Orthodox bishop shares Communion with Catholics

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Augustinus_tm said:
The photo is not photoshopized! I was there!
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I can’t argue if you were there.
Can you explain the following? First, the Prelate (in the photo) is holding a white cloth as he consumes: usually, in my experience, he would be holding a red one, with white ones being used for cleaning the Chalice after Everything has been consumed. Second, he is not wearing even an Epitrahil. A Priest who has been in the nave would put an Epitrahil on when he enters the Altar to commune: why would a Bishop not do the same? thanks.
 
Dauphin said:
It’s sacrilege because this Bishop publicly rejects the Catholic faith.

He rejects the filioque, the immaculate conception and Papal supremacy. These are dogmatic articles of the Catholic faith. It is sinful to reject them.
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This isn’t necessarily true. The Orthodox, although, they may say “reject” these things (as much as I like them, I think they whine too much), they may actually believe hold the faith, although they may not accept the expressions thereof. But the Latin Church has been more than generous in accepting Eastern formulations as accurate representations of the faith.

For example, they claim they “don’t believe” in the Immaculate Conception. But they honor Mary as panagia (all-holy) and that she was free of all personal sin. This doctrine is completely compatible with the Latin formulation but differs because they simply have a different understanding of “original sin”. They “reject” purgatory but they accept that there is a journey between death and heaven, during which the final theosis takes place. Again, it’s completely compatible with our own expression.

These are actually very small barriers, if not for the hard-headedness of some Orthodox (and Catholic) heirarchs.
Anyone who rejects any article of the Catholic faith may not receive Communion. Period. If they do, they have committed a sacrilegious act.
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It’s not as clear-cut as this. The Latin Canon Law explcitly allows them to receive Communion from us under certain conditions, so it’s therefore not a sacrilege, since the Church has said so. They are, however, encouraged to respect their own discipline. It is, therefore, not a free-for-all intercommunion.

This is because we recognize them as valid and true Churches and allowing limited Communion with them is a step towards achieving reunification.

Regardless of what one may think of Orthodox receiving Communion, only one thing matters: the Latin Church allows it by virtue of the 1983 (not 1917 code, which is abrogated). The Pope’s power to bind and loose is honored in heaven, so what is allowed cannot be a sacrilege.
 
You know what they say, “You’re never alone with schizophrenia” 😉
 
The bottom line is if you don’t believe everything the Catholic Church teaches you must not receive in a Catholic church and vice versa, to do otherwise is sacrilege.
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i agree for the most part, but i don’t think it’s always so black and white. the catholic church sees the orthodox as true sister churches meaning they are apostolic. the church is making an accomidation for the orthodox out of charity to promote union.
 
Let me tell you something from a country that is 60-70 % officially orthodox, 10-15 % muslims and 0,5 % Catholics. in our countries orthodox church is nothing, unfortunatelly. some priests are trying to do something for the Faith, most of them are very much commercially oriented. if somebody with orthodox origin wants to hear about Jesus, converts to Catholic or protestant. orthodox church exists only in Greece, not in former communstic countries, unfortunatelly. but when they come to us, we appraise them and help them to convert. everybody is allowed to take Holly Communion, if is baptized in Christ and did confession with Catholic ( or othodox ) priest. we have an othodox priest in our community, that their church doesn’t afford him to practice. he helps in Holly mass to our priest and sometimes i confess to him. we call him Father, but everybody considers him as an orthodox.
 
I find it singularly odd that he is NOT wearing the epitracheilion (stole) and omophorion (pallium), as is the usual practice for an Orthodox bishop receiving Communion when he is not the celebrant.
 
josephdaniel29 said:
A member of the clergy of layman who communes with heretics is to be either deposed or excommunicated.
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josephdaniel29 said:
Receiving the Eucharist in either an Orthodox church or a Catholic church means that person professes everything that particular Church teaches.
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It means that you don’t consider that Church to be in heresy.
 
Dauphin said:
This is an outrage. Someone who rejects the Catholic Church and her Divine teaching approaches the altar and receives Holy Communion – and it’s permitted by Canon Law.

What a disgrace. What a sacrilege.
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Not necessarily. The Orthodox Church is a valid church, their priests validly bless the hosts, and the eucharist is the same as that of that the Catholic Church.
 
I am surprised that the bishop received Communion, however he may have considered it “sufficient need” since he was not going to be able to attend a Divine Liturgy at an Orthodox Church that day, and wished to receive Communion…

I do know that when we were catechumenates (converting from Catholic to Orthodox), my husband mentioned to the Orthodox priest at the parish that he missed receiving Communion (we could not receive yet at the Orthodox Church, not having been chrismated yet). The priest got very flustered–almost indignant–and started saying, “You’d BETTER NOT be going to the Catholic church for Communion!” My husband was surprised at his vehemence, since we did know that Catholics welcome Orthodox to Communion–but he reassured the priest that we weren’t. He just missed Communion, is all. 🤷

There are Orthodox who believe that if you receive Communion at a Catholic church, you are no longer Orthodox. There are those who think it is not a problem, if you really can’t make it to an Orthodox church (being out of town, for example).
 
