Eucharist outside the Church?

[dje101]

Hi all,

I have a question that my younger brother had asked me. I know the answer, but have trouble with the reasoning as to why. My brother and I were discussing the fact that the RCC says that they have the true Eucharist and all other protestant denominations have a sort of imitation. Then my brother asked: Since a priest is trained by the church to give the Eucharist, then can he still give the true Eucharist if he leaves the RCC?

I come from a protestant background and am just getting used to all these Catholic terms and what not. So please forgive me for my lack of knowledge.

 

[Bbigam]

Hi all,

I have a question that my younger brother had asked me. I know the answer, but have trouble with the reasoning as to why. My brother and I were discussing the fact that the RCC says that they have the true Eucharist and all other protestant denominations have a sort of imitation. Then my brother asked: Since a priest is trained by the church to give the Eucharist, then can he still give the true Eucharist if he leaves the RCC?

I come from a protestant background and am just getting used to all these Catholic terms and what not. So please forgive me for my lack of knowledge.

A priest isn’t just trained for the Eucharist, he is ordained - he receives the Sacrament of Holy Orders, without which it is impossible to celebrate most of the Sacraments including the Eucharist.

A priest who leaves the Church is still a validly ordained priest, and, provided that he has the right intention (to consecrate the Eucharist), matter (unleavened wheaten bread, and grape wine), and form (the words of Consecration), then the Eucharist will be valid. However, the priest himself will be in a state of grave sin, which he will then compound by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ sacrilegiously. If he’s missing one of these elements, it will not be a valid Eucharist anyway.

Hope this helps. Welcome to CAF!

 

[dje101]

A priest isn’t just trained for the Eucharist, he is ordained - he receives the Sacrament of Holy Orders, without which it is impossible to celebrate most of the Sacraments including the Eucharist.

A priest who leaves the Church is still a validly ordained priest, and, provided that he has the right intention (to consecrate the Eucharist), matter (unleavened wheaten bread, and grape wine), and form (the words of Consecration), then the Eucharist will be valid. However, the priest himself will be in a state of grave sin, which he will then compound by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ sacrilegiously. If he’s missing one of these elements, it will not be a valid Eucharist anyway.

Hope this helps. Welcome to CAF!

wow. awesome answer. thank you very much. God bless.

 

[dje101]

thanks for the tip on the RCC thing. should i just say “the Catholic Church” then or is there a shorthand version i could use.

 

[dje101]

ok, thanks. another questions for you or anyone else who wants to answer. if a priest leaves the priesthood for any reason (maybe like that guy on the news who left because he wanted to get married), but he does not denounce the Catholic Church ( for using the correct term!), is he excommunicated or in mortal sin because he left the Catholic Priesthood but not the Catholic Church?

 

[dje101]

I don’t think it is him. this was a young priest, possibly mid 30’s with a longer name. lol, like that helps any. so a priest can, in essence, resign from the priesthood and still remain in the church?

 

[dje101]

where would you recommend that i post that new thread?

 

[Bbigam]

wow. awesome answer. thank you very much. God bless.

Thanks!

Thanks for your clarifiers. I just want to note that within the Roman Rite specifically, the bread used is required to be unleavened, maybe not to be valid, but to be licit.

(For those who don’t know - validity is an indication of whether a Sacrament actually took place. An invalid Eucharist is not the Body and Blood of Christ - for example, if attempted by a layman, or with rice cakes instead of wheaten bread. Liceity is an indication of whether a Sacrament, or anything else regulated by the Church, is legal or took place according to the proper norms. Leavened bread in the Roman Rite could be valid, but would be illicit. Any Mass celebrated by a suspended or excommunicated priest would automatically be illicit.)

 

[ConstantineTG]

As St. Paul have stated, we should stay in the state when we are called. Those who are single should stay single, and those who are married shall stay married. A celibate ordained man (deacon or priest) can never, ever be granted marriage. A married priest or deacon who’s wife dies can be granted permission to re-marry. But its a tough process, the most common reason is if there are young children who would benefit from the care of a mother.