Posted on 05/27/2004 11:12:51 AM PDT by B Knotts
The largest Methodist church in metro Denver is spending thousands of dollars on newspaper ads this week to counter Colorado Springs Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Sheridan's stance connecting voting to Communion worthiness.
The copy shouts, "All Are Welcome at Christ's Table!" and is signed by three clergy and a lay leader from St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Centennial, which draws more than 1,000 worshipers a week.
While the ad makes no mention of Sheridan or Catholicism, senior pastor Harvey Martz said it's a response to the bishop's statement this month that Catholics may not take Holy Communion if they vote for candidates who disagree with Catholic teaching on select issues.
"I just think it's a dismal thing for a Christian leader to stand up and say, in the name of Christ, we're going to turn some people way from the table because of their vote and their political opinion," said Martz, who formerly served in Colorado Springs.
Sheridan's executive assistant, Peter Howard, responded that Sheridan is not turning anyone away from the Communion rail, only saying Catholics must approach it with a clean conscience.
"The Eucharist is NOT an absolute right for Catholics," Howard said in statement. "If in the Methodist church anybody can approach the table doing whatever they want to do in their lives, then that's Methodism. That is not Catholicism."
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
Interesting development in the Bishop Sheridan situation.
This is outstanding. This is precisely the sort of situation we would see on a continual basis if the Catholic Church were being true to the Catholic faith. The Catholic church takes one stand. The Methodists take the contrary stand. Everyone can see the difference and make their own choice.
This is the way it was 50 years ago. No one could possible walk into a church and be confused as to whether it was protestant or Catholic. You might call it "market differentiation." There were clear and unmistakable contrasts.
If only more Catholic bishops were willing to take a stand and let the chips fall where they may. We can even give Luther credit for that much.
I noticed the Disciples of Christ here advertising something very like that: "Open Communion! Open hearts! Open Minds!" Nothing about Christianity, of course.
1 Corinthians 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
Personally, I wish the Catholic Church would make those verses an integral part of every Mass.
Depends what you believe the bread and wine are. If they are only a symbolic memorial then anyone can participate.
I wish more Catholics understood this. Even if they were fuzzy on the reasons why.
Perhaps you could answer these question for me. Does the priest ever refuse to give the supper to someone? If a visitor were present and attempted to partake, would they be questioned as to their religious beliefs/practices?
Open mind? Obviously, there is nothing to keep in their brains.
The text of 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 is very important and yet, for unknown reasons, it is not included in the 3-year cycle of Catholic Mass Sunday biblical readings.
For the Catholic faithful matters are very simple, if one is in the state of mortal sin he/she/it should go to a Confession before receiving the Lord in the Holy Communion. Confession necessarily includes Contrition and Amendment - a resolution to try not sin again, and to avoid the occasions of sin. That means, if my sin were promoting abortions, after a Confession (always absolutely sincere before the Lord) I would cease to commit that sin.
The abortion/Communion issue is much politicized these days, and receives extraordinary media attention which creates a great evangelizing opportunity for the Church (us, Catholics need it, too).
Interesting what the senior Methodist pastor Harvey Martz had said, and his words might represent what a good number of Christians think, "It's a dismal thing for a Christian leader.... to turn some people way from the table because of their vote and their political opinion."
The words the senior pastor used show he had no clue.
The power of democracy is in the individual's vote. One cannot claim to be a Christian and by his/her/its deliberate vote destroy a system of basic legal protection for innocent human life, only because the life may happen to be inconvenient to someone. It is equivalent to murder.
One cannot support willfully a convenience murder of the innocent and claim to be a Christian in good standing worthy to approach the Lord's Table.
If it doesn't happen in the Catholic Church it's only because the Sunday congregations tend to be large and virtually anonymous. A non-Catholic is expected to comply with the Church discipline and not to attempt to receive the Holy Communion.
Many other Christian denominations "invite all," but they don't have what the Catholic Church has - the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Here are the Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion.
