Would missing Mass be a Sin because I can't receive the Eucharist?

[Bookcat]

I disagree with you. John Paul II is referring to us the Orthodox. You do not know your Pope to well. He is addressing those words for the Orthodox. If what you said is correct then John Paul II’s words are meaningless. For why would he say them since the Eastern Catholic Church is in Communion with him. No you are not reading his words correctly. He is addressing them to the Orthodox. We are in fact in Communion with you anyway. But the Holy Father’s words mean that for some reason we believe we are not in communion. In reality this communion really did not break up. Men decided that this was so. What the Pope want is to return back to the original relationship he had with the Orthodox before the unfortunate breakup. This original relationship is what he meant when he said the church must breathe again her 2 lungs. It has nothing to do with the Eastern Catholics. Since God believes the 2 Churches are in Communion why all the fuss about Eastern Catholics! You cannot justify Communion because the Eastern Catholics have decided to on paper to be in Communion with Rome. That does not make sense before God. The Orthodox and the Catholic Church are in fact in Communion with each other. No other statement will correct it. But because of unfortunate circumstances from the past the 2 Churches believe this not to be so. My arguement is that this Communion between the Orthodox and the Catholic Church must be resolved in an 8th Ecumenical Council to prove that this Communion was always there and men of the past be it Catholic or Orthodox distorted it to what it is today. It must be corrected. That is what John Paul II wants! God Bless!

You are correct that Pope John Paul II desired that the Church breath fully with both lungs…and this meant the Orthodox…but such ‘full breath’ has not yet been realized…there is a real communion…between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches…but it is not yet full. We are working on it on both sides…may it be soon.

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint_en.html

 

[Bookcat]

In any case…getting back to the thread…what we posted …issued by the Pope is the case regarding Mass etc

 

[DavidKays]

The communion between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox is very close… very profound…but not yet full. So not yet…but you are “sister Churches”…and the hope is that the union will be restored “so that” the Church can breath “fully” with both lungs…not only the Roman Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion …but also our Sister Churches of the East…the Eastern Orthodox Churches…but we are no there yet…hopefully though…sooner than later…

In any case what was quoted above was from the Catechism issued by Pope John Paul II …so is very very binding on the Catholic Church. Missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days…are grave matter for mortal sin…and on is to goto confession first…if one has mortal sin.

(I assume the Orthodox have something similar if not the same…particularly about mortal sin and Communion…)

Yes we have similar teachings however we do not use mortal and venial as you do in the West. To us any sin or all sins are very serious. But we do not forbid Holy Communion because of these sins. Unless you are killing people, doing abortions, having a resentment towards someone bitterly, stealing alot of money basically you can receive. I guess you can say in your language all our sins that we the East deal with are mortal. But we deal with them accordingly. I must correct you in your first statement. It is not the Orthodox Church that needs to be restored but it is you the Catholic Church that needs to be set right. An 8th Ecumenical Council will see to that. We the Orthodox do not need to be corrected. We are here to help Rome to discover her ancient roots with us. Soon in the near future you will see that I am right. His Holiness John Paul II got on the right track and hopefully his initiation will bring this to a conclusion that will astound the Catholic world. We are not " sister " churches but together we are the Church. You cannot seperate the 2. Man has done this. But to God we were always one. What God has put together let man not seperate! The conclusion to my arguement is that we have been living a lie too long. Let us bury this lie once and for all and to bring the Holy Father and the Church of Rome and the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches together to clean up this mess once and for all! God Bless!

 

[LilyM]

Unless you are killing people, doing abortions, having a resentment towards someone bitterly, stealing alot of money basically you can receive.

Exactly - and because the command to keep the Sabbath holy (which means attending worship where possible) is right up there among the ten, with the commandments not to steal or kill, it is very important as are all the commandments.

And so we view mising Sunday Mass, without having a good reason such as illness or something, to be a very serious breach of that commandment, as abortions or stealing a lot of money are serious breaches of those commandments.

So yes, it’s something that, alongside doing abortions or stealing a lot of money, would make you unfit to receive Communion.

 

[DavidKays]

Exactly - and because the command to keep the Sabbath holy (which means attending worship where possible) is right up there among the ten, with the commandments not to steal or kill, it is very important as are all the commandments.

