Posted on 10/18/2011 2:09:05 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Should you pass on communion at a Lutheran church or participate fully?
You are at the wedding of a beloved family member or friend, which is taking place at a Lutheran church. You gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate this happy day with the bride and groom. But then there is a call to come to the table of the Lords Supper, to receive communion. This is the awkward moment you knew was coming. Can you, and should you, a practicing Catholic, accept the invitation?
According to the Code of Canon Law, receiving communion in a Protestant church is generally not permissible. According to canon 844, Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers. The key term here is licit. If a Catholic receives communion from a Protestant minister, it is generally considered illicit or unlawful.
The reason for the Catholic Churchs general rule against sharing in the Eucharist with other churches is that a person can only be in full communion with one church. As a Catholic, the core of ones union with Christ is union with the church. The center of this union lies in the reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist during Mass, which is both a confession and embodiment of unity with the Roman Catholic Church.
But canon 844 includes an exception to the rule whenever necessity requires or general spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided.
The Second Vatican Councils Decree on Ecumenism said that, as a general rule, common worship and eucharistic and other sacramental sharing should signify the unity of the church. But it acknowledges that such sharing can also be seen as advancing unity. In fact, according to the decree, the gaining of a needed grace sometimes commends it.
Still, within the confines of canon law, the exceptions to the rule are rather limited, and receiving communion from a Lutheran pastor during a wedding would normally be seen as illicit for Catholic wedding guests. At the same time, some Catholics would like to, and do, receive communion on these rare occasions.
These Catholics, after a careful examination of their conscience, find compelling reasons to gain a needed grace by receiving communion in a Protestant church. And it is also true that eucharistic sharing has occurred at the highest levels of the church. Even Jesus occasionally broke the religious law of his day, though he did so to fulfill the spirit of the law.
So it is possible that one could follow Jesus lead. In our example a compelling reason might be to demonstrate ones deep love and commitment to nurturing the relationship of the newly married couple. Intercommunion could be a yes to God by witnessing to Gods presence in the marriage and committing to Gods work of salvation in their lives.
In the end, this may be fulfilling the spirit of canon law while going against the letter.
-- Kevin Considine, a Ph.D. candidate in theology at Loyola University in Chicago. This article appears in the October 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 10, page 46).
Then it’s even less appropriate for someone who disagrees with the Catholic teaching to call it a host, any more than it is right for me to refer to a pair of gay men as “married”. Not trying to be offensive - but one should not use words that do not mean what you want them to mean.
I have been Lutheran all my life and have never seen communion at a wedding.
You are correct.
And to me, the word “wafer” is very offensive.
“O Salutaris Hostia”
O Saving Victim
Christ, embodied in the host is my saving victim. He died for my sins.
Sorry you do not seem to believe that.
BTTT for the truth.
You must be speaking of the Presbyterian USA church. This is from the PCA Book of Church Order:
Since, by our Lord's appointment, this Sacrament sets forth the Communion of Saints, the minister, at the discretion of the Session, before the observance begins, may either invite all those who profess the true religion, and are communicants in good standing in any evangelical church, to participate in the ordinance; or may invite those who have been approved by the Session, after having given indication of their desire to participate. It is proper also to give a special invitation to non-communicants to remain during the service.
"Evangelical Church" does not include the Roman Catholic Church. From a definition I found: During the Reformation, Martin Luther adapted the Greek term, dubbing his breakaway movement the evangelische kirche, or evangelical church
For instance, Catholics recognize all Christian baptism as valid Baptism (with the exception of Mormons because of their quite different Christology.)
We also recognize that any two baptized persons who believe the same thing about marriage that we do (that is is a sacred union of a man and a woman, open to procreation, and forming an unbreakable bond that lasts until the spouses are parted by death) can receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. This is why my (baptized Baptist) huband and I could marry each other in the Sacrament of Matrimony.
That's fellowship! in a fairly major way! :o)
If you believed what Catholics believe about the Eucharist, you would be a Catholic. And in fact, if you believed what we believe, and were a baptized Christian (but had never become Catholic per se) but were in extreme need (e.g. you were a fallen soldier dying on the battlefield) then you could recieve Communion, and all the Last Rites of the Church, since you believed in the Real Presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ actually present under the appearance of bread and wine.
If, however, you don't believe as Catholics do, I would think you would not want to receive our Sacraments. It would be falsely signifying a belief which we are supposing, in this example, that you do not hold.
In short, if you believe as a Catholic, then come, be a Catholic and receive the Sacraments. If not, not. Does that make sense?
