Communion
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
By Anonymous
Comments (23)
As a non-Catholic Christian married to a Catholic, I have always been bothered by not being able to receive communion when I attend Mass with my wife at her home church. I attend a Disciples of Christ Church in which communion is available to all who desire and is offered at every service. I have inquired on several occasions and have been turned down by the Bishop for various reasons, none of which I thought very valid. I have attended RCIA classes and feel I meet all the canon requirements. We have made a committment to attend church together because of age and health reasons. We do occasionally attend Mass at a local military base and receive communion there. With a good percentage of marriages in this situation, is there any remedy to the communion problem? Thanks.
Comments (23)
Anonymous -
By Lucy Izaguirre (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011As matriarch I work hard every day to keep everyone in the family (children, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc.) on a good Christian path. Corruption is everywhere - society, business, media and for several years now, this parish. The parish administration scolded us for insisting corrective action be taken. Their tactic rings familiar to those used by priests to silence their victims. I appreciate the story and applaud her courage. Things are done significantly different in the Galveston/Houston Diocese and I'm not sure that my emotional, physical and spiritual well-being are worth sacrificing for this religion any longer. At this stage in my life, I deserve peace and I have not found that at my church in a very long, long time.
Struggle
By Lucy Izaguirre (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011A couple who is not married in the church each confirmed a candidate at San Alphonsus in Houston under assumed names. 2 days prior to the confirmation I reported it to the administration and they allowed the mockery to take place without ever speaking to the couple. The day of the Confirmation, we were chastised for reporting it. This is how my newly Confirmed begins her path to Catholicism, by witnessing blatant disregard for the teachings of the Church? Our family has belonged to that parish since 1980 and have seen nepotism, cronyism and favortism. It's become so blatant that I can no longer look my family in the eye while trying to justify the actions of my parish. I'm at a crossroads, I will either leave the parish or the Church. Please help!
Lucy, if you leave
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011the Church, where will you ever find the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ (the Eucharist)? Or Sacramental Confession? Or the other Sacraments that require a priest with Apostolic Succession to confect? Where will you find Sanctifying Grace that is found in the Sacraments of Christ's Church?
Now, that being said, there's nothing wrong with seeking out a different parish. And praying for the one you're currently in, that God may correct the things that are wrong.
Let me tell you a true story. There was a parish where the priest decided they were going to make their own hosts for Communion. Unfortunately, they used a Betty Crocker recipe with sugar, vanilla, etc. Because of that, the faithful were no longer receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. So, an old lady (in her 80's) went to the priest and pointed out that what they were doing was wrong. Well, he got mad and refused to change. So, she went to the bishop. The bishop agreed with her and said he'd talk to the priest. NOTHING changed. So, she went to a particular canon law society and they drafted up a canon law case against the priest. The old lady old the priest about it, then called the bishop to give him a heads up that they were going to Rome with the case because they had been deprived of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. The bishop said he was very grateful that she had let him know and that she didn't need to proceed. He removed the priest from the parish and put him on a leave of absence, sending him to a monastery to reflect on what he'd done. He also told him that if he ever did that again, he'd remove the priest's faculties to publicly minister. The priest eventually came back, apologized to the congregation, and promised to never do that again. It took an old lady to get things fixed! Jesus used her, among all the laity in her parish, to bulldog this issue till it was right.
Please clarify: By
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011Please clarify: By "confirmed a candidate" do you mean "was sponsor to a candidate for confirmation"? Except at Easter Vigil and/or for special reasons, only Bishops confirm.
If you are talking about sponsors, only confirmed members of the Catholic Church may stand as sponsors. I'm not sure about unmarried couple who co-habitate being considered sin-free enough to sponsor a candidate. Sponsors are not required to go to confession before the ceremony, although they may be requested to do so. But I gather from your comments that deception was involved ("under assumed names"). In my diocese, a letter from the sponsor's home parish is necessary for him/her to be allowed to be a sponsor. The letter must state that the person is a member in-good-standing of the church. But if the deception went deep enough, such a letter could have been procured under false pretenses.
Anyway, I would advise that you not leave the church, but you might feel more comfortable if you left the parish for one that is more conscientious about enforcing canon law.
They were sponsors, who were
By Lucy Izaguirre (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011They were sponsors, who were previously married (he in the Church, no annulment) and are currently married via a JP. Our parish requires no documentation. Whom should I make aware of these practices? Walking away and turning a blind's eye simply allows the abuse to continue. Evil lurkes when good men stand by and do nothing.
I would go to the Bishop. If
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, May 26, 2011I would go to the Bishop. If you know another priest who could help you, solicit his help. But going to the Bishop is like going to the Boss.
Intercommunion
By Regina (not verified) on Thursday, November 19, 2009I agree that one can respond to this question by stating that the rules don't allow intercommunion. However, this response neglects to acknowledge in its baldness ("just follow the rules") and in its revealed ecclesiology (church/faith is only about following the rules) that the Catholic Church has in fact made many statements regarding this issue which should be studied.
I recommend to you: The Decree on Ecumenism (Vatican II document); Ut Unum Sint (That they may be one), encyclical by John Paul II, and this link to the updated statement on sacramental sharing in Saskatoon: http://www.ecumenism.net/archive/news/2008_09.htm#000769.
I recommend them because they reveal in their own ways serious attempts to work toward unity which is expressed in shared communion.
Finally, I recommend to papa the American Association of Interchurch Families: http://www.interchurchfamilies.org/aaif/index.shtm. I belong to this network (I am not in an interchurch marriage) because the wisdom, experience, knowledge and insight of many of the members have helped me as a Roman Catholic grow in my faith and commitment to the work of ecumenism.
I hope you and your wife will consider joining because you will find much support for your questions and your faithful marriage.
Communion for who?
By Josh (not verified) on Monday, November 16, 2009I asked a similar question to my priest when I lived in Columbus, Ohio. He gave me the formal "correct" answer. However, he rebutted his answer with this..."Who am I to refuse the life-saving body and blood of Jesus Christ to anyone? I am just a man"
The solution is that as
By earthenvessel (not verified) on Tuesday, September 29, 2009The solution is that as Catholics accept as valid any christian baptism, if you understand and accept what we believe of the Eucharist then go and receive. The Catholic Church says an informed conscience is above any one rule. So any informed and accepting Christian should just walk quietly up to communion and receive his/her Lord. Don't worry about making waves by asking this person or that what to do as you are almost assuredly bound to come across someone who is more concerned with one church rule at the expense of another church rule. Relax and come to Jesus since you know what it is you are after.
Conscience uber alles?
By Jeffrey Pinyan (not verified) on Monday, October 26, 2009"The Catholic Church says an informed conscience is above any one rule."
Please support such a claim with a quote. And before you quote a single sentence of the Catechism, I recommend you read ALL of Catechism 1776-1802.
One who acts in accordance with his conscience and commits a sin is STILL committing a sin. Just because you act in accord with your conscience doesn't make your action acceptable. Your conscience might be poorly formed.
CCC 1783: Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. ...
CCC 1784: The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. ...
CCC 1785: In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path, we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church.
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