

"The causality of the Eucharist over the Church -- the Eucharist makes the Church -- is essential and a priority with respect to that of the Church over the Eucharist -- the Church makes the Eucharist," he clarified in this connection.

Recalling that there already are numerous studies on the matter, the cardinal pointed out above all "the substantial communion of faith between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church on the theme of the Eucharist and the priesthood -- communion that, through a major mutual study of the Eucharistic celebration and Divine Liturgy, is destined to grow."

"We should also welcome positively the new climate on the Eucharist in the ecclesial communities born at the time of the Reformation," the relator continued. "In different degrees and with few exceptions even these communities always underline the decisiveness of the Eucharist as the key element in dialogue and in ecumenical practice.

"On the basis of this and other data one can understand how, even after the pronouncements by the magisterium on this subject, this question is unceasingly asked: Can 'intercommunion' of the faithful belonging to different Churches and ecclesial communities constitute an adequate instrument to favor the path toward Christian unity?"

Integral faith

"The answer," Cardinal Scola said, "depends upon the careful consideration of the nature of the Eucharistic action in all its fullness as 'mysterium fidei.' In fact, Eucharistic celebration is by its nature the profession of integral faith in the Church.

"Only inasmuch as it realizes the full profession of apostolic faith in this mystery does the Eucharist make the Church. If it is the Eucharist that ensures the true unity of the Church, celebration or participation in the Eucharist that does not imply the respect of all the factors that concur to its fullness would end up, despite the best of intentions, by further dividing ecclesial communion and its origins. Therefore, intercommunion does not seem to be an adequate means to achieve Christian unity."

"This assertion on intercommunion does not exclude that, under special circumstances and with respect for the objective conditions, one may admit to the Eucharistic communion, as 'panis viatorum' [pilgrims' bread], individual persons belonging to Churches or ecclesial communities that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church," added the cardinal.

"In this case, the necessary rigor requires that we speak about Eucharistic hospitality," he explained. "We are in the presence of the pastoral solicitude of the Church that encounters a particular circumstance of need of a baptized faithful.

"In these cases the Catholic Church allows Eucharistic communion to a non-Catholic faithful if he asks for it spontaneously, manifesting adhesion to the Catholic faith and spiritually well-disposed."

Prodding

The relator added: "The problems underlying the inadequate category of 'intercommunion' and the practice of Eucharistic hospitality require further reflection, starting from the intrinsic bond between the Eucharist and the Church, on the relationship between Eucharistic communion and ecclesial communion."

The cardinal concluded explaining that "not being allowed to Eucharistic concelebration and Eucharistic communion by Christians from different Churches and ecclesial communities and the exceptional quality of Eucharistic hospitality, are not only the cause for suffering: Rather, they must represent the permanent prodding for the continuous and common search for the 'mysterium fidei' that requires all Christians to unity in the integral profession of faith."

[CatholicCid]

Confusing to say the least... Seems like a lot of back talk and evading.

Understandin here is that he's looking into the issue of offering Communion to Non-Catholics.

imo, No. A Catholic can go to any other faith church and recieve their Eucharist, yet, it is not OUR Eucharist, the full Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. It is just a mere piece of bread or a symbol... And I'd hate to see Our Lord broken down into that consideration by allowing such things... Though, before we worry about intercommunion with other faiths, maybe we should work on teaching this to Catholics (I believe studies show 23% of US Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence, could be off though)

If that's horribly off base, shoot me.

[Philippe]

[quote name='CatholicCid' date='Oct 3 2005, 10:14 PM']Confusing to say the least... Seems like a lot of back talk and evading.

Understandin here is that he's looking into the issue of offering Communion to Non-Catholics.

imo, No. A Catholic can go to any other faith church and recieve their Eucharist, yet, it is not OUR Eucharist, the full Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. It is just a mere piece of bread or a symbol... And I'd hate to see Our Lord broken down into that consideration by allowing such things... Though, before we worry about intercommunion with other faiths, maybe we should work on teaching this to Catholics (I believe studies show 23% of US Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence, could be off though)

If that's horribly off base, shoot me.
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i thought it was worst, more like 23% DO believe but i'm not sure

[DeeDee]

I volunteer at a skilled nursing facility near my home and every Sunday the Franciscan priests give a Communion service and anyone who wants to receive Holy Communion is not denied. The Franciscans are so compassionate.

[Brother Adam]

If the priest is doing this he must be stopped at once, it is not compassion, but instead he is condemning the souls of those receiving communion unworthily. 1 Corinthians 11:27

[Aloysius]

that's not compassion and St. Francis would be appalled.

the Eucharist, ever since Christ instituted it, is only to be taken by those already won over to the Lord and His Church. the early Church (first century) forbid anyone who was not a member of the Church from even being present for the consecration let alone receiving it.

St. Paul says anyone who receives it unworthily is in effect accepting guilt for the body and blood of the Lord. When Christ comes into the Eucharist He puts Himself in a position of supreme humility and vulnerability. Christ enters a person ready to impart all His sacramental grace, but if they are not prepared by faith to receive it then He will not force them to, and He ends up as a mere object of the digestive system subject to complete humiliation and sacrilidge. That's the risk He's willing to take to come to us in the form of bread, and that is why it is our Christian duty to only allow those who are properly disposed to receive Him. Otherwise, it is just as bad as throwing Him in the trash or spitting on Him. He is in the bread because He wants to impart grace, but those not disposed to receive that grace will not receive it and He is greatly injured.

yeah... those franciscans are being so compassionate by giving the Eucharist to people who do not even believe it to be really Him and are only receiving it symbolically not prepared to receive any real grace from it because it is a peice of bread... great job franciscans- you've put Christ in His most humble and vulnerable form into a place where He will not be directly loved and accepted in that form.

