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

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"Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand announced a formal request to offer communion to divorced Catholics who have not been reconciled with the Church, and also to non-Catholic spouses–something the Church’s teaching magisterium has long forbid.

“Our Church”, he said, “would be enriched if we were able to invite dedicated Catholics, currently excluded from the Eucharist, to return to the Lord’s table. There are those whose first marriages ended in sadness; they have never abandoned the Church, but are currently excluded from the Eucharist.” "

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=5059

I thought this was impossible??? How can someone who is in Mortal Sin and not reconciled with the Church possibly recieve Communion???
 
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buffalo:
The Pope said Eucharist is a gift from God, not a right.
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So by that reasoning, anyone can just come up and take the Eucharist. What’s your point? I know it’s a gift from God, and it’s not everyone’s “right”, which is why I kind of have a problem with the suggestion of the Archbishop, if I’m understanding it correctly.
 
This is what you get when a bishop thinks love trumps truth. He is simply wrong. Love without truth is merely sentiment, and not really love at all. Benedict XVI will no doubt set him straight. 😉
 
Superstar905 said:
"Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand announced a formal request to offer communion to divorced Catholics who have not been reconciled with the Church, and also to non-Catholic spouses–something the Church’s teaching magisterium has long forbid.

“Our Church”, he said, “would be enriched if we were able to invite dedicated Catholics, currently excluded from the Eucharist, to return to the Lord’s table. There are those whose first marriages ended in sadness; they have never abandoned the Church, but are currently excluded from the Eucharist.” "

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=5059

I thought this was impossible??? How can someone who is in Mortal Sin and not reconciled with the Church possibly recieve Communion???
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Perhaps he is confused? If one is not in full communion, why would they desire Holy Communion? If they really believed as the Church teaches, would they not “convert” and come into the fullness of the Church?

And if the person is civilly divorced, but sacramentally still married, how is that being faithful to the Church?
 
I will have to research the Council of Trent to see what is said about such blasphemy.
 
ok, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this suggestion is out of line, even if the intentions are honest…I like the suggestions made by the Russian Archbishop in the first half of the article.
 
About a week or two ago I heard one of the apologists, on Catholic Answers Live, state that divorce does not by it’s self exclude you from Eucharist.

Since Divorce is a civil and not an ecclesiastical matter it would be remarriage or some other act of adultery you committed after you divorced that would exclude you from the Eucharist. That’s just what I heard.
 
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lyoncoeur:
About a week or two ago I heard one of the apologists, on Catholic Answers Live, state that divorce does not by it’s self exclude you from Eucharist.

Since Divorce is a civil and not an ecclesiastical matter it would be remarriage or some other act of adultery you committed after you divorced that would exclude you from the Eucharist. That’s just what I heard.
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That is very true.
 
Good point, but why would they then need to be reconciled back to the Church, as the ArchBishop states. Also, what about offering the Eucharist to non-Catholic spouses…I don’t understand how that’s even being presented as an option?
 
Superstar905 said:
"Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington, New Zealand announced a formal request to offer communion to divorced Catholics who have not been reconciled with the Church, and also to non-Catholic spouses–something the Church’s teaching magisterium has long forbid.
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What a load of old tosh.

It is the divorcees that need to reconcile with the church not the Church with them.

As long as they refuse to reconcile with the Church, why give them its greatest treasure?
 
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Superstar905:
Good point, but why would they then need to be reconciled back to the Church, as the ArchBishop states. Also, what about offering the Eucharist to non-Catholic spouses…I don’t understand how that’s even being presented as an option?
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My comment was not meant to suggest that I agree with this ArchBishop’s action…only to clarify the matter of Divorce…and NO a non-Catholic Spouse should not be offered the Eucharist… it puts that person’s soul in peril…what the Archbishop is doing out of the spirit of kindness and openness is only going to hurt the people he intended to help… it’s actually a rather careless thing.
 
:whacky: The world’s gone mad and infected the hierarchy of the Church. I am sure that Pope Benedict will squash this sort of thing, no?
 
Let’s see what the Holy Ecumenical Pontiff has to say about things like this.

*WAY OF THE CROSS
AT THE COLOSSEUM

GOOD FRIDAY 2005

MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS
BY CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER*

“How often is the holy sacrament of his Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency! What little respect we pay to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where he waits for us, ready to raise us up whenever we fall! All this is present in his Passion. His betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his Body and Blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison – Lord, save us (cf. Mt 8: 25).”

vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2005/via_crucis/en/station_09.html
 
Yeah, we we all know that the Church would be much better without all those sinners in it.
 
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cheese_sdc:
Yeah, we we all know that the Church would be much better without all those sinners in it.
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Christ came to redeem sinners not to turn them away.
What you said smacks of the story Jesus told about the Pharisee who thought he was better than the sinner! Luke 18:9-14.
 
thistle wrote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheese_sdc
Yeah, we we all know that the Church would be much better without all those sinners in it.

Christ came to redeem sinners not to turn them away.
What you said smacks of the story Jesus told about the Pharisee who thought he was better than the sinner! Luke 18:9-14.
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I suggest, thistle, that cheese_sdc was writing with “tongue-in-cheek,” perhaps even humorously.

The facts are, of course, that the Church is composed of sinners and is described as a “Hospital for sinners”.
 
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.
 
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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.
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How about we leave to His Church who has the authority in these matters?
 
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fix:
How about we leave to His Church who has the authority in these matters?
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While the Church is good at a great number of things, judging the heart of a person isn’t one of them. 🙂
 
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