Priests giving non-Catholics the Eucharist

[domz]

Someone told me they know of several Catholic Priests that do not agree with the Church on non Catholics receiving the Eucharist and they knowingly give non Catholics Communion. Is this true?

 

[mchale]

I am sure there are at least some priests like this.
There are a lot of priests out there. Unfortunately, not all of them are good priests who try to be faithful to all the teachings of the Church.

–
Bill

 

[Allyson]

Does giving the Eucharist to politicians who opely disagree on life issues count?

I don’t know that it is true, but I wouldn’t be suprized if some do. I have seen plenty of crazy things done by Priests in the context of the Mass.

Since, this was posted on the Eastern Forum, who are you thinking of?

 

[MoreThan1Hat]

Yes.
It is also true that there are non-Catholics who disagree with the Church’s reasoning for closed Communion, who receive in the Catholic Church without making their status as a non-Catholic clear to the celebrant or ministers (for fear they would be refused).

I once questioned a priest about this issue and the response I got was that if the person presents themselves, even if the minister knows the person to be non-Catholic, they must be communed in order to not give scandal.

 

[mschrank]

Someone told me they know of several Catholic Priests that do not agree with the Church on non Catholics receiving the Eucharist and they knowingly give non Catholics Communion. Is this true?

Yeah, this is really bad. A very famous Priest who many of you heard of would give him Communion when he went to see him for spiritual direction, my dad was not a Catholic.

So, for years, he insisted that he was good enough, and that he didn’t need to become Catholic (“big C”) because he was already an Anglican-catholic (small c).

Some 25 years later, my dad has decided to enter the Church and no doubt, if this Priest acted according to Church teachings back then, he would have become Catholic a long time ago.

 

[Allyson]

Actually, I remember a famous example. Bill Clinton, while still in office I believe, received communion at a Catholic Church in Africa.

 

[Phemie]

Some priests don’t care and some bishops don’t care. At the funeral of a local politician the aide of another dignitary came to ask the bishop if his boss, a non-Catholic could receive Communion. Obviously there was a suspicion that he shouldn’t or the question wouldn’t have been asked. The bishop’s reply: “Pretend you didn’t ask this question.” The non-Catholic went to Communion.

It’s not always done deliberately though, sometimes it’s done out of ignorance or assumption. At my dad’s funeral the priest didn’t wait for us to go to Communion he came and gave Communion to those in the first pew – including my brother’s same-sex Jewish partner.

 

[thistle]

Someone told me they know of several Catholic Priests that do not agree with the Church on non Catholics receiving the Eucharist and they knowingly give non Catholics Communion. Is this true?

Your “someone” should provide evidence for this accusation otherwise its just another anti-Catholic stirring up trouble. If the “someone” is catholic then they should know better than to spread malicious gossip.

 

[Phemie]

Your “someone” should provide evidence for this accusation otherwise its just another anti-Catholic stirring up trouble. If the “someone” is catholic then they should know better than to spread malicious gossip.

Well just a few weeks ago my pastor administered the Sacrament of the Sick AND Communion to a woman he knew full well wasn’t Catholic.

 

[Yellow_Belle]

Well just a few weeks ago my pastor administered the Sacrament of the Sick AND Communion to a woman he knew full well wasn’t Catholic.

Although it is possible that Brother Roger of Taize, a Swiss Protestant, had secretly converted to Catholicism, that would not have been generally known when Cardinal Ratzinger gave him Communion at Pope John Paul’s funeral Mass.

Also, it seems that at Brother Roger’s funeral, the Eucharist (apparently consecrated by a Catholic Cardinal) may have been distributed indiscriminately…nytimes.com/2005/08/24/international/europe/24france.html

 

[snhs]

Just be thankful you’re not in the UK. Mr Blair (ex-PM) was allowed to receive Communion for over a decade, despite not being a Catholic and the Cardinal instructing him not to. He also had an appalling political record, and despite that he was received (in a private ceremony) into the Church without any public acknowledgment of just how immoral his policies while in government were. He was also permitted to receive Communion from Pope John Paul II (prior to his conversion) so obviously exceptions can be made although at what level I’m not sure.

