Homosexuals and the Holy Eucharist

[Abira]

As long as there isnt any un-absolved (in penance) fornication or sodomy, the eucharist can be received by any Catholic in good standing with the Church.

This is how I understood it…
I don’t understand this thread, or I my just have lost the thread… for me this is cut and dried…any Catholic that is not in sin can receive…gay or not… I don’t understand the issue here. Sticking to the Eucharist or communion strictly…

does anyone here disagree with this statement?

‘Catholics, gay or otherwise, who are living a chaste life and not promoting gay lifestyles, are free to take the Eucharist’.

S

 

[sacredcello]

That’s a stretch. He openly violated many aspects of Jewish law, which He claimed to have the authority to do. Therefore, He did not validate every aspect of the old law. If homosexuality were such a great issue, Jesus certainly would have had something to say about it.

My education in the Catholic faith is extensive. I have chosen to be a liberal Catholic, in the tradition of Liberation Theology. I can understand your criticisms, but they have no effect. I have thought through my convictions over the course of a very long time. While I love my religion, I also love my country, whose government grants me constitutionally protected rights to disagree with anyone, including you.

You have every right to your opinion, of course!

My question to you is the same one I posed earlier on this thread: If you do not value chastity, why do you cling to the Roman Catholic Church? All of us who are Catholics are called to chastity, whether we are single, married (through NFP) or clergy.

On the other hand, the Episcopal Church is quite accepting of gays receiving the Eucharist. The Episcopalians are nearly identical to Catholics in the liturgy.

Liberation Theology has been rejected by the Catholic Church as heretical…it incorporates Marxist ideas and is not the message that Jesus gave to the apostles.

Jesus did speak about sexual sin, why do you say he didn’t? He told the woman caught in adultery that her sins were forgiven and that she should go and sin no more. Her sin was harmful to the covenant of marriage.

 

[Greg27]

Actively homosexual people, given the present stance of the RC on the matter, can’t receive the Eucharist if they are still actively sexual. If they want to remain actively sexual then they should seek out a church where such a policy is not enforced, as it is very unlikely the Church’s view on this matter will change.

 

[buffalo]

Y

On the other hand, the Episcopal Church is quite accepting of gays receiving the Eucharist. The Episcopalians are nearly identical to Catholics in the liturgy.

.

Transubstantiation does not occur in the Episcopal Church because the succession of laying of the hands was broken.

 

[sacredcello]

Transubstantiation does not occur in the Episcopal Church because the succession of laying of the hands was broken.

Transubstantiation also does not occur because of their difference in doctrine. Episcopalians believe that a mystery takes place during the Eucharistic prayers to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, but that the substance of bread and wine still remain.

The Episcopal Church differs from the CC in doctrine about the Eucharist, as do practicing homosexuals who believe it is acceptable to receive the Eucharist. Therefore, it is only reasonable that practicing gays would seek out the Episcopal Church.

 

[feetxxxl]

My pastor is proposing to begin a ministry to lesbians and gays by making our parish a “welcoming church.” He has asked for feedback on this from me and the other members of the pastoral council. My gut feeling is positive in that I’d like to bring the good news of Christ to these people. I’ve read the USCCB statement “Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination” which I found to be very informative and helpful.

I still have a concern, however, and it has to do with welcoming homosexuals into full participation within our parish without making it clear to them that homosexual acts are sinful. In particular, I don’t feel that it would be right for them to partake of holy communion while still engaged in a homosexual lifestyle, without any intention to change. (In fairness, I also feel this way about the straight men and women in our church who are cohabiting, yet who receive communion with no compunction at all about their behavior.)

