Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Diocese Says Parish Must Hold Separate Communion Services
The Virginian Pilot ^ | 11/21/12 | Jeff Sheler

Posted on 11/21/2012 9:28:21 AM PST by marshmallow

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond has told the nation's only blended Catholic and Episcopal parish it must change its worship services so Catholics and non-Catholics meet in separate rooms for Holy Communion.

The parish, Church of the Holy Apostles, is led by Catholic and Episcopal co-pastors and has worshipped together for more than 30 years.

It's an arrangement, parishioners say, that over the years has allowed families in mixed marriages to worship side by side and has helped build bonds that transcend denominational boundaries.

In an emotionally charged meeting Monday with parish leaders, representatives of the Catholic diocese voiced support for the ecumenical congregation, said the Rev. Michael Ferguson, the parish’s Episcopal pastor.

But the officials made it clear the current worship practice – using a combined liturgy in which the priests move to separate altars in the same room to say the Eucharistic prayers – was unacceptable, Ferguson said.

They instructed the parish to come up with a plan that provides for separate liturgies in separate rooms, Ferguson said.

“What was left in our laps was to develop a way to be together in those parts of the service where it would be acceptable to the diocese for us to be together and then to separate…without making it disjointed,” Ferguson said.

(Excerpt) Read more at hamptonroads.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Mainline Protestant; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
The parish, Church of the Holy Apostles, is led by Catholic and Episcopal co-pastors and has worshipped together for more than 30 years.

Well that didn't take too long to straighten out......:-)

1 posted on 11/21/2012 9:28:27 AM PST by marshmallow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

I sure hope they have partitions in Heaven.

Sheesh.


2 posted on 11/21/2012 9:37:16 AM PST by Jedidah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah

Well, wars were fought over the doctrine of Transubstantiation.


3 posted on 11/21/2012 9:39:16 AM PST by MrChips (MrChips)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah

There is a partition between Purgatory and Heaven. There is also a partition between Hell and those in Purgatory/Heaven. The bible talks about separating the wheat from the chaff, doesn’t It?


4 posted on 11/21/2012 9:40:39 AM PST by impimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow
From 1977-2004 the diocese was headed by ultraliberal Wally Sullivan. This was his brainchild.

Since 2004 Bishop DiLorenzo has been rooting out the nest of Women's Ordination Conference supporters in the chancery, as well as a lot of other nonsense Wally had introduced.

This is yet another labor in the Augean Stables that is the Diocese of Richmond.

5 posted on 11/21/2012 9:42:43 AM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah
Should the pretense that the Episcopal Church is a Christian communion be kept up because it makes people feel better?
6 posted on 11/21/2012 9:45:44 AM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah
I sure hope they have partitions in Heaven

It's called "truth in advertising".

The Catholic and Episcopal Churches are not in communion and to pretend otherwise is to lie.

7 posted on 11/21/2012 9:54:02 AM PST by marshmallow (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: wideawake

Dear Bishop DiLorenzo: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come to Anchorage and kick some sense into the heads of the outdated but deeply entrenched wimmin’s ordination bunch up here! We are dying in Alaska because our parishes are still using 70’s style operations. Our parish, for instance, has the usual claque of dumpy, sixtyish women lurking about, interfering in as many ministries as they can wangle. We call them “The Coven.”


8 posted on 11/21/2012 9:57:32 AM PST by redhead (Brought to you by the letter "O" and the number $16,000,000,000,000)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MrChips
"Well, wars were fought over the doctrine of Transubstantiation."

Really? What war? (No snark. I'm interested in the history.)

9 posted on 11/21/2012 10:06:49 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Stone cold sober, as a matter of fact.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: impimp

The Bible speaks of many things, including shellfish.

The Church has the right - and the obligation - to adhere to its doctrine.


10 posted on 11/21/2012 10:11:18 AM PST by GalaxyAB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

How about side-by-side distributions, so each parishioner can choose whether he wants the Catholic Eucharist or Episcopal communion ;-). A survey to see who knows the difference would probably be interesting, too.


11 posted on 11/21/2012 10:20:10 AM PST by Tax-chick (Are you getting ready for the Advent Kitteh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah
No, unless I misunderstand the situation, the Bishop's right on this one. The Episcopal Church and the Catholic Church are not, in fact, in Communion. This is sad, tragic, shameful, regrettable, painful, displeasing to God --- but true.

We should work for real, legitimate unity based on the truth, and not just ambiguous "optics" which suggest something that isn't there.

It's like non-married people not sleeping in the same bed. They may want to be married, they may intend to be married; but if they're not married, they shouldn't put themselves into an equivocal situation which evades the truth.

It's a difficult and even heartbreaking thing, as I well know, being in a religiously divided marriage myself. But it's not made better by strongly implying a communion which is in fact ruptured.

Heaven will be better :o/

12 posted on 11/21/2012 10:20:27 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Stone cold sober, as a matter of fact.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o

See the Thirty Years War, 1618 to 1648.


13 posted on 11/21/2012 10:29:17 AM PST by MrChips (MrChips)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o
Also watch the film Lady Jane . . . very good treatment of the subject.
14 posted on 11/21/2012 10:30:47 AM PST by MrChips (MrChips)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

Are they homosexual friendly too? Isn’t that an official theme of the Episcopal Church these days?


15 posted on 11/21/2012 10:31:35 AM PST by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

. . . not only who knows the difference, but also why it matters.


16 posted on 11/21/2012 10:32:58 AM PST by MrChips (MrChips)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Jedidah

I’m glad the Catholic Church is so totally focused on the most pressing issues of our time. / SARC SARC SARC SARC SARC SARC SARC SARC


17 posted on 11/21/2012 10:40:17 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: GalaxyAB

I agree - I can’t believe they did what they did for 30 years.


18 posted on 11/21/2012 10:41:17 AM PST by impimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: MrChips

Hideous religious warfare. Tore Europe to shreds. Tore the Body of Christ to shreds. No just over Transubstantiation, though.


19 posted on 11/21/2012 11:04:13 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Point of information.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Well, doing one thing right... you gotta start somewhere. Could be the start of a trend?


20 posted on 11/21/2012 11:05:48 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Point of information.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson