How can the Archbishop of New Zealand suggest this about the Eucharist?

[legeorge]

cheese_sdc:

While the Church is good at a great number of things, judging the heart of a person isn’t one of them.

So people who don’t believe that the Eucharist is really and truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ should be receiving communion? Along with people who don’t even believe in Jesus or God at all? People living in a perpetual state of mortal sin? You would wish for these people to “eat and drink judgement on themselves”?
There is a reason we have regulations in the Church. The Church founded by Christ and entrusted with preserving it through the ages. The Church endowed with the authority of God. If you do not understand these “rules” then you need to do a bit more research and pray about it. We should not presume to know more than the 2000 year old Church guided by the Holy Spirit.

 

[fix]

cheese_sdc:

While the Church is good at a great number of things, judging the heart of a person isn’t one of them.

It is not about judging one’s heart. It is about justice and proper authority. The Church as domain over these matters. Let us not put ourselves above His Church.

 

[Brendan]

cheese_sdc:

While the Church is good at a great number of things, judging the heart of a person isn’t one of them.

The Church doesn’t have to.

Communion, as a sign of unity, is only given to those who fully accept all that the Church teaches as True. So non-Catholic cannot recieve the Eucharist, as they, by definition, do not hold to the teachings of the Church

In addition, the Church may act on those in public, manifest sin.
In such as case, again by definition, the sin is public knowledge. It therefore requires zero insight into the heart. The public actions of the person has rendered them unfit for the Eucharist.

 

[Erich]

Superstar905:

Also, what about offering the Eucharist to non-Catholic spouses…I don’t understand how that’s even being presented as an option?

My guess is that the thought process behind it goes something like this:

“We are told that in marriage we become ‘one flesh.’ We are equally told that unless we eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood, we have no life in us. This ‘one’ that God has created then wonders: Where is the ‘one’ to worship, to take and eat the body of Christ, to take and drink his blood? How many more Sundays must that ‘one’ whom God has joined together be put asunder?”

 

[fix]

Erich:

My guess is that the thought process behind it goes something like this:

“We are told that in marriage we become ‘one flesh.’ We are equally told that unless we eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood, we have no life in us. This ‘one’ that God has created then wonders: Where is the ‘one’ to worship, to take and eat the body of Christ, to take and drink his blood? How many more Sundays must that ‘one’ whom God has joined together be put asunder?”

That article is just more dissent. The Church’s position is perfectly logical, yet so many reject it. Why?

 

[bear06]

Good point, but why would they then need to be reconciled back to the Church, as the ArchBishop states.

Divorce only separates you in the civic world, not God’s world. Even though the Church allows the civil separation, she is clear to point out that those civilly divorced are still spiritually married in God’s eyes. People don’t become excluded from the sacraments simply by divorce but by divorce and a civil re-marriage to a new person. The bishop is speaking of civil divorce and re-marriage, not just the divorced. He’s wrong on this point. Sure it would be nice and pleasant if there were no sins separating them from the sacrament but they are committing adultery by their re-marriage. He is also wrong about non-Catholic spouses whether they are the first, second, third, etc. spouse receiving. ARgh!

 

[thistle]

cheese_sdc:

Thanks for making my point! I was being sarcastic, but in a rather humorless way. The point is this: how ‘bout we leave the judgement to God when it comes to who can and can’t receive the sacraments. Only he knows what is in the heart of a person.

My apologies. It didn’t sink in when I first read it.