Pope ignores German row on shared communion

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By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters Life!) - During Pope Benedict’s visit to Bavaria last week, he spent six days amongst crowds of cheering Catholics, many of them fellow Bavarians deeply attached to the region’s traditional pious Catholicism.

It was easy to overlook the fact that only about 15 percent of German Catholics attend mass regularly and even Bavaria is not as Catholic as it looked on television. The turnout at some events was lower than expected.

But the biggest oversight was the image of shared communion among all Christians. The Protestants allow all Christians to take the Eucharist but the Catholics don’t and this has become one of Germany’s most pressing religious issues with growing impatience with the Vatican for not finding a solution.

Full article…
 
This is interesting. Protestants jealous that they can’t take Catholic communion?
 
Evangel said:
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters Life!) - During Pope Benedict’s visit to Bavaria last week, he spent six days amongst crowds of cheering Catholics, many of them fellow Bavarians deeply attached to the region’s traditional pious Catholicism.

It was easy to overlook the fact that only about 15 percent of German Catholics attend mass regularly and even Bavaria is not as Catholic as it looked on television. The turnout at some events was lower than expected.

But the biggest oversight was the image of shared communion among all Christians. The Protestants allow all Christians to take the Eucharist but the Catholics don’t and this has become one of Germany’s most pressing religious issues with growing impatience with the Vatican for not finding a solution.
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The Vatican has found a solution – it’s printed on the inside cover of most missalettes.
 
I understand the Church’s argument that Communion necessitates common belief, but that line of reasoning always seemed too intellectual to me, too esoteric, too susceptible to the average church goer’s notion of “can’t we all just get along”.

Wouldn’t it be better for Protestant understanding to make reference to 1 Corinthians 11:26-29 (KJV)? That is, Communion is reserved because the HCC is concerned about the “damnation” of undiscerning souls?

It’s a true love thing, not an administrative “toe the line” thing.
 
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI! Other denominations cannot receive the Eurcharist because it is a sign of Christian unity. Protestants don’t fully believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist (real presence) therefore, that is where the problem exist. To receive Jesus and not fully receive as the real presence can be very dangerous.
 
Well, they didn’t call themselves Protestants for nothing. They just don’t get it.
 
Evangel said:
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters Life!) -
But the biggest oversight was the image of shared communion among all Christians. The Protestants allow all Christians to take the Eucharist but the Catholics don’t and this has become one of Germany’s most pressing religious issues with growing impatience with the Vatican for not finding a solution.

Full article…
Click to expand...
The solution is that they all become good Catholics.
 
The only “pressing religious issue” here is that Church membership is in decline.

The Eucharist is a non-issue. Protestants have to abide by the rules of our Faith while in a Catholic Chruch.
They would not let the Pope run things in their church, yet they want to run things in ours?

:confused:
 
tom.wineman said:
The solution is that they all become good Catholics.
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According to our priest’s homily last Sunday only about 40% of Catholics in our Diocese (Minneapolis-St. Paul) attend Mass regularly. The media report that in Europe attendance now, even in “Catholic Bavaria,” is at about 15%. This seems like a matter of concern.

Protestant Megachurches are booming in the United States. (See the September 18, 2006 issue of Time) They are huge and filled with enthusiastic worshippers who attend with great regularity. All these churches seem to have prominent signs that in one way or another say, “All are Welcome!” And, they mean it. If you attend one of these churches on a Sunday morning you will likely be greeted by one or two of the welcoming committee and invited to coffee. You will also be allowed to receive communion.

Most Catholic churches I know would love have those enthusiastic worshippers. Convert them if you will. But, if strong prospects walk into most Catholic churches they will most likely be ignored from the time they enter until they leave, there won’t be a welcoming committee pushing hard to introduce themselves and talk about the Church, and to top off their Catholic experience, they will not be allowed to receive communion! They can sit alone in the pew while 99.9% of the congregation receives communion. Bottom line: they will not feel welcomed! What are the chances they will return?

I don’t think this kind of exclusionary experience does much to advance evangelization.

When I grew up in the 40sand 50s Catholics as a rule dressed up and attended Mass every Sunday morning. I have seen smaller churches during Mass literally bursting at the seams with worshippers standing in the foyer and on the steps leading in. The rules governing communion may have made sense then. But, those days are long gone! Now there are a lot more Catholics but the fervor and enthusiasm seems to have waned.

I understand the current rules governing communion, but I am not sure it still fits, if we want visiting Protestants to become good Catholics. There is an undeniable sting to exclusion, in whatever form.
 
I cant believe that at all. Unwelcome? Hey, this is the body and blood we are talking about here. If you think that passing it out like candy is going to be needed to welcome in people that are going to walk out-
I am speechless. If they want to partake, they will have no regard for the meaning of it and you wont be able to help them understand the magnitude of it if you pass it out to anyone who “does not want to feel left out”

Thats not why the membership is dropping! Lazy people that dont care about God is the reason.
 
OriginalJS said:
I understand the current rules governing communion, but I am not sure it still fits, if we want visiting Protestants to become good Catholics. There is an undeniable sting to exclusion, in whatever form.
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The idea is to convert those Protestants to Catholicism, not to convert the Catholic Church to Protestantism.
 
Evangel said:
But the biggest oversight was the image of shared communion among all Christians. The Protestants allow all Christians to take the Eucharist but the Catholics don’t and this has become one of Germany’s most pressing religious issues with growing impatience with the Vatican for not finding a solution.

Full article…
Click to expand...
They are looking for a solution where there is no problem. Only catholics can receive communion beucase only Catholics acknoeldge the true nature of the Communion they are recieving. The only way a Protetant could ackknoledge this nature is to become Catholic.
 