Any insight you can offer would be appreciated…

REPLY

john 4 “the true worshippers will worship in spirit and in truth” so start with the truth. it could be something like this.

to a homosexual brother in christ. "first of all we want to ask your forgiveness that there was ever a time that you were rejected by the body of christ, the church. and that we are actually engaged in “opening our doors to you” effort, that they have not always been open. we also want to ask your forgiveness for any abandonment that you have suffered from friends and family knowing that our attitude toward homosexuals in the past, may have contributed directly or indirectly to that abandonment.(matthew 5:23-24)

so our opening our doors is an act of contrition. in the spirit of that contrition i have openly admit that our understanding about homosexuality, comes from secular as well as religious cultural influence from birth. we have never worshipped and fellowshipped with any homosexuals openly.

in the spirit of unity, we acknowledge with you, that god has given all of us hearts of flesh and written his laws on them, plus we are all created thru the same spirit, christ.

so to honor your hearts as well as our own, we give up any of our negative understandings about homosexuality (romans 12), and honor what you believe in your hearts (the ones that christ lives in) for the sake of fellowship)(honoring each others heart). that is so our primary effort can be the fellowship of the light.(1john1). that is we have a unified relationship in christ first, and that remains first before any various interpretations of the law, or adherence to any writtenn code.(romans 7:6)

and we are doing this in faith, trusting in the holy spirit. that he will reveal to both of us, together whatever is necessary. and that whatever is revealed will glorify the father and deepen our unity in christ. and that it will honor both our hearts, and christ, the one who lives in them. (ephesians 2:8-9)(1john1)

in this process of listening and worship together we will embrace the fruit of the spirit as the guide by which we will fellowship. together…love,joy,peace,kindness,patience,goodness,self-control,faithfulness, and gentleness… loving each other the way the way we love ourselves, and by the way in which we know christ loves us."(galatians 5)

PUT THIS IN WRITING. READ TO THE CONGREGATION. IF ALL AGREE THIS IS CONSISTENT OF WHAT WE KNOW OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND THE WORD OF LIFE OF 1JOHN1. LET EVERYONE SIGN OFF ON IT IN A VOTE. AND GIVE EVERYONE A COPY.

 

[DLC]

You love the sinner but hate the sin. You tell them the truth that they can change in Christ. You tell them that there is no such thing as a homosexual gene. You lovingingly tell them that salvation is by grace through fath in Christ and not as a result of works. This means that the Mass, holy communion, baptism, church membership, or any thing added to faith for salvation will save. This is how you show true love to a sinner. You lovingly tell them the truth.

 

[Sandi]

Why single our gays and lesbians? They’re sinners; are you going to single out liars, tax cheats, divorced and remarried persons, materialistc people, those who are indifferent to the poor and needy, etc.for “special ministry” also?

We’re all sinners; why single out this one class of sinners?

And to use the hospital metaphor, don’t you think sick people should be brought into a hospital for treatment, rather than made to feel that they need to “get well” before they’re “good enough” to be admitted?

 

[feetxxxl]

You love the sinner but hate the sin. You tell them the truth that they can change in Christ. You tell them that there is no such thing as a homosexual gene. You lovingingly tell them that salvation is by grace through fath in Christ and not as a result of works. This means that the Mass, holy communion, baptism, church membership, or any thing added to faith for salvation will save. This is how you show true love to a sinner. You lovingly tell them the truth.

it would be helpful if you would annotate your understanding with scripture.

1cor6:9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

according to this scripture, were they saved because they stopped the behavior or because they were sanctified,justified, and washed in the name of jesus christ.

so why do fwe fellowship with our brother thru our understanding of his sin…is that your experience how jesus fellowships with us thru the holy spirit.
if at the end of romans paul says that unity in the spirit is our priority. then why would we cling to interpretations of the law , by which romans says we cannot receive god’s righteousness by following , to the determent of unity and fellowship.

“the bible says” is a misquote what we are really saying is our interpretation of scripture says.

by leadinfg our fellowship with this verbal approach we are manifesting guilt to our brother at the expense of fellowship. when romans 2 says that it is god’s tolerance and kindness that leads to any kind of repenrtance that gives salvation if that is what is needed.

or invoking godly sadness thru our fellowship with one another 2cor7-10

let us remember the number of scriptures that say not to judge. or the scriptures that say mercy is greater than judgement. or that we should love mercy…not to mention the log out of our own eye.

is that our understandig of loving your brother as christ has loved us.

