Why Can’t Lutherans Take Catholic Communion?

[EvangelCatholic]

I completely agree. Intercommunion a serious affront to the True Presence in the Eucharist. What is truly concerning is that their are many priests and religious who is the spririt of ecumenism believes that the Eucharist should be made available to any Christian. The meaning of the Eucharist becomes confused when non Catholics or Orthodox Christians are able to have communion is a Catholic Church or Chapel.

In what way do Orthodox and Lutherans “confuse” the meaning of the Eucharist?

 

[RyanBlack]

I completely agree. Intercommunion a serious affront to the True Presence in the Eucharist. What is truly concerning is that their are many priests and religious who is the spririt of ecumenism believes that the Eucharist should be made available to any Christian. The meaning of the Eucharist becomes confused when non Catholics or Orthodox Christians are able to have communion is a Catholic Church or Chapel.

Are you aware that the Catholic Church does permit Orthodox Christians (both Eastern and Oriental), as well as members of the Assyrian Church of the East to receive communion?

 

[Corki]

Believe me, there’s an entirely different world of Catholics and Lutherans worshiping God and sharing holy Mass.

Yup. Perfect wording. These Catholics are part of an entirely different world from the Catholic Church. Many Catholics, including some religious, have set up a pseudo-Catholic spirituality which revolves around self. At the end of the day, it always seems that someone is setting themselves and their personal opinon above what the Church says.

You are right, such things exist. But they are a very sad reminder of how easy it is to do evil with good intentions.

 

[Isaiah45_9]

The Lutheran Confessions cite Justin Martyr in confirming the benefits of the Sacrament and the Real Presence:

It is not about confirming the benefits. It is about believing what is taught by those with Apostolic Succession - those that carry on the teachings of Christ in His Church. You must then abide by that Church that St. Justin belonged to: The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

 

[EvangelCatholic]

Yup. Perfect wording. These Catholics are part of an entirely different world from the Catholic Church. Many Catholics, including some religious, have set up a pseudo-Catholic spirituality which revolves around self. At the end of the day, it always seems that someone is setting themselves and their personal opinon above what the Church says.

You are right, such things exist. **But they are a very sad reminder of how easy it is to do evil with good intentions. **

How do “catholics” do evil when they partake of the holy Sacrament?

 

[EvangelCatholic]

It is not about confirming the benefits. It is about believing what is taught by those with Apostolic Succession - those that carry on the teachings of Christ in His Church. You must then abide by that Church that St. Justin belonged to: The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Again, how do Lutherans not belong to the same church as St Justin? We celebrate his holy day on June 1st. What teaching requires that someone must believe in the Apostolic Succession to be worthy of Christ’s Body and Blood?

BTW, Lutherans do believe/ practice the Apostolic Succession.

 

[Corki]

How do “catholics” do evil when they partake of the holy Sacrament?

That’s not what I said. Catholics do evil when they disobey the Church and encourage non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist in opposition to Her teaching. It’s **at least **three grave evils - sacrelige, disobedience, giving scandal.

And it’s all rooted in a very grave evil - pride. All of these groups operate out of a prideful position that they know better than the Church and therefore do not have to follow her rules.

 

[MaryT777]

This is, in part, the reason for LCMS close communion as well.

To me the answer resides in simple manners. They ask us not to, and that is why we can’t.
When one is a guest in another’s house, one abides by the rules set down by the host. Simple manners.

Jon

’

The LCMS Pastor here said eloquently:
we RECEIVE Communion, we don’t TAKE Communion; thus we do as you say abide by the rules set down by the host.

His concern that was that the mentality is getting to be
I WANT COMMUNION so give it to me.

Mary.

 

[EvangelCatholic]

That’s not what I said. Catholics do evil when they disobey the Church and encourage non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist in opposition to Her teaching. It’s **at least **three grave evils - sacrelige, disobedience, giving scandal.

And it’s all rooted in a very grave evil - pride. All of these groups operate out of a prideful position that they know better than the Church and therefore do not have to follow her rules.

Let me paraphrase: It is not enough that a person is baptized, confirmed and believes that Christ is truly and wholly presence in the blessed Sacrament?

Did the archbishop of Washington DC do evil by inviting the Lutheran seminarian to receive Mass in a Catholic Church?

 

[EvangelCatholic]

’

The LCMS Pastor here said eloquently:
we RECEIVE Communion, we don’t TAKE Communion; thus we do as you say abide by the rules set down by the host.

His concern that was that the mentality is getting to be
I WANT COMMUNION so give it to me.
Mary.

Wow. Now a penitent follower of Christ coming to the holy Table for life-giving redemption and forgiveness is demanding something? Please elaborate.

 

[JonNC]

Wow. Now a penitent follower of Christ coming to the holy Table for life-giving redemption and forgiveness is demanding something? Please elaborate.

I don’t think that is what the pastor is saying at all. It is quite Lutheran, understanding that grace and the means of grace are gifts, gifts of a gracious God. We receive gifts.
In Christ’s words, He invites us to, “take, and eat”. In doing so, we receive His body and blood.

Jon

 

[po18guy]

In what way do Orthodox and Lutherans “confuse” the meaning of the Eucharist?