 

[East_Anglican]

Does giving the Eucharist to politicians who opely disagree on life issues count?

Are you talking about our Tony?

Mr Blair legalized cival partnerships for gays, brought in the right to adopt for gay couples, forced all the Roman Catholic adoption agencies in Britian to either allow homosexual couples to adopt or close down, voted against lowering the time when children are allowed to be aborted, went on an unjust war in Iraq and after leaving office converted to Roman Catholicism.

Of course he also did select an idiot to be The Arch Bishop of Canterbury. Maybe that was good penance.

 

[East_Anglican]

Someone told me they know of several Catholic Priests that do not agree with the Church on non Catholics receiving the Eucharist and they knowingly give non Catholics Communion. Is this true?

Lot’s of Protestants recieved the sacrament at masses for Pope John Paul II. The priests knew this.

 

[Kevirish01]

For the benefit of all:

Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church, “have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders.” It is for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible. However these ecclesial communities, “when they commemorate the Lord’s death and resurrection in the Holy Supper . . . profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and await his coming in glory.” (CCC 1400)

When, in the Ordinary’s judgment,* a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith****regarding these sacr**aments and possess the required dispositions. (CCC 1401)

Though the ecclesial Communities which are separated from us lack the fullness of unity with us flowing from Baptism, and though we believe they have not retained the proper reality of the eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Orders, nevertheless when they commemorate His death and resurrection in the Lord’s Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and look forward to His coming in glory. Therefore the teaching concerning the Lord’s Supper, the other sacraments, worship, the ministry of the Church, must be the subject of the dialogue. (Unitatis Redintegratio, Decree on Ecumenism 22.3, Vatican II)

Peace all!
*

 

[Phemie]

For the benefit of all:

Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church, “have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders.” It is for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible. However these ecclesial communities, “when they commemorate the Lord’s death and resurrection in the Holy Supper . . . profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and await his coming in glory.” (CCC 1400)

When, in the Ordinary’s judgment,** a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith****regarding these sacr**aments and possess the required dispositions. (CCC 1401)

Though the ecclesial Communities which are separated from us lack the fullness of unity with us flowing from Baptism, and though we believe they have not retained the proper reality of the eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Orders, nevertheless when they commemorate His death and resurrection in the Lord’s Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and look forward to His coming in glory. Therefore the teaching concerning the Lord’s Supper, the other sacraments, worship, the ministry of the Church, must be the subject of the dialogue. (Unitatis Redintegratio, Decree on Ecumenism 22.3, Vatican II)

Peace all!

But grave reason is not just presenting yourself for the sacraments. Usually we are talking grave illness or danger of death. In the case of the young woman in my parish it was a during a ‘healing ceremony’ and she didn’t even know what she was going up for.

 

[Kevirish01]

I agree with you Phemie

I was trying to point out that interfaith (or - non-faith?) communion is not possible and - as I read the catechism - is only allowed via the ordinary of the diocese (or maybe when the bishop gives his permission?) and under extra-ordinary circumstances.

So, it seems to me that priests who arbitrarily and knowingly distribute the Blessed Sacrament to non-Catholics are being disobedient.

Sure, the Pope gave Clinton Holy Communion – did not our Lord say “Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven…” and so on? A non-Catholic head of state probably could use some grace I suppose.(at least JPII probably thought so)

To give Holy Communion to those souls who are for abortion, contraception, same-sex “marriage” and so forth… does not make us one as our Lord prayed to the Father His followers would be in John 17.

 

[East_Anglican]

To give Holy Communion to those souls who are for abortion, contraception, same-sex “marriage” and so forth… does not make us one as our Lord prayed to the Father His followers would be in John 17.

So how can Tony Blair recieve communion then?

Every one here knows he is for for abortion, contraception, same-sex “marriage” but with his wife as a sponser he can become RC and take communion.