He said "Anybody is welcome to come receive Communion."

[Phemie]

OP would probably get a response like the homily we heard at my parish yesterday: "Yes, there are rules, but those are just pointers. Jesus often broke the rules. In fact, over the years rules have changed. We used to burn people at the stake after torturing them to make them admit their guilt. Thank God that rule changed. So don’t get upset over rules. Canon Law? My friend is a canonical lawyer and he’ll find me a canon to support whatever I want to do, etc., etc. "

Maybe I’ve got thin skin but it seems every time I bring up a ‘rule’, we get a Pharisee homily the next Sunday with the pastor standing right by my pew.

Communion for non-Catholics? Not a problem (but then the bishop doesn’t have a problem with it either). Abortion? Oh, must do what’s best for the family.

 

[sarahraegraham]

I have read time and time again of the different liturgical abuses that are going on across the US, and I am shocked every time.

I’m with the poster who said to stand up and say “No they can’t.” Except I would have gone farther and stated that not only will I be reporting you to the bishop, I will request your immediate removal from our parish and your excommunication should you ever do such a thing again. I would have said it so that the entire congregation could hear.

The Church will be destroyed from the inside out if we don’t stop it.

 

[worldcit]

A good friend of my mothers travels a lot to different parishes in our Diocese when she is in that area (we have a big county). She started going to this one parish, an hour away from our home when she is in that area, because the priest is very Orthodox, and she in enjoys the Mass. There was a visiting priest there this past Sunday. When it came time to receive Communion the priest said, “This is normally something that only Catholics can participate in, but, I am inviting anybody to come up and receive Communion. Catholic or not.”

I am floored by this… Has anybody ever heard of this being okay? My priest will tell people they can come up for a blessing but tells them they are to cross their arms.

 

[worldcit]

A good friend of my mothers travels a lot to different parishes in our Diocese when she is in that area (we have a big county). She started going to this one parish, an hour away from our home when she is in that area, because the priest is very Orthodox, and she in enjoys the Mass. There was a visiting priest there this past Sunday. When it came time to receive Communion the priest said, “This is normally something that only Catholics can participate in, but, I am inviting anybody to come up and receive Communion. Catholic or not.”

I am floored by this… Has anybody ever heard of this being okay? My priest will tell people they can come up for a blessing but tells them they are to cross their arms.

I haven’t HEARD of this being OK, nor have I heard such an announcement made, but I’ve SEEN communion given to known non-Catholics with a fair regularity. In the rather “liberal” diocese of Richmond, Virginia, I’ve seen this done particularly at funerals. In our own diocese of Arlington, Virginia, which is much more conservative, I saw it given recently to a number of non-Catholic people at a service where the priest KNEW who was not Catholic. All of them were involved in ecumenical service to a Catholic religious order, and one could suppose that the intention was not to offend and that the priest felt able to take for granted that anyone at that Mass shared basic Catholic beliefs about the nature of the Eucharist.

Still–is there some kind of “special-occasion” dispensation that permits us to treat the Body and Blood of Christ as, in effect, a gesture of hospitality?

If so, what are the circumstances when the dispensation applies?

If not, why are so many on both liberal and conservative sides of Catholicism doing this?

 

[Jimsdun]

Sadly, it’s not the only place that’s going on – while visiting my parents in northern nj this christmas, the priest mentioned how Jesus would have wanted everyone, sinners and saints to eat with Him… {shudder} – the “music” was ridiculous (like something from Barney) and the sermon, dare I say it, sacrilige – I felt like I needed to go to another mass that day just to be on the safe side…lol – oh, I almost forgot the dainty little glasses they offered the consecration in…it was a difficult day; now I know why my parents abandoned the church 2min from their house to go 15min away

Sounds like most of the parishes in Mesa and Tempe. That’s why I don’t mind driving 15 miles to attend mass in Phoenix.