Question on Cadinal Kasper Statements

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Scotty_PGH

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Would you consider this statement of Cardinal Kasper, coupled with his indiscriminate distribution of Holy Communion to non-Catholics, to be heretical?
zenit.org/english/
Cardinal Kasper Sees Eucharist as Sacrament of Unity
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VATICAN CITY, AUG. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Eucharist, long regarded as a reason for the separation of Christians, is, in fact, a cause of unity, says Cardinal Walter Kasper.

The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity made that point about the Blessed Sacrament in a recently published book.

The volume, “Sacrament of Unity: Eucharist and Church,” published in German by Verlag Herder, and in French by Cerf, explains that “to understand the Eucharist as the sacrament of unity is not something accessory. The unity of the Church is the reason why the Eucharist exists.”

"The fact that in the present situation it is not possible, in the name of truth, that all Christians should gather around the Lord’s one table and participate in the one Supper of the Lord, is a profound wound inflicted on the body of Christ and, in the end, a scandal," the cardinal writes.

“The unity of the Church is a gift of the Holy Spirit,” he states, clarifying that “ecumenical unity” will not give origin to “another Church, or a new Church; on the contrary, it will be placed in the line of Tradition.”
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At the very least, this can be nothing short of grave scandal, can it? Can there possibly be Eucharistic unity as he describes above when we are talking about people who do not believe the Church’s infallible and unchanged understanding of the Real Presence?
 
Just to clarify since it wasn’t in my original post: this is the event where Cardinal Kasper distributed Holy Communion to all comers:
nytimes.com/2005/08/24/international/europe/24france.html
TAIZÉ, France, Aug. 23 - Brother Roger Schutz pursued many ecumenical dreams in his long life, but in death one of them came true: At a Eucharistic service celebrated Tuesday by a Roman Catholic cardinal for Brother Roger, a Swiss Protestant, communion wafers were given to the faithful indiscriminately, regardless of denomination.
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Scotty PGH:
Would you consider this statement of Cardinal Kasper, coupled with his indiscriminate distribution of Holy Communion to non-Catholics, to be heretical?

At the very least, this can be nothing short of grave scandal, can it? Can there possibly be Eucharistic unity as he describes above when we are talking about people who do not believe the Church’s infallible and unchanged understanding of the Real Presence?
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I don’t see him necessarily implying that it would be proper to allow communion to those that are outside of the Nicean faith. However, I would challenge him to find a time in history where it was a portion of the Tradition of the Church to allow those who are seperated through heresy or schism to participate in the Mysteries (as they called the sacraments in the Early Church). I would submit that it is a matter of Sacra Doctrina that those who are not in unity with us are necessarily seperated from the Sacraments. I believe that this is in the Canons of Trent asserting that those who say otherwise are Anathema.

It is true that the disunity of the Christian community is a scandel but it is by choice and not by mandate. People choose to seperate themselves from the Body of Christ which keeps the corpus in unity. As long that there is a Catholic Church there will always be Unity in the Body of Christ. According to Pius XII those who seperate themselves from the Church are not part of the Body and thus their disunity while tragic does not wound the Body.
 
I can certainly see where the snippets you posted could be seen to be heretical.

But the fact is that Cardinal Kasper serves at the pleasure of the pope, and to date, hasn’t been chucked out on his ear.

If the pope doesn’t think that he is a heretic, I think its prudent to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least until his entire work is read in the original language.
 
Scotty PGH:
Just to clarify since it wasn’t in my original post: this is the event where Cardinal Kasper distributed Holy Communion to all comers:
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Occurences like this is a grave scandel and confuses eccuminism with unity at all costs.
 
Maybe not for this statement… but what about his letter that says the Jews do not need to attain salvation through Jesus Christ, and they already have their own way to salvation??? I thought I had heard that he recanted… and he was rather quiet the past few years.

If he is a “problem”, he is the Pope’s “problem” and Benedict XVI will take care of him in due time, God willing.
 
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mosher:
It is true that the disunity of the Christian community is a scandel but it is by choice and not by mandate. People choose to seperate themselves from the Body of Christ which keeps the corpus in unity. As long that there is a Catholic Church there will always be Unity in the Body of Christ. According to Pius XII those who seperate themselves from the Church are not part of the Body and thus their disunity while tragic does not wound the Body.
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Amen!
 
to attempt to defame someone as theologically established as Walter Kasper by a single article in it of itself calls into question your own integrity so I ask you to look closely at your own conscience before slinging mud. What you have flung out may be quote “heretical” but certainly does not make Cdl. Kasper a heretic, please bear that in mind. For a man who has published and written on some of the most intense moral and systematic theological issues, he has, IMHO, attempted to stay consistent with Church teaching. If his calling into question the problem of christian ecumenism leaves you shaking in your boots, perhaps you need to take a deep look at the root of the problem. I am not dismissing the integrity or sanctity of Holy Communion as per the Latin Rite, please note. I ask that you bear in mind the root of the problem–the brokenness among denominations. Cdl. Kasper has a faith and a theological background like no other. Please pass on the mud.
 