I can only hear the haunting echo of St. Francis's cry "love is not loved!" as he is pained by this error of his followers.

[Brother Adam]

Not all Franciscans! Let's not paint the order with such a brush because of this one man.

[thessalonian]

[quote name='DeeDee' date='Oct 4 2005, 01:21 PM']I volunteer at a skilled nursing facility near my home and every Sunday the Franciscan priests give a Communion service and anyone who wants to receive Holy Communion is not denied. The Franciscans are so compassionate.
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That's not compassion. It's sacralidge. He's disobedient as well.

[dspen2005]

[quote name='DeeDee' date='Oct 4 2005, 02:21 PM']I volunteer at a skilled nursing facility near my home and every Sunday the Franciscan priests give a Communion service and anyone who wants to receive Holy Communion is not denied. The Franciscans are so compassionate.
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it's not compassion... that is misrepresentation and false ecumenism.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

wow

like that dosen't go agianst 2000 years of christian traditon. and the bible

[Aloysius]

by the way, the "23%" number is very misleading. the question was worded in a very confusing way in that study and all it showed is that people don't know the precise terminology to describe the real presence.

[Aloysius]

anyway, I'm optimistic that the synod will come up with the conclusions the Church has always reached on this issue: intercommunion cannot be a tool to acheive communion because Our Lord instituited it as a sign of already existing communion.

[photosynthesis]

When Catholics recieve Holy Communion, the priest/extraordinary minister of the eucharist holds up the Sacred Host and says "The Body of Christ." Then, the Catholic will say Amen, agreeing that it REALLY IS the Body of Christ, the Word made flesh in the humble form of bread. When we say Amen, we also accept the authority of the Church who teaches this to be true, and the instrumental role of the Priest, in whose hands Christ enters in the Blessed Sacrament.

If a Non-Catholic says "Amen." but doesn't mean it that way, then he is lying to himself and to the Church, and recieving condemnation.

[DeeDee]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Oct 4 2005, 11:25 AM']If the priest is doing this he must be stopped at once, it is not compassion, but instead he is condemning the souls of those receiving communion unworthily. 1 Corinthians 11:27
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This was done with the pastor's consent, and by consent of the Provincial. The people in the skilled nursing facility are in advanced stages of Alzheimer's and near death. I seriously don't think Jesus would deny himself to these unfortunates. They are God's creation and God is love, compassion, and forgiveness. I don't understand how you can think this way. I guess I really don't belong here, which makes me feel bad because I like the sense of humor on Phatmass, but I can't take the rigidness, especially with something so dear to my heart at the Eucharist. There is too much quick judgement I'm finding and we are not to judge are we? It is probably better for me to not post here any more. I'm feeling very discouraged right now and sad. If you could see the people I work with at the facility and the way their faces light up when they receive Communion it might soften your judgement.

[son_of_angels]

This has nothing to do with our judgment but the judgment of God.

Christ was indeed rigid as he stood trembling on the cross from his flagellation, from the nails in his hands, slowly suffocating to death. This is the God I serve, this is the God of which one may partake at the Communion rail, this is what YOU are doing every time you sin, and worse his anguish is is from YOU if you should receive his body unworthily. Friends, the blood of Christ IS DAMNATION to those who drink it unworthily and SALVATION to those of the Lord.

I am a candidate, I have attended a Catholic Church for over a year, never wavering in my commitment to follow God from my pitiful error. Yet in that whole year and a half nearly, I have found myself unable in conscience to take Lutheran or Baptist Communion, as that would devalue my belief in the Real Presence at a Catholic Church. In that whole time, I, who was nourished by a belief in the Sacramental Christ, have NEVER ONCE taken from the altar a sacrifice which was not yet my own, despite all temptations to the contrary. It will be until next Easter when I am able to do so.

It drives me nuts when non-catholic people wish to take communion, because they have not endured what I have endured in pursuit of it. It drives me nuts, because I am concerned for their souls. It drives me nuts, because they are standing in the congregation of the Faithful and saying, despite their heresies, "I am more holy than all of you. I don't have to go to confession, believe in the real presence, but I still insist on my own will above that of this entire congregation."

[Aloysius]

I don't know about the case of alzheimers people, actually. they have a hindrance on their will and memory....

that might be a valid circumstance... one that you didn't mention before.

but if it were anyone with full faculties and thus the capacity to make the choice to believe or not and know what they were believing, then those that don't believe should not be offered the Eucharist.

[son_of_angels]

In my opinion the Blessed Sacrament should not be offered to even those adult Catholics who can't discern the meaning of the Eucharist, except as Viaticum before death. Anything else to me smacks of some level of disrespect.

[Aloysius]

in such a case I believe it is up to the local ordinary.

anyway, if DeeDee had mentioned the alzheimers fact I would have responded differently. I still caution against allowing non-Catholics to receive, but in such circumstances I believe the local ordinary has jurisdiction.

[thessalonian]

DeeDee,

Some Protestant friends of ours went to a Retrovalle retreat. The priest their invited everyone to communion whether they were Protestant or not. They went of course. What do you think about that?

[Aloysius]

I think she's gone, due to a misunderstanding that could have been avoided if I had only known the circumstances.

I didn't know the local ordinary had been consulted nor that the people receiving had alsheimer's.

...eh... those are two really important things about the situation that would have helped me understand it; because there are priests out there who do such things in a way that commits grave sacrilidge