" Please elaborate."
What's to elaborate? I believe they are valid. Do you want me to give you a theological explanation of why your sacraments are valid?
"Though I must say that from an Orthodox pov, the Latin Rite faithful, and to an extent the clergy and hierarchy, have an appalling lack of respect for the Eucharist.
Again, I would ask that you please elaborate."
A lack of belief in the real presence among many, touching the chalice and the host, "eucharettes", the abrogation of fasting rules, handing out communion to people who are manifestly living in sin or otherwise not living in accord with the teachings of the Church....
"If the intention is to meet a grave spiritual need for the eternal salvation of an individual believer, then where is the problem? Consecration by a validly ordained priest, comes from Christ. In the Maronite Church, the priest intincts the consecrated host, and places it on the tongue of the recipient with the words: "The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is given to you for the remission of sin and eternal salvation". Where's the problem?"
The problem lies in the standard set in the first sentence of your question. The couple you wrote about are from a local GOA parish. Their priest is available to them, even if they have a grave spiritual need. Let me add, by the way, that of I found myself in grave spiritual need and no Orthodox priest were available, I'd find the nearest Roman priest in a heartbeat and with no qualms whatsoever.
NYer asked: "Again, I would ask that you please elaborate."
To which Kolokotronis responded: "A lack of belief in the real presence among many, touching the chalice and the host, "eucharettes", the abrogation of fasting rules, handing out communion to people who are manifestly living in sin or otherwise not living in accord with the teachings of the Church...."
(I found your comments humorous, as I sit here eating pita and hummus in observance of the Friday fast.)
While I would consider your comment to be a fair appraisal of the status quo in many RCC parishes, that's not a fair assessment of the status quo in the eastern Catholic churches. Which makes me again wonder why certain Orthodox view the eastern Catholics with disdain (current company clearly excepted).
We worship in a very similar way to the Orthodox, we have the same creed MINUS the filioque, many of the same prayers, we celebrate the eucharist similarly, we use leavened bread, and we never, ever, ever, have "Eucharettes" in mini-skirts distributing the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what gives? Is this strictly politics or is it the Pope as well?