Posted on 05/30/2004 9:13:45 PM PDT by wagglebee
Many thanks to those who had the courage and kindness to offer their support on this thread.
Glad to have you back!
That is good news. Polycarp keeps us abreast of Catholic issues better than anyone. Losing him would not only be our loss but also Free Republic's.
Welcome back. How did you leave Freeper Purgatory?
God bless and welcome back !
EODGUY
Any creature can be blessed, a pet dog, a cat, a mouse... they are all creatures of God, and can recieve his blessing. However they cannot and should not all recieve the eucharist... the fact that you don't know the fundamental fact that being blessed is not equivalent remotely to receiving eucharist shows a complete ignorance of Catholic doctrine on this persons part.
HOWEVER, I have to say that traditionally it has been up to the individuals goign to receive communion to self police themselves as to whether they are worthy and prepared to receive the body and blood of Christ. Not the Priest or Eucharistic Minister to make that call.... SO this denial, and any other such denail does seem to conflict the general tradition of the church.
If the church is going to no longer expect individuals to self police themselves as to whether they are prepared to receive the body and blood of Christ... that is fine, but put the doctrine on paper and make it law... instead of this willy nilly individual nonsense here and there.
Welcome back, hope you enjoyed the time-share. You have the honor of being the first member of the Catholic Raucus to use it. Hopefully you won't soon need it.
Historically, you can look at the Papacy of Innocent III in the 13th century and see where he placed all of England under interdict (no masses at all, except possibly baptisms and funerals) for several years, clearly this was denial of communion to those people (and it was only the king who the Pope was in disagreement with). I believe the same thing happened in during the reign of Henry VIII and the English Reformation. So clearly there is precedent for denial of communion (or any sacrament for that matter); moreover, Paul wrote extensively to the early Church about who was and wasn't to receive communion. Paul even went so far as to speak of the blasphemy of the Body and Blood of Christ when such people partook in the sacrament.
Keep in mind that unlike other Christian denominations, Catholicism decrees that the eucharist and wine are the actual Body and Blood of our Lord, there are not mere symbols. Therein lies the difference, one should certainly be permitted the opportunity to determine for themselves which symbolic Christian traditions they partake in; however, the Church hierarchy must have the authority to forbid unrepentant sinners (who are in fact celebrating their sin in such a way as to mock the Church) from receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord.
Greek Orthodox Christian and Russian Orthodox Christian and Serbian Orthodox Christian Faiths take the same position over transsubstantiation.
I don't think I specifically said that Roman Catholicism was the only denomination to adhere to the tenet of transsubstantiation, I was merely trying to show that there was an explicit difference in the communion practices of Roman Catholicism when compared to the mainstream Protestant denomination in America. Obviously, the Eastern Orthodox Churches do adhere to many of the same beliefs as Roman Catholicism; however, for general purposes, in contemporary America, these distinctions are of nominal relevance. Unless, of course, I am speaking to a member of an Orthodox Church (and yes, I live in an area with a large Greek population and I have many Orthodox friends and acquaintances), in which case this line of debate obviously is moot.
In better shape than I found it...the Calvinists had drank all the beer and wine, so I restocked the shelves and added a few necessary books to the theological library.
How did you leave Freeper Purgatory?
Oh, do you mean, how did I get out of purgatory? My account was only suspended for one week, I was not banned.
***I restocked the shelves and added a few necessary books to the theological library. ***
Did you read from the copy of Calvin's Institutes left in the bed side table?
(You didn't sneak a rosary under the mattress or leave a relic in the ice box did ya? When my fellow Calvinist banishees find that stuff they think I have gone sacerdotal.)
No rosaries or relics, but you'll be finding Blessed Miraculous Medals between all the floorboards forevermore.
Did you read from the copy of Calvin's Institutes left in the bed side table?
I must have missed that when I turned out the light and tossed my light reading into the drawer there...the two volume set of Reginald Garrigou LaGrange, OP "The Three Ages of the Interior Life," and Jean Pierre DeCaussade's "Abandonment to Divine Providence."
Just as soon as I exhaust 2 millenia of Catholic writings, I promise I'll pick up Calvin's Institutes ;-)
***you'll be finding Blessed Miraculous Medals between all the floorboards forevermore.***
You been attendin' Benny Hinn Crusades behind our backs ???
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