Did Pope Francis Change the Rules for Receiving Communion?

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I doubt the priest really said that. But if he did. The bishop needs to be notified because there is a risk of profaning the Eucharist.
 
I doubt the priest really said that. But if he did. The bishop needs to be notified because there is a risk of profaning the Eucharist.
I don’t doubt OP heard what he heard. After the midterm Synod report, progressive priests may very well say that to echo the Synod report. Keep in mind the Church is a huge tent. There are all kinds of ideologies under it. We must stand up for what the Gospel truly teaches.
 
I don’t doubt OP heard what he heard. After the midterm Synod report, progressive priests may very well say that to echo the Synod report. Keep in mind the Church is a huge tent. There are all kinds of ideologies under it. We must stand up for what the Gospel truly teaches.
A priest might think something was going to change. But deciding to profane God himself on his own whim is a serious violation. It would be a bishops responsibility. If the priest really said exactly what the op said. Well it would probably be national news…
 
I am the OP on this subject and I just want to say first of all that our priest is not a liberal. I love him!!! But I really need to discuss this subject with him. You know, I have come to believe that those who are not permitted by the Catechism to receive Communion are often those who would benefit most by receiving. That being said, I also believe that we should all obey the Catechism of the Catholic Church until the Pope officially changes the rules.

Our priest still hears Confessions and I was thinking during mass that if even those in mortal sin (although those two words were not mentioned in the homily) are now welcome to receive Communion, what becomes of the sacrament of Reconciliation?
Being that I suspect I am a good bit older than you, let me ask you some questions to help you in your decision. From your post, it appears this is your parish.
  1. assume you ask him for clarification, and you get an answer you don’t like. Then what?
  2. some will say you need to “go to the bishop”. All well and good, but are you capable of actually going and making an appointment with the bishop? If you send a letter, you will not know if he ever even gets it (bishops normally have a secretary opening their mail).
  3. if you intend to make a face-to-face appointment, he will want to know what you want to see him about; if you tell him (assuming you even get to speak to him) that may end it all there. Then what?
  4. if you call for an appointment and get someone else, they will want to know what it is about - and you may get filtered right there. Then what?
  5. assuming you do get to the bishop, he may dismiss the matter. Then what?
  6. assuming you get to him and he does not dismiss the matter, then the possibility is that your pastor will be called in for a “chat”. If he says that you misunderstood (and I guarantee you will not be there to defend your statement), then what?
  7. assuming your pastor gets called in on the carpet; some people do not take to correction kindly, how is that going to affect your relationship with your pastor in any and every aspect? Then what?
There is a hint in all of these questions. One is that you are ill-prepared to take this matter on; for starters, you do not have a recording of the issue as proof; and then it gets down to what we call, in law, a “he said she said”, which is shorthand for hearsay evidence. And that is always weak evidence.

People have been going to their bishop (or at least trying to) at least since the Mass changed, and more likely than not, before that. Some bishops will be receptive; many, if not most either never hear of the complaint (because it got filtered out), or for a number of other reasons do not or will not deal with it in a way you think it should be dealt with.

You may want to consider studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and pass over issues which priests say and do, as, by and large, most people are incapable of making any changes. And on occasion, what they are not happy about is not something that particularly, in a scale of 1 to 10, need changing.

I know that many will disagree with me; but it is easy to give “armchair advice”; it is another thing to be in the middle of a ruckus, and have to bear the consequences.

As to your last question, Reconciliation is not going away. Neither the Church northe bishop nor the pastor will do away with it.
 
Our priest just stated that everyone is welcome to receive communion no matter their choices in life .
I left out the judge others part because that is a whole other argument in itself.

The priest almost definitely did not say that. I just cannot believe he would. This is not only not true, but even if the Pope himself wanted to change the “rule” he could not. Never ever will the Church teach that everyone is welcome to receive God in the Eucharist no matter their choices in life. Period. It would be one of the gravest sins and in fact an excommunication event to profane the Eucharist. What is being discussed (and will ultimately be rejected) is the toleration of adultery and the sacrament of the Eucharist. Even if the most liberal of proposals were accepted there would still be a ban until repentance had been achieved. If your priest is advocating exactly what you said he is not only defaming God but also putting many souls in jeopardy.

I simply do not believe he said this. If he did the bishop should be notified immediately.
 
