Can a dog receive communion?

Can a dog receive communion?
Embarrassed reverend says it won’t happen again

St. Peter’s Anglican Church has long been known as an open and inclusive place.

That’s how a blessed canine ended up receiving communion from interim priest Rev. Marguerite Rea during a morning service the last Sunday in June.

According to those in attendance at the historical church at 188 Carlton St. in downtown Toronto, it was a spontaneous gesture, one intended to make both the dog and its owner – a first timer at the church — feel welcomed. But at least one parishioner saw the act as an affront to the rules and regulations of the Anglican Church. He filed a complaint with the reverend and with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto about the incident – and has since left the church.

“I wrote back to the parishioner that it is not the policy of the Anglican Church to give communion to animals,” said Bishop Patrick Yu, the area bishop of York-Scarborough responsible for St. Peter’s, who received the complaint in early July. “I can see why people would be offended. It is a strange and shocking thing, and I have never heard of it happening before.

“I think the reverend was overcome by what I consider a misguided gesture of welcoming.”

Rev. Rea was contacted numerous times about the incident, but did not want to comment.

But congregants of the church say the act wasn’t meant to be controversial. Peggy Needham, the deputy people’s warden was sitting near the front of the church when the dog was given the wafer.

It was the first time Needham had seen the man and his dog in church. He had been invited to the service after an incident where police heckled him as he sat peacefully on the steps of the church early one morning during the G20 weekend.

Angry over the experience, he called the church to vent. They invited him to come to church, and he did, bringing his dog with him.

When it was time for communion, the man went up to receive the bread and the wine, with the dog. “I am sure for Marguerite that was a surprise, like it was for all of us,” said Needham. “But nobody felt like it was a big deal, because it wasn’t a big deal.”

According to the account Yu heard, the man asked the reverend to give the dog a wafer. But Needham says she doesn’t recall the man making such a request. Instead, she said Rev. Rea instinctively leaned over and placed a wafer on the dog’s wagging tongue.

“I think it was this natural reaction: here’s this dog, and he’s just looking up, and she’s giving the wafers to people and she just gave one to him,” said Needham. “Anybody might have done that. It’s not like she’s trying to create a revolution.”

Days later, the church and diocese received a complaint from one parishioner, who felt the church offended the sacred ritual. The bread and wine are meant to represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ and are only to be given to those who have been baptized.

Yu said when he spoke to Rev. Rea, she apologized for what she had done and said she would not do it again.

“Unless there is any further evidence that she is giving communion to animals, the matter is closed . . . we are after all, in the forgiveness and repair business,” he said.

Needham said the church has always been open to animals and once a year conducts a service to bless pets. Which is why the incident hardly caused a stir among the congregants – except for one.

“In his email, the man’s argument was that Christ wouldn’t have liked it,” said Needham. “But in my opinion, Christ would have thought it was neat. It was just being human. And it made everyone smile.”

Anglican eucharist for the “other specied”

CATEGORY: Pope of Christian Unity, SESSIUNCULA — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 1:02 pm

About eucharistic communion for the "other specied" members.

I learned this morning about an Anglican giving their version of communion to a dog!

If you are worried about Our Lord’s admonition in Matthew 7:6, don’t. No sacrament was violated because Anglicans don’t validly consecrate anything … women or bread and wine. No canonical process at the CDF for them! But I am getting far afield.

I found this item in the Toronto Star:

St. Peter’s Anglican Church has long been known as an open and inclusive place.

So open, it seems, they won’t turn anyone away. Not even a dog.

That’s how a blessed canine ended up receiving communion from interim priest Rev. Marguerite Rea [A priestess is involved! Who could have known?] during a morning service the last Sunday in June.

According to those in attendance at the historical church at 188 Carlton St. in downtown Toronto, it was a spontaneous gesture, one intended to make both the dog and its owner – a first timer at the church — feel welcomed. But at least one parishioner saw the act as an affront to the rules and regulations of the Anglican Church. He filed a complaint with the reverend and with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto about the incident – and has since left the church. [Lest we forget that Anglicans also have tribunals, not just the Catholic Church’s CDF. And has anyone wondered why the dog was in church? Was this a service dog for the blind? Apparently not.]

[...]

According to the account Yu heard, the man asked the reverend to give the dog a wafer. But Needham says she doesn’t recall the man making such a request. Instead, she said Rev. Rea instinctively leaned over and placed a wafer on the dog’s wagging tongue. [This is the relational wisdom that women will surely bring to the priesthood!]

“I think it was this natural reaction: here’s this dog, and he’s just looking up, and she’s giving the wafers to people and she just gave one to him,” said Needham. “Anybody might have done that. It’s not like she’s trying to create a revolution.” [Let’s all sing: "... non mittendum canibuuuuuus…"]

[...]

I am reminded of the case, reported with glee, of Episcopalians in Pennsylvania during their "Canoeing for Creation" liturgy throwing their communion to the happy geese on the Schuylkill River.

Seriously, are the Anglicans/Episcopalians going to have to bolster their parish registries with "othered specied" members?

There was also the case of some Anglicans in Canada sharing their communion with the geese when they were bobbing around in kayaks… but I can’t find that link. Anyone? Can you find it? Let’s call it a Z-Hunt!

Given the number of wacky folks in the Catholic Church today… and do we wonder if some Extraordinary Minister of Communion never gave a Host to Fido? ... I am compelled to remind you readers that Holy Catholic Church has norms for dealing with this sort of thing.

Pope Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.

Repeat with me…. Anglicanorum coetibus… Anglicanorum coetibus…

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