 

[goofyjim]

You love the sinner but hate the sin. You tell them the truth that they can change in Christ. You tell them that there is no such thing as a homosexual gene. You lovingingly tell them that salvation is by grace through fath in Christ and not as a result of works. This means that the Mass, holy communion, baptism, church membership, or any thing added to faith for salvation will save. This is how you show true love to a sinner. You lovingly tell them the truth.

There you go again. There may not be a “gene” but there is evidence of prenatal conditions disposing one towards homosexual attraction. One can remain a faithful homosexual as long as they are celibate. Don’t try to throw the idea that all homosexuals can change around. It’s just not true. They can control behavior but not inner feelings. That is the truth.

 

[governorperez]

My pastor is proposing to begin a ministry to lesbians and gays by making our parish a “welcoming church.” He has asked for feedback on this from me and the other members of the pastoral council. My gut feeling is positive in that I’d like to bring the good news of Christ to these people. I’ve read the USCCB statement “Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination” which I found to be very informative and helpful.

I still have a concern, however, and it has to do with welcoming homosexuals into full participation within our parish without making it clear to them that homosexual acts are sinful. In particular, I don’t feel that it would be right for them to partake of holy communion while still engaged in a homosexual lifestyle, without any intention to change. (In fairness, I also feel this way about the straight men and women in our church who are cohabiting, yet who receive communion with no compunction at all about their behavior.)

Any insight you can offer would be appreciated…

REPLY

john 4 “the true worshippers will worship in spirit and in truth” so start with the truth. it could be something like this.

to a homosexual brother in christ. "first of all we want to ask your forgiveness that there was ever a time that you were rejected by the body of christ, the church. and that we are actually engaged in “opening our doors to you” effort, that they have not always been open. we also want to ask your forgiveness for any abandonment that you have suffered from friends and family knowing that our attitude toward homosexuals in the past, may have contributed directly or indirectly to that abandonment.(matthew 5:23-24)

so our opening our doors is an act of contrition. in the spirit of that contrition i have openly admit that our understanding about homosexuality, comes from secular as well as religious cultural influence from birth. we have never worshipped and fellowshipped with any homosexuals openly.

in the spirit of unity, we acknowledge with you, that god has given all of us hearts of flesh and written his laws on them, plus we are all created thru the same spirit, christ.

so to honor your hearts as well as our own, we give up any of our negative understandings about homosexuality (romans 12), and honor what you believe in your hearts (the ones that christ lives in) for the sake of fellowship)(honoring each others heart). that is so our primary effort can be the fellowship of the light.(1john1). that is we have a unified relationship in christ first, and that remains first before any various interpretations of the law, or adherence to any writtenn code.(romans 7:6)

and we are doing this in faith, trusting in the holy spirit. that he will reveal to both of us, together whatever is necessary. and that whatever is revealed will glorify the father and deepen our unity in christ. and that it will honor both our hearts, and christ, the one who lives in them. (ephesians 2:8-9)(1john1)

in this process of listening and worship together we will embrace the fruit of the spirit as the guide by which we will fellowship. together…love,joy,peace,kindness,patience,goodness,self-control,faithfulness, and gentleness… loving each other the way the way we love ourselves, and by the way in which we know christ loves us."(galatians 5)

PUT THIS IN WRITING. READ TO THE CONGREGATION. IF ALL AGREE THIS IS CONSISTENT OF WHAT WE KNOW OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND THE WORD OF LIFE OF 1JOHN1. LET EVERYONE SIGN OFF ON IT IN A VOTE. AND GIVE EVERYONE A COPY.

 

[governorperez]

A M E N , alleluia , praise the Lord!
gov