The Orthodox most assuredly do not. They trace also in an unbroken line, directly back to the Twelve and to Paul. Sadly, reformation ecclesial communions have not preserved the validity of the episcopate under standards set by Christ and maintained for 1,500 years at the time of the reformation. J.R.R. Tolkien, who collaborated in the translation of the Jerusalem Bible, opined that the reformation, in effect, was an assault on the Holy Eucharist. Bringing this to today, we see that the spiritual nature of the Eucharist has effectively been jettisoned in favor of the simple “remembrance.” Even the elements have been altered to various forms of leavened bread and unfermented grape juice. Did the Church need reformation in the 16th century? Of course, it always does! But from within, and not by division.

 

[SteveVH]

Did the archbishop of Washington DC do evil by inviting the Lutheran seminarian to receive Mass in a Catholic Church?

I am still scratching my head here. Are we to believe that a Lutheran minister at a scout camp wanted to receive communion at a Catholic Mass and the priest went all the way to the Archbishop of Washington DC to seek permission? Really? This whole thing sounds made up to me.

 

[JonNC]

’

The LCMS Pastor here said eloquently:
we RECEIVE Communion, we don’t TAKE Communion; thus we do as you say abide by the rules set down by the host.

His concern that was that the mentality is getting to be
I WANT COMMUNION so give it to me.

Mary.

I agree. As I said, grace and the means of grace are gifts, not to be demanded, but to be received in humble joy and thanksgiving.

Jon

 

[JonNC]

I am still scratching my head here. Are we to believe that a Lutheran minister at a scout camp wanted to receive communion at a Catholic Mass and the priest went all the way to the Archbishop of Washington DC to seek permission? Really? This whole thing sounds made up to me.

Without questioning the word of the writer of the article, isn’t it the typical procedure in a case such as this for the priest to receive the bishop’s permission?

Jon

 

[MaryT777]

I don’t think that is what the pastor is saying at all. It is quite Lutheran, understanding that grace and the means of grace are gifts, gifts of a gracious God. We receive gifts.
In Christ’s words, He invites us to, “take, and eat”. In doing so, we receive His body and blood.

Jon

Thank you Jon that’s a great paraphrase of how he taught in his Basics of the Lutheran Faith Class.

 

[EvangelCatholic]

I don’t think that is what the pastor is saying at all. It is quite Lutheran, understanding that grace and the means of grace are gifts, gifts of a gracious God. We receive gifts.
In Christ’s words, He invites us to, “take, and eat”. In doing so, we receive His body and blood.

Jon

Exactly. All of us rejoice when people want the Sacrament. Isn’t that precisely what we are here for? That seekers of Christ be warmly & intimately invited into His Mystical Presence?

Both the author and a poster comment on occasions where the extended family gather [Christmas, Easter]. Who would tell their *mother-in-law that she can not eat with the family because she doesn’t agree with others on the most infinitesimal details?

• well, maybe!

youtube.com/watch?v=M5fRS8i_MCQ

 

[JonNC]

The Orthodox most assuredly do not. They trace also in an unbroken line, directly back to the Twelve and to Paul. Sadly, reformation ecclesial communions have not preserved the validity of the episcopate under standards set by Christ and maintained for 1,500 years at the time of the reformation. J.R.R. Tolkien, who collaborated in the translation of the Jerusalem Bible, opined that the reformation, in effect, was an assault on the Holy Eucharist. Bringing this to today, we see that the spiritual nature of the Eucharist has effectively been jettisoned in favor of the simple “remembrance.” Even the elements have been altered to various forms of leavened bread and unfermented grape juice. Did the Church need reformation in the 16th century? Of course, it always does! But from within, and not by division.

None of this in any way applies to the Lutheran understanding. The Confutation received and accepted the Augsburg Confessions’s statement regarding the doctrine of the real presence in the Eucharist.

The issue of apostolic succession, from the Catholic POV, is a huge issue, OTOH, when it comes to who should and should not receive the sacrament where. It is not the place of the laity, or the clergy for that matter, to fix this issue between through stepping outside the directives of the leadership of our respective communions. It is up to the leadership to dialogue.

Jon

 

[po18guy]

In what way do Orthodox and Lutherans “confuse” the meaning of the Eucharist?

The Orthodox most assuredly do not. They possess absolutely valid Sacraments and trace also in an unbroken line, directly back to the Twelve and to Paul. Sadly, reformation ecclesial communions have not preserved the validity of the episcopate under standards created by Christ and maintained for 1,500 years at the time of the reformation. The reformers made contact with the Orthodox Church to establish relations, but were rebuffed, due to this exact difficulty. J.R.R. Tolkien, who collaborated in the translation of the Jerusalem Bible, opined that the reformation, in ultimate effect, here and here assaulted the Holy Eucharist. Bringing this to today, we see that the spiritual nature of the Eucharist has effectively been jettisoned in favor of the simple “remembrance.” Even the elements have been altered to various forms of leavened bread and unfermented grape juice. Did the Church need reformation in the 16th century? Of course, it always does! But from within, and not by division.

 

[JonNC]

=EvangelCatholic;10898111]Exactly. All of us rejoice when people want the Sacrament. Isn’t that precisely what we are here for? That seekers of Christ be warmly & intimately invited into His Mystical Presence?

Exactly, and I have the standing invitation to join my Lutheran siblings at the altar to receive His body and blood. I don’t have the right to go into a Catholic church and either demand, or by means of deception, receive at their altar uninvited.

Both the author and a poster comment on occasions where the extended family gather [Christmas, Easter]. Who would tell their *mother-in-law that she can not eat with the family because she doesn’t agree with others on the most infinitesimal details?

• well, maybe!

It is up to them, EC, to make that invitation available.

Know how to fix this? Pray and work for unity. In the meantime, respect the wishes of our dear Catholic siblings in Christ.

Jon