And whether or not you believe-and-receive Catholic Sacraments, we can still have fellowship with each other, pray for each other, and show love and respect for one another, can't we?
However, I bow to Campion's more accurate knowledge, and then you're right too, JenB, you could maybe say "altar bread" or similar, rather than "host".
that's your worthless opinion ...
Jesus is upset that you turned your back on
No need to read further. I wouldn't pretend to be as arrogant as you in knowing what Christ thinks. You may want to go look in the mirror, sinner.
I'm sorry you're such a cold hearted jackass who likely wouldn't know Christ's truth if it got up and smacked you upside your head..
Right on. Too bad so many on this thread demonstrate their lack of understanding of Christ's basic tenents, but have an expertise in Catholic Church "doctrine" much of which has zero foundation in Christ's teachings.
Thank God I'm a RECOVERING Catholic.
Here’s one for ya:
I, as a Reformed Christian, cannot partake of communion in a LCMS church, nor presumably in a WELS. But a member of either is welcome to partake in most Reformed churches. Though I’m not sure they would want too.
Has to do with Consubstantiation.
And don't people from your group also look down on others? how many times have we read on this forum of Presbyterians who say that those who do not follow their exact traditions are either heretics or worse?
All of us as churches are guilty of looking down as you call it, however, I point out that in some cases like with Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, there IS a point not of looking-down but saying that they are not Christian.
I for one thank Jen that she is trying not to be offensive to us Catholics -- it makes for a welcome change on this forum! Thank you Jen
Thanks, JenB. I learned something.
So you would have left, too, when Judas betrayed our Lord? I don't understand the rationale. Clergy - who are not made up of divine persons - commit sins like every other human being is capable - and your response is to commit spiritual suicide?
Before the Priest gave Communion, he read a statement that said in no uncertain terms that only Catholics at the funeral were allowed to participate in Communion as the rest of us were (and I quote) "not in Union in the Holy Spirit along with the 'one true church', the Catholic Church."
This is correct. Apostates, especially, should not receive Communion. You're also in a de facto state of mortal sin by not attending Sunday Mass.. So what makes you fit for Holy Communion again?
To say I was furious would be an understatement. I'd never heard such personally divisive hateful language at any Catholic funeral prior to, or since that one.
Puzzling. Why were you furious? You clearly didn't believe in the real presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist, or you would never dream of leaving the Church. You're the son or daughter who abandons his parents in their infirmity and becomes irate he's left out of the will. The Church has been suffering infirmity for thirty years, and there are those who've stayed true to the faith, and then there are those who turned tail and ran. Decide which group you want to be with.
I don't know if it was just that Priest, or the Archdiocese of the Upper Penninsula/Michigan, or something else but I was genuinely upset - as was my Mother and Father in Law along with other family members - all devout Catholics themselves.
They should be more upset that your soul is in mortal danger of eternal damnation for becoming an apostate. Why aren't they upset about that?
I made it a point to give the Priest a piece of my mind along with a good dose of Scripture right before I told him that the lunch being served after the funeral was for family and friends only - as he was not family or friend he was not invited
So when God asks you who gave you the office of "priest inquisitor", you're going to say...?
When we go visit my wife's parents, I refuse to attend Church with them. I just cannot stand that Priest. They on the other hand, thoroughly enjoy coming to our church when they visit us and they always know they're welcome to take Communion with us.
What do you mean, "take Communion"? If it's not a Catholic Church you're attending, it's just idolatry of wheat. You're heaping sin upon sin, and her parents are also committing sin by assenting to your un-Catholic beliefs, in taking un-consecrated communion as if it's Christ.
Based on my reading and understanding of Scripture (even while remembering my own Catholic upbringing) I have to think Jesus would be pretty upset that any of his believers would be denied Communion.
Taking communion is a public statement that you believe and agree with the teachings of the Church. If you don't, you receive under false pretense - you're lying directly to God. Read what St. Paul has to say about the unworthy reception of the bread and wine.
What would Jesus do? Simple: He took the bread, broke it, and said "take this ALL OF YOU and eat it. This is my body which is given up for you."
We're all called to be Catholic. You left the upper room when you walked away, and now you get busy launching Scuds at your holy Mother the Church. Recovering Catholic? I will pray for you to receive humility and understanding.
“Evangelical” is derived from the Four Evangelists in that the Protestant church’s goal was to revert to the original faith based on the Gospels. The reason for only two Sacraments is that only two are mentioned in the Gospels.
harsh, but accurate
Only two mentioned? Yet we read of Baptism, the Eucharist and marriage (man and woman)
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