Everybody look up. Waaaaaay up. Right up to Post #10. Resurrexit quoted the Council of Trent. Trent says we only need to receive one Species. Would somebody explain why they believe Trent to be a heretic council, thus creating an apostate church, which turns Jesus into a liar for promising that the gates of hell would not prevail?
In nomine Iesu pax vobiscum,
I have not claimed the Holy Council of Trent to be heretical nor has anyone else whom I’ve read in this thread so far. What I have stated is that receiving the Eucharist in both the Holy Body and Holy Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not only more reverent but is a fuller sign of our participation in the Sacrament. This is because the two species (i.e. signs) are the normative practice of the Holy Eucharist instituted by Christ our Lord and I dare say the Church should always strive to protect and serve the normative practices of these Sacraments instituted by God. These are sacred rites given to her care and we do well to always remember this.
This is about reverent participation and practice and not about validity and efficacy of the Sacrament.
Talking during the Mass, playing video games on your cellphone, chewing gum, coming in late and leaving early all erode the reverence of the Mass and do injury (i.e. blaspheme) to God and the Church but it doesn’t invalidate the Mass, nor does it impede the reception of Grace but I dare say it impedes our participation with the grace received because we partake of it with an attitude of contempt due to our lack of reverence. At the very least, when both species are offered, the laity who receive but one species should reverence the other when walking past. To fail to do so intentionally is in my humble opinion injurious to the sanctity of the Chalice. Far too many have this practice but I believe it is one of ignorance and a lack of reverence which should be addressed. When only one species is offered, due to circumstances beyond the control of the celebrant, then the normative and again I dare say fuller sign is amended to accommodate the necessities of the Church. This is always an act of Oikonomia (Economia or Economy) which is not to be seen as ‘less’ for regardless of the same grace flows through the Sacrament either way but I will again state that the Church should not look at this as a means to greater slothfulness and laziness with her sacred duty to preserve and protect the Sacraments placed in her care for the nourishment and building up of her Children.
The Council of Trent busied itself with a different problem articulating the unity and efficacy of the Eucharist under ‘either’ species and such is well and good but one cannot escape the demands to the standard of practice for the Sacraments. The normal case should always be akribia, or strict adherence to the standards. Economia means leniently. Akrevia means strictly.
A canon is a ‘rule’ or ‘guide’ for the service of worship, the sacraments, and the governing of the Church. Only the Pope, as head of the Universal Church and the bishop, as head of the local Church, enforces them. He can enforce them rigidly (akrivia), or flexibly (economia) but ‘precision’ is the norm. Once the particular circumstance has past - that demanded a conceding and accommodating judgement - ‘akrivia’ assumes once again her full force. It cannot be that the ‘economia’, which was necessary in a specific situation, should become an example and should be later retained as the rule. This my friends is a grave error and the one which I have been attempting to make for you.
When we understand these things we grasp the whole nature of the Councils and why further guidance in the future will be necessary. The Church, the Sacraments, the Canons, etc. are organic living means to the shepharding of His flock. There have been and there will be times when the Church, in her wisdom, makes use of Economia and at times these will be measured in years or perhaps even centuries but the Church will and must always understand that such are the exceptions to the rules and do not set new norms.
Again Pax Vobiscum
Although aspersion is Valid it is not nor should it ever been considered Normative.
