Posted on 04/19/2008 12:30:24 PM PDT by BGHater
Twice-divorced former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani took Communion at a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict on Saturday, breaching rules that bar those who remarry outside the Church from doing so.
As he left New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral with his third wife, Judith, the failed presidential candidate confirmed to Reuters that he took Communion from a priest.
Asked if he was uncomfortable with having broken the Church ban on the divorced and remarried taking Communion, Giuliani said, "No."
The Church does not recognize divorce and teaches that divorced Catholics are still married to their earlier partner unless the Church grants them an annulment, or ruling that the initial marriage was invalid.
Giuliani unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the White House this year. As New York mayor, he rose to prominence after the September 11 attacks, when he was hailed for his leadership during the crisis.
Despite his Catholic faith, Giuliani has espoused socially liberal political positions such as backing a woman's right to choose an abortion and supporting gay rights.
Last year Pope Benedict reaffirmed that Catholics who divorce and remarry cannot receive Communion unless they abstain from sexual relations with their new partner.
But U.S. clergy tend to leave it up to individual parishioners who are divorced to refrain from taking Communion instead of excluding them from the sacred rite.
Catholics believe that during Mass, the Communion host and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.
At Saturday's Mass, the pope consecrated bread and wine that was distributed to the congregation by other priests. Giuliani did not take Communion from the pope himself.
During the presidential campaign, Giuliani said he had some "very, very strong views on religion" that come from him having wanted to be a priest when he was younger and studying theology for four years in college.
Among other politicians who attended the Mass was current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is Jewish.
what’s a noob?
newbie
new user
No church should deny ANYONE communion. That is between each of us sinners and God. Who are they to judge us on our morals and our inner relationship with our Lord.
John 8:1-11 is a spurious text.
http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1316
According the the rules of the Church, one may not receive Holy Communion if one has a mortal sin on their soul that they have not gone to Confession to have absolved by a priest. One may receive Communion with a venial (less serious) sin on one’s soul, but you first have to make a good Act of Contrition. The Church does not say that only perfect people who have never committed a sin can receive Holy Communion. But one cannot receive the sacrament while still in the act of committing the sin, or for not having had proper absolution for that sin. If you are a divorced Catholic still currently married to a second or third spouse without benefit of having the marriage blessed in the Church, then you are currently living in sin, and cannot receive Communion in the state of grace. We must show that we are truly remorseful for our sins, and that cannot be achieved while still living in sin.
Any Catholic that gives enough money to the church can do just about what they want. Ask Ted Kennedy the resident swimmer of the senate.
“No church should deny ANYONE communion. That is between each of us sinners and God. Who are they to judge us on our morals and our inner relationship with our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
Churches which ignore the behavior of “notorious” sinners (those who carry on publicly, and show no evidence of repentance) are doing those individuals a disservice by failing to confront them, in love, and deny them access to the communion table. Both they, and the individuals whose willful blindness they facilitate, are in serious danger.
The same chapter (7) in Matthew which begins in this way:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
goes on in this vein:
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
“DO THIS in memory of me.”
Unless:
a. You’re a sinner.
b. You didn’t go to Confession.
c. You tolerate sinning.
d. You’re a Protestant, a Jew, or a Heathen.
e. You were never baptized.
f. You’re otherwise excommunicated according to Papal Bull.
Well just dang people! Ya know he could be abstaining from sexual relations with his third wife [snark]
“I always wondered what he was writing. It seems to be important since Scripture states twice that he was writing on the ground. I had a very good friend who always thought that he was writing the names of the accusors who had also slept with this woman.”
What I always used to wonder (before learning that this was a spurious passage in the gospel of John, http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1316 http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2006/08/the_woman_caugh.html
http://www.bible-researcher.com/adult.html ), was why, when the Pharisees brought this woman to him, Jesus didn’t say right off: “Where’s the guy?” since adultery is by its nature not the sin of a solitary person.
“I repeat, no church should deny anyone the right to communion.”
Communion is not a right, it is a memorial act of obedience: “Do this in remembrance of me,” that signifies a claim of unity with the Body of Christ.
Churches and purported church members who turn a blind eye to another purported member’s notorious (public) and unrepentant behavior are as much in rebellion against God as that individual, and equally subject to the Matt 7:21-23. Your argument is not with me (who has no authority over you, and no office to pass judgment on you, but nevertheless I do have a duty to confront you, in love, with the truth) but with the Author of Scripture. I leave you to Him.
After marrying Heinz, Kerry received an annullment on his first marriage, so the divorce thing is not a hindrance to his taking Communion.
***Isn’t it also against the Chuch’s teachings for priests to molest little boys? And yet those same men took (and offered) communion for many years.....***
YES, it’s against the Church’s teachings, and those priests have been dealt with.
YES, there are OTHER churches who have had the same problem, and we can pray that THEY have been dealt with, as I suspect they have been.
SO, why is it that you’re attacking the Catholic Church again?
Jim, It is NOT necessary to go to Confession each week in order to receive Communion as long as you are not guilty of a mortal sin.
***Peloseee and ketchup man received too. I blame the priest who served them.***
Don’t bother yourself about it, Cub. A Greater Power will take care of those who CLAIM to be Catholics and defy the Church, especially those who choose the most public place to do it.
You’re right, but how does one bribe the diocese to get an annullment after 18 years of marrage and 2 kids?
Oh, I love that, ops. LOL!
you said it. Couldn’t have been at a more public venue than that Mass. I think it was a slap in the face to the Pope and to the rest of us who are NOT for abortion. You are correct though...they will face a greater power one day.
So I suggest that we let the Lord do the judging on who is right with Him and not a mere man.
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