Communion for Catholics

[Contarini]

I’m not disputing that point. I think this particular parish was on the liberal end of the LCMS.

And bear in mind that I’m not Catholic and I’m not terribly impressed when Catholics say that what local parishes do doesn’t matter because Official Doctrine says something different. Both are real and important and both need to be taken into account.

My guess is that Grace (the parish in question) might have argued that a Real-Presence-believing Christian from a church with which the LCMS wasn’t in communion (I was actually not the member of any church at the time–I was in the process of becoming Episcopalian and was visiting the LCMS to see if they presented a viable alternative, since I had concerns about the liberalism of ECUSA and found the “Continuing Anglican” churches far too schismatic) constituted extraordinary pastoral circumstances. Certainly that’s the sort of dodge Catholic parishes pull. Look at the almost universal custom of employing lay Eucharistic ministers, which is similarly supposed to be an extraordinary custom in case of emergences.

Edwin

 

[Mommyof02green]

I’m not disputing that point. I think this particular parish was on the liberal end of the LCMS.

And bear in mind that I’m not Catholic and I’m not terribly impressed when Catholics say that what local parishes do doesn’t matter because Official Doctrine says something different. Both are real and important and both need to be taken into account.

My guess is that Grace (the parish in question) might have argued that a Real-Presence-believing Christian from a church with which the LCMS wasn’t in communion (I was actually not the member of any church at the time–I was in the process of becoming Episcopalian and was visiting the LCMS to see if they presented a viable alternative, since I had concerns about the liberalism of ECUSA and found the “Continuing Anglican” churches far too schismatic) constituted extraordinary pastoral circumstances. Certainly that’s the sort of dodge Catholic parishes pull. Look at the almost universal custom of employing lay Eucharistic ministers, which is similarly supposed to be an extraordinary custom in case of emergences.

Edwin

That very well could be the case… I don’t know.
I’m not an LCMS Lutheran.

I just now on lcms.org found following:
lcms.org:

The Synod has not attempted to define precisely what constitutes “special cases of pastoral care,” but has entrusted to its pastors and congregations the responsibility to make judgments in individual cases about the propriety of communing non-LCMS Christians.

So who knows… maybe it was a “more liberal” congregation, and maybe that is how they (the individual congregation/pastor) defined “special cases of pastoral care”.

As for Catholic Parishes and/or priest that do not adhere to the Church teachings: I understand the need not to just totally dismiss them. However, the Catholic Church teachings are very clear on so many things and there is not much room to be on the left or on the right. I think that this link explains what I mean the best.