I'm preparing to be received into the Catholic church this Saturday - so I have been recently catechized within an inch of my life. < g > Here's my understanding of the church's policy on this issue:
Ordinarily, it is up to the visitor to know the rules and decide whether it is appropriate for him to receive in the Catholic church. Ordinarily, no non-Catholic is allowed to receive because Catholic's beliefs as to the nature of the Eucharist are different from those of (most) Protestants. (There are exceptions. We have been receiving the Sacrament for several months although we are not officially Catholic yet. We are in an "emergency" situation under Canon 844 of the Church, because we are unable to receive in our former church because the Episcopalians all went crazy and we had to leave.) Usually there's a little note in the back of the bulletin to that effect. It isn't announced by the priest unless it's a situation where a lot of non-Catholics are probably present and might inadvertently receive not knowing the rubrics (e.g. at a wedding or Funeral Mass).
As far as Catholics receiving, again it's up to them to discern whether or not they are in mortal sin and should go to confession before they receive. A priest ordinarily won't deny the Sacrament to a person that just may be in mortal sin, because he MAY have gone to confession and gotten squared away.
The difference comes when the sin is PUBLIC and unrepentant. Not just Catholic politicians who claim to be Catholic but vote and speak in public in ways that show they cannot be adhering to Church law, but also, for example, if a couple of same-sex loons come up to the rail hugging and kissing and wearing rainbow sashes. They are also in public, unrepentant sin.
The reason they are denied communion is because their sin is public and unrepented from. Giving them communion just as though everything were hunky-dory is "creating a scandal" - and giving the impression that the Church doesn't mean what it says.
I've never seen it refused. I have heard it pointed out many times before Mass started that the guidelines for reception are in the front of the missalette in every pew in the church.
Our pastor talked to us about this a few weeks ago. He said he wouldn't be comfortable with refusing someone who was an "obstinant, persistant grave sinner" but he would do it.
I would hope the lay member that invited a visitor would inform them ahead of time of the traditions. That's the expectation. Of course, a lot of us laity are incredibly lacking in facts and not too inclined to make the effort to educate ourselves.
I have heard it from several priests that if it becomes obvious from their posture and gestures that someone is not Catholic the priest will quickly and quietly inform them they can't receive communion and offer them a blessing.
There are people in the communion line at every Mass that know what's what and get a blessing only. No big deal. I spent many years going to Mass without receiving communion and no one looked down their nose at me.
AmericanMother,
Welcome Home!
As you stated:
"There are exceptions. We have been receiving the Sacrament for several months although we are not officially Catholic yet. We are in an "emergency" situation under Canon 844 of the Church, because we are unable to receive in our former church because the Episcopalians all went crazy and we had to leave."
For those who might want to know more, the relevant canon law is listed below:
Can. 844 §1 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to catholic members of Christ's faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from catholic ministers, except as provided in §2, 3 and 4 of this canon and in can. 861 §2.
§2 Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage commends it, and provided the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, Christ's faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a catholic minister, may lawfully receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.
§3 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the eastern Churches not in full communion with the catholic Church, if they spontaneously ask for them and are properly disposed. The same applies to members of other Churches which the Apostolic See judges to be in the same position as the aforesaid eastern Churches so far as the sacraments are concerned.
§4 If there is a danger of death or if, in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop or of the Episcopal Conference, there is some other grave and pressing need, catholic ministers may lawfully administer these same sacraments to other Christians not in full communion with the catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who spontaneously ask for them, provided that they demonstrate the catholic faith in respect of these sacraments and are properly disposed.
§5 In respect of the cases dealt with in §2, 3 and 4, the diocesan Bishop or the Episcopal Conference is not to issue general norms except after consultation with the competent authority, at least at the local level, of the non-Catholic Church or community concerned.
God Bless,
I guess now Kerry and Kennedy have found a new home, with the welcome mat out. God Bless Billboards.
Good news. Truth is like a sword, it divides. I hope more bishops stand with Christ and against relativism.
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