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mairegrrrl:
What you have flung out may be quote “heretical” but certainly does not make Cdl. Kasper a heretic, please bear that in mind.
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Let me get this right:

It may be heretical to refer to the Church’s traditional teaching on interfaith Communion as a “scandal.”

It may be heretical to distribute Communion to non-Catholics.

Cardinal Kasper did both of these things.

But to ask if that makes him a heretic calls into question my own integrity?

Mmmmmm K. :whacky:
 
A couple of points. first, what the Cardinal said was no different than what Pope John Paul II had said, these were statement of facts as I see it, not a prelude to opening the reception of the Eucharist to anyone.

Also, given Cardinal Kasper’s background in theology and his present position in the Vatican that if what he was saying or doing there had met with the Popes disapproval, more would have been heard of this.

Also, if the distribution of the Eucharist at the funeral for Bro.was such a grave abuse, why did Cardinal Radizenger give communion to Bro. Roger at Pope John Paul II’s funeral Mass?
 
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TOME:
A couple of points. first, what the Cardinal said was no different than what Pope John Paul II had said, these were statement of facts as I see it, not a prelude to opening the reception of the Eucharist to anyone.

Also, given Cardinal Kasper’s background in theology and his present position in the Vatican that if what he was saying or doing there had met with the Popes disapproval, more would have been heard of this.

Also, if the distribution of the Eucharist at the funeral for Bro.was such a grave abuse, why did Cardinal Radizenger give communion to Bro. Roger at Pope John Paul II’s funeral Mass?
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I am a bit confused here … Didn’t Bro. Roger not attend the funeral Mass of JPII. I remember a letter that he sent concerning his regret for not being there due to health. I could be wrong about this and if not I would sure appreciate correction.
 
Mosher, I thought so too, however, I was using the article from the link Scotty PHG’s provided and a quote from that article about seeing The Pope giving Bro. Roger communion.

First, the irony, if it is true, was too good to pass up. Second, it could serve as a lesson not to quote out of context or imcompletely and to follow up on what was really said. But I like the irony factor better.
 
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TOME:
Also, if the distribution of the Eucharist at the funeral for Bro.was such a grave abuse, why did Cardinal Radizenger give communion to Bro. Roger at Pope John Paul II’s funeral Mass?
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Good question. There was a statement from the Vatican that said it was an honest mistake.
 
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TOME:
Mosher, I thought so too, however, I was using the article from the link Scotty PHG’s provided and a quote from that article about seeing The Pope giving Bro. Roger communion.

First, the irony, if it is true, was too good to pass up. Second, it could serve as a lesson not to quote out of context or imcompletely and to follow up on what was really said. But I like the irony factor better.
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Yes he did attend the funeral, and yes he was given Communion by Cardinal ratzinger.

Refer to this thread for a picture of the distribution:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=71949

I find nothing ironic or out of context. What I do find is a grave scandal.
 
There are two sides to this coin. The Church has taught that the Eucharest is a sign of unity and therefore… However the other side of the coin that has been allowed to wither is that the Eucharist is not only a sign of unity, but one of its effects as a sacrament is to bring about unity among those who believing it is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord receive it… There are people who are not Catholics who believe in this fashion. I would hesitate a long time before calling Kasper a heretic. I am also under the impression that it is the Bishop who has the authority to, on certain occasions and under certain circumstance, allow a non-Catholic to receive communion. Kasper and Ratzinger are certainly bishops.
 
I for one do to take the New York Times as the source of my Catholic news information.

I have looked else where and have not been able to find any credible source that talks about “ndiscriminate distribution of Holy Communion to non-Catholics”.

And seeing that Br Roger was against intercommunion and that intercommunion is not practiced at the community, I hightly doubt the report in the NY Times.
 
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ByzCath:
I for one do to take the New York Times as the source of my Catholic news information.

I have looked else where and have not been able to find any credible source that talks about “ndiscriminate distribution of Holy Communion to non-Catholics”.

And seeing that Br Roger was against intercommunion and that intercommunion is not practiced at the community, I hightly doubt the report in the NY Times.
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Look no further. You can watch the whole funeral on video with your own eyes right here:

ktotv.com/video.php3?numero=1052

I just watched it. Please do the same, and then come back and tell us what you saw. It is undeniable.
 
One could simply refuse to take scandal from it, by an act of one’s will. I’ve seen the picture, I don’t really see how anyone could have made a mistake. I mean, I knew it was Brother Roger. How many protestant monks showed up for the old Holy Father’s funeral in a wheel chair? If the Holy Father (at the time, Cardinal Ratzinger) gave Bro. Roger communion, I trust the Holy Father had his reasons, because I trust this pope in particular. I refuse to be troubled by it. I don’t believe it’s the smoke of Satan, nor the pending collapse of the Church, nor the failure of Christ’s promise. Perhaps the Holy Father knew something we don’t. I do think we should pray for the repose of Brother Roger’s soul, though. May he rest in peace and may the Light of Christ shine upon him.
 
The Cardinal has held his Position at christian unity for a very long time.He has shown a tendancy to get carried away. It may be time he found an easier job.No the Cardinal s not a heretic.
 
Yeah, maybe the good Cardinal now the Pope forgot that Br. Roger’s conversion was supposed to be a secret.
 
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