Dauphin said:
You don’t seem to have a rebuttal. Should people who reject the Catholic faith receive Holy Communion or not? A straightforward answer would be nice.
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There are some presumed things tied in with your questions that you aren’t aware of or haven’t cleared up.

The fundamental error here is that you assume a rejection of the ‘catholic’ faith automatically means heretical doctrine. Which is incorrect in the case of the Orthodox Church. They are VALID churches as affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI.

The underlying issue on top of that is that of the real presence of Christ in the eucharist and the validity of the priests and bishops. Which has also been affirmed.

So yes, they may reject the Catholic faith as a whole because of disagreements with some doctrines as long as their doctrine relating to the eucharist is the same and that their succession of bishops are valid, which it is and have been affirmed by Rome and they can still receive Communion.

This issue is not of denying Papal supremacy or denying the Immaculate conception.
 
i say again - everybody who is baptized - only Catholic and orthodox priest can baptize - and who is confessed, can take the Holly communion ! before confession can be - killer, protestant, did abortion, anti Christ, orthodox, drinking a lot, whatever.
after the confession, he / she is clean and can take the Holly communion !
in my country many orthodox confess and take the Communion. sometimes i take that of orthodox church. we have also greek catholic church, they aare catholics, but make orthodox liturgy.
 
Dee_Dee_King said:
i agree for the most part, but i don’t think it’s always so black and white. the catholic church sees the orthodox as true sister churches meaning they are apostolic. the church is making an accomidation for the orthodox out of charity to promote union.
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That’s the problem, a shared Eucharist is the last step in reconciliation not a way of promoting it. Encouraging inter-communion would be tantamount to advising a man and a women to start having pre-marital sex as a step toward their eventual marriage.

The bottom line is inter-communion isn’t for the good of the Orthodox or the Catholics as it only lends itself to confusion about what is and what isn’t true. Our only only hope is the pure unadulterated Apostolic Faith, only after there is agreement in doctrine can there be a shared Eucharist.

Yours in Christ
Joe
 
josephdaniel29 said:
That’s the problem, a shared Eucharist is the last step in reconciliation not a way of promoting it. Encouraging inter-communion would be tantamount to advising a man and a women to start having pre-marital sex as a step toward their eventual marriage.

The bottom line is inter-communion isn’t for the good of the Orthodox or the Catholics as it only lends itself to confusion about what is and what isn’t true. Our only only hope is the pure unadulterated Apostolic Faith, only after there is agreement in doctrine can there be a shared Eucharist.

Yours in Christ
Joe
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The thing is, some of us already HAVE agreement in Doctrine; we’re just waiting for our fellows to catch up. I’m sure that’s what this Bishop would say as well.

Peace and God bless!
 
josephdaniel29 said:
That’s the problem, a shared Eucharist is the last step in reconciliation not a way of promoting it. Encouraging inter-communion would be tantamount to advising a man and a women to start having pre-marital sex as a step toward their eventual marriage.

The bottom line is inter-communion isn’t for the good of the Orthodox or the Catholics as it only lends itself to confusion about what is and what isn’t true. Our only only hope is the pure unadulterated Apostolic Faith, only after there is agreement in doctrine can there be a shared Eucharist.

Yours in Christ
Joe
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THe orthodox churches too do have apostolic succession.
 
There is an Orthodox forum on another part of cyber-space that is having an absolute fit over this, calling for the Bishop’s defrocking and excommunication.

Wow, are they vocal about this. Their feelings run very deep about Catholics, and especially Eastern Catholics. I believe we were called “blind”.

It is a shame that that kind of feeling is ingrained in other Christians.
 
In my country some orthodox bishops and priests are calling the Catholics - satanists. Also since in Bulgaria we use officially cyrilic alphabet, last week a person on national tv said, that catholics in the country are trying to change to latin alphabet, to become the official alphabet, in order to increase the influence of Vatican in the country.
Those people, if they are really Christians, we have to pray for them. Otherwise I think, those are judeo communists, who fight against the Church.
orthodox church exists only in Greece, in other contries like Bulgaria, Roumania, Russia is full with people thinking about church property, business deals, political influences…
we have many common orthodox true believers coming to our Church. that also makes orthodox clergy angry and nasty. I would say, that all is pity ! As Jesus says, forgive them God, they do not know what they do !
 
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