I don’t doubt OP heard what he heard. After the midterm Synod report, progressive priests may very well say that to echo the Synod report.
May indeed. This reminds me of the “follow your conscience” attitude so prevalent in the 60’s. It came from a papal document but it was in relation to a couple determining the size of the family. However, many priests and even bishops started extending the argument to ABC before Humanae Vitae was issued. Once issued though, many priests obeyed HV; needless to say, many others didn’t.
 
I will not go to the Bishop. I will ask my priest to clarify what he said. By making the statements about what a person does is between them and God with regard to being welcome to receive the Eucharist, I must say it is the first time he’s ever said anything that can be labeled “liberal”. He is very conservative and respectful toward the Bishop and Pope. So this has me very confused and disappointed. I will ask him to clarify. I owe him that. He really is a very good priest.
 
Our priest just stated that everyone is welcome to receive communion no matter their choices in life and that we are not to judge. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that if we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin and if we haven’t been cleansed of the sin that we are to refrain from receiving Holy Communion. What is currently correct? I hate contradictions and don’t know what to believe or practice any more.
A few restrictions exist, some are shown below. Latin Canon Law (CIC)

Can. 912 Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to holy communion.

Can. 914 It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attained the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach holy communion

Can. 915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.

Can. 919 §1. A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P39.HTM
 
You yourself are not supposed to condemn someone else sitting a row behind you at church.
There is a difference between condemning a person and condemning a sin. For example, in a casual conversation with someone, he tells you he didn’t go to Mass on Jan 1. Many if not most, don’t go. Yet they will have no qualms about receiving the following Sunday. For all we know, there could have been mitigating circumstances every year with these folk. Or they might not even consider it a grave matter to skip Mass on Jan. 1. So we can’t condemn them, though someone should point out to them that missing Mass on Sundays AND Holy Days is serious matter. Merely telling them everyone needs to receive is not making them any holier.
 
There is a difference between condemning a person and condemning a sin. For example, in a casual conversation with someone, he tells you he didn’t go to Mass on Jan 1. Many if not most, don’t go. Yet they will have no qualms about receiving the following Sunday. For all we know, there could have been mitigating circumstances every year with these folk. Or they might not even consider it a grave matter to skip Mass on Jan. 1. So we can’t condemn them, though someone should point out to them that missing Mass on Sundays AND Holy Days is serious matter. Merely telling them everyone needs to receive is not making them any holier.
If they go to confession on Sat. then they can receive on Sunday! 🙂
 
If they go to confession on Sat. then they can receive on Sunday! 🙂
RIght, but in our local parish many go to the Saturday vespere Mass following confession, where there is virtually no line at all. I know, they must be all driving to other parishes for confession. :rolleyes:
 
The priest didn’t say anything specifically about judging their actions–at least, not as the OP quoted him.
Sounds as if he was saying to not judge the people themselves and decide they were not worthy of getting communion–that is not a third-person, layperson’s job, as I’ve heard the apologists confirm here.

You yourself are not supposed to condemn someone else sitting a row behind you at church.

The priest, it seems, is trying to welcome people into the church with open arms.

.
I said condemnation of sin. Jesus did not condemn the adulteress woman out of compassion but He also told her not to sin no more for conversion. Compassion for this life conversion for the next. We can indeed help our brothers and sisters toward conversion. That is why there are ministries like RCIA, Faith Formation, Courage and those apologists you mentioned.

If the priest was saying that communion is open to all without any qualifiers then he is wrong plain and simple. But we really don’t know what he meant. You yourself said ‘sounds like’ and ‘it seems’ so there is confusion and the best thing to do is ask the priest what he meant.
 
RIght, but in our local parish many go to the Saturday vespere Mass following confession, where there is virtually no line at all. I know, they must be all driving to other parishes for confession. :rolleyes:
I really need to make/market my “I’ve been to confession, so I can receive Communion” cards. I could make millions! :rolleyes:
 
I really need to make/market my “I’ve been to confession, so I can receive Communion” cards. I could make millions! :rolleyes:
I doubt millions. But they actually now have “I gave electronically” cards available so you can be spared the embarrassment of not putting in something in the collection basket. So you may be onto something here. :rolleyes:
 
Our priest just stated that everyone is welcome to receive communion no matter their choices in life and that we are not to judge.
In charity, he may have been speaking to the welcoming and not judging of those who – after making choices opposed to the church – had come back home and were now living in communion with her teachings. I’ve been hearing a lot of that lately, so it seems to be a pastoral theme which is “trending.”
 
I really need to make/market my “I’ve been to confession, so I can receive Communion” cards. I could make millions! :rolleyes:
Don’t forget to add a line for signature at the bottom, stating “and I am still in a state of grace”.
 
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