Damascus said:
Thats not why the membership is dropping! Lazy people that dont care about God is the reason.
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The membership is not dropping. There are more Catholics now than there ever were! They just aren’t attending Mass like they did, even with the Saturday night Masses for those who want to sleep in Sunday mornings or don’t want to miss a tee time. If you don’t believe me, walk into one of those Protestant Megachurches on a Sunday morning and see how you are treated. (You don’t have to attend the service. There are usually several in the course of a morning and if you walk around the welcomers won’t know whether you are coming or going.) The following Sunday walk into a large Catholic church where you haven’t attended before. Be objective. See if you notice a difference in how you are received.

I understand the rules, and maybe it isn’t important how prospective Catholics are made to feel in a new church. I happen to think it is, if proselytizing is to be taken seriously. I note that BXVI is emphasizing evangelization this year.
 
OriginalJS said:
The membership is not dropping. There are more Catholics now than there ever were! They just aren’t attending Mass like they did, even with the Saturday night Masses for those who want to sleep in Sunday mornings or don’t want to miss a tee time. If you don’t believe me, walk into one of those Protestant Megachurches on a Sunday morning and see how you are treated. (You don’t have to attend the service. There are usually several in the course of a morning and if you walk around the welcomers won’t know whether you are coming or going.) The following Sunday walk into a large Catholic church where you haven’t attended before. Be objective. See if you notice a difference in how you are received.

I understand the rules, and maybe it isn’t important how prospective Catholics are made to feel in a new church. I happen to think it is, if proselytizing is to be taken seriously. I note that BXVI is emphasizing evangelization this year.
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Not that I dont believe you or anything but it is Wiki that does not believe you:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Germany

How do you get the icon off the top when replying?

Should not have a mad face on this reply. Just a confused emotiocon
 
The Holy Mass is not about us or any visiting non-Catholics!
It is the unbloody presentation of the Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross with some teaching and with the reception of His Body and Blood so that we are strengthened to resist temptation and sin and to sustain us with sll the crosses and to increase our faith among other things. Only the priest is necessary to celebrate the Mass and yet the tremendous power of it is still effective even if noone else shows up.
Outside of Mass is the place for welcoming committees and such!

I used to be a militant Protestant fundamentalist. They have nothing else to do, except read the Bible and singing and prayers. The place is peripheral for them since Jesus is not bodily present. So their worship has evolved into being man-centered. The spontaneous prayers tend to become directed to the people physically present there as a means of informing them about Bible teaching or even news and gossip.

You cannot compare Protestant worship services with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, except in a very superficial way!
One is divinely inspired, the other is man-made.
 
Maureen_Fiore said:
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI! Other denominations cannot receive the Eurcharist because it is a sign of Christian unity. Protestants don’t fully believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist (real presence) therefore, that is where the problem exist. To receive Jesus and not fully receive as the real presence can be very dangerous.
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“Very dangerous?” I don’t think so. Intentionally blaspheming the Eucharist (throw it away, etc) can be dangerous to the soul. Not knowing what to believe, but open to the significance of communion will, in turn, open the recipient to the graces of the Eucharist. Did the apostles believe, on the night of the last supper, that the bread and wine were the actual body and blood of their Lord? I’m thinking it was pretty confusing for them, but they opened themselves up and received it in faith. Besides, I’m willing to bet that the average Catholic has a poorly formed or even incorrect belief when it comes to the real presence. They receive Eucharist and I believe also receive the graces of receipt, despite faulty understanding.
 
jkatpc said:
“Very dangerous?” I don’t think so. Intentionally blaspheming the Eucharist (throw it away, etc) can be dangerous to the soul. Not knowing what to believe, but open to the significance of communion will, in turn, open the recipient to the graces of the Eucharist. Did the apostles believe, on the night of the last supper, that the bread and wine were the actual body and blood of their Lord? I’m thinking it was pretty confusing for them, but they opened themselves up and received it in faith. Besides, I’m willing to bet that the average Catholic has a poorly formed or even incorrect belief when it comes to the real presence. They receive Eucharist and I believe also receive the graces of receipt, despite faulty understanding.
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Sorry but you are very mislead into an extreeme form of false ecumenism.
Anyone who claims ignorance of the issue is and must be an anomally or retarted. Most Protestants that do this do this as a defiance and know darn well what the rules are. They disrespect our Church in an Un Christian manner and with contempt for our rules.
You have been mislead.
 
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is for believers to come together and offer worship to God in a manner fitting His infinite majesty. We come together as members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church to offer the clean oblation, the pure offering, the unbloody sacrifice. How in the world do people expect that Catholics should just say, “Hey! All are welcome to commune with us. Take part of the Body and Blood of Christ with us."

Yes, all are welcome in the sense that all should be invited to know Jesus and come to know the Church He established to further His kingdom. All are welcome to hear the Word of God, to be admonished of their sins and come to repentance. All are welcome to come to believe in the catholic and apostolic faith. All are welcome to become Catholics. But let’s be honest here. Most of the non-Catholics that are griping and moaning about open communion have no intention of becoming Catholic; they just want to gripe and moan. After all, if one is Protestant, they must be protesting something.

Now, do I believe that Catholics should be more welcoming? Absolutely! We have much to learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters. But the more personal welcome of these people should come after Mass in the church hall where the coffee and donuts are served. This is where the hospitality, relationship building, and asking of questions should occur. This is where the invitation to a Bible study or the RCIA inquiry process should occur, or engage them in a Q&A session. We should love them and long to see them join us in full communion, but until that time (if I may be so blunt), for them to receive Holy Communion would be analogous to having sexual relations with another prior to their marriage to each other.

In Christ,
Irenaeus
 
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