Chicago prelate: Let gay and divorced Catholics take part

[Seamus_L]

I don’t know any other way to say it, but when I hear Bishops like Gądecki, Hoser, Sarah and compare them with Bishops like Kasper, Cupich, Marx. It doesn’t sound like the same church anymore.

 

[JimG]

Is the solution to deny those that are otherwise in a state of sanctifying grace the Eucharist? I imagine those that are unworthily consuming now, won’t think twice about unworthily consuming under different rules.

Whether to partake or not is basically left to each of us in a Holy honor system. As humans, we do get caught up in what others think about us and hopefully, we will remember it’s more important what the creator thinks than what our neighbor does. There have been times where I’ve attempted to fool the neighbor but whether or not any person is fooled, God is not.

A fast before communion is a way of showing respect for the sacrament. Entire generations of people fasted from midnight from food and drink including water before receiving communion. Can it be that we have now become so soft that a three hour fast is intolerable, to receive the body and blood of Christ?

Still, the Eucharistic fast is a discipline, and can be changed. For decades, the fast was from midnight. Later the fast was three hours and allowed for water, now it is for one hour, which is hardly a fast at all, since the Mass will last nearly an hour before communion.

At the very least, I would suggest that the practice of having the ushers go pew by pew to bring up thye communion line be discontinued. That is a relatively new practice.

 

[St_Pancake]

A fast before communion is a way of showing respect for the sacrament. Entire generations of people fasted from midnight from food and drink including water before receiving communion. Can it be that we have now become so soft that a three hour fast is intolerable, to receive the body and blood of Christ?

Still, the Eucharistic fast is a discipline, and can be changed. For decades, the fast was from midnight. Later the fast was three hours and allowed for water, now it is for one hour, which is hardly a fast at all, since the Mass will last nearly an hour before communion.

At the very least, I would suggest that the practice of having the ushers go pew by pew to bring up thye communion line be discontinued. That is a relatively new practice.

I can do a water only fast any day of the week and it won’t affect me at all. My brother gets dizzy if he misses a meal. It wouldn’t bother me at all but it would make it dangerous for my brother to drive under the wrong conditions.

It might also cause issues for our much more aged population. Most of them are on some type of maintenance medication and a 3 hours fast may lead them to missing it. Of course they would be exempt but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t cause them problems. I’m only 54 and I greatly struggle to take two little pills on a daily basis without any mass restrictions being in the way.

 

[Xpiatio]

Wouldn’t the most “pastoral” thing to do is not to allow people with mortal sin, as if they receive the Eucharist, they are condemning / damning themselves to further separation? I would think the Church would be wanting to help people to go to heaven. Receiving the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin does not do this, even if those priests that want to be “all inclusive”.

 

[JimG]

Wouldn’t the most “pastoral” thing to do is not to allow people with mortal sin, as if they receive the Eucharist, they are condemning / damning themselves to further separation? I would think the Church would be wanting to help people to go to heaven. Receiving the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin does not do this, even if those priests that want to be “all inclusive”.

Well, actually that is the case now. One is not allowed to receive if conscious of grave sin. That’s one of the things that most missallettes print in the front.

Several things, however, actually make it easier to receive in a state of sin. First, sin is not something much preached about anymore. I haven’t heard any homilies warning people not to receive if they are in grave sin. Second, most parishes lead the people up to communion pew by pew, creating the impression that everyone is expected to receive, (and by implication, if you are not receiving, you must be in a state of grave sin.) This exerts a subtle but real pressure. It was not always the case that communion was done this way. It might be better just to opt for random access rather than row by row.