And so we view mising Sunday Mass, without having a good reason such as illness or something, to be a very serious breach of that commandment, as abortions or stealing a lot of money are serious breaches of those commandments.

So yes, it’s something that, alongside doing abortions or stealing a lot of money, would make you unfit to receive Communion.

But your logic does not make sense! Why forbid them Holy Communion when they are not receiving it anyway. You astound me with this logic. Why tell them you can’t receive when they are not going anyway! Will it not be better to welcome them. Come on! The Eastern Church is not as rigid as the Catholic Church. She treats her children better. Not the legalistic way you Catholics have been brought up on. Try to understand you want people to come back to receive not to drive them away. God Bless!

 

[Bookcat]

But your logic does not make sense! Why forbid them Holy Communion when they are not receiving it anyway. You astound me with this logic. Why tell them you can’t receive when they are not going anyway! Will it not be better to welcome them. Come on! The Eastern Church is not as rigid as the Catholic Church. She treats her children better. Not the legalistic way you Catholics have been brought up on. Try to understand you want people to come back to receive not to drive them away. God Bless!

If person is DEAD via mortal sin…they need to go to confession…before communion…as they say in the Eastern Liturgies after “Holy things for the Holy” …

and the same goes regarding missing Mass…such is a mortal sin if done with full knowledge and complete consent…(for the Lords Day is very very important)

It is NOT legalism …for to go to communion with mortal sin …is another mortal sin…it is for the sake of the person and for the Church…

They come back via confession…just as Jesus set it up and it has been lived out in the Church…

They are received back quite mercifully

 

[Bookcat]

Yes we have similar teachings however we do not use mortal and venial as you do in the West. To us any sin or all sins are very serious. But we do not forbid Holy Communion because of these sins. Unless you are killing people, doing abortions, having a resentment towards someone bitterly, stealing alot of money basically you can receive. I guess you can say in your language all our sins that we the East deal with are mortal. But we deal with them accordingly. I must correct you in your first statement. It is not the Orthodox Church that needs to be restored but it is you the Catholic Church that needs to be set right. An 8th Ecumenical Council will see to that. We the Orthodox do not need to be corrected. We are here to help Rome to discover her ancient roots with us. Soon in the near future you will see that I am right. His Holiness John Paul II got on the right track and hopefully his initiation will bring this to a conclusion that will astound the Catholic world. We are not " sister " churches but together we are the Church. You cannot seperate the 2. Man has done this. But to God we were always one. What God has put together let man not seperate! The conclusion to my arguement is that we have been living a lie too long. Let us bury this lie once and for all and to bring the Holy Father and the Church of Rome and the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches together to clean up this mess once and for all! God Bless!

We are in disagreement…(Christ founded his Church on Peter…and all are to be in communion with him…but anyhow lets not argue this here)…but this is not the place to discuss this. This is diverting the thread. Instead of arguing all this …for this is not the place…I wish you peace and I embrace you as a brother…and I express hopes that full communion will be restored.

 

[LilyM]

But your logic does not make sense! Why forbid them Holy Communion when they are not receiving it anyway. You astound me with this logic. Why tell them you can’t receive when they are not going anyway! Will it not be better to welcome them. Come on! The Eastern Church is not as rigid as the Catholic Church. She treats her children better. Not the legalistic way you Catholics have been brought up on. Try to understand you want people to come back to receive not to drive them away. God Bless!

Forbid them when they’re not receiving anyway? What on earth are you talking about? That’s a logical impossibility, and of course it’s not what happens in practice.

We forbid them when they DO want to receive, as some sadly do want to in spite of being in a state of mortal sin, be it the sin of adultery, abortion, serious theft or whatnot.

And for the same reason, because they’re unworthy to receive, having previously seriously breached one of God’s commandments. In this case the commandment to honour the Lord’s day and keep it holy by attending Mass.

Remember, the commandment does not oblige us to receive the Eucharist every Sunday, but it DOES oblige us to attend Mass every Sunday unless you have a valid reason not to.

 

[Bookcat]

Interestingly…

This Eastern Orthodox Church’s discipline note that for mortal sins…one needs confession prior to communion and that in their Church if one misses 3 Liturgies one one needs confession first…so at least in this Orthodox Church the set it at 3…

orthodox-christian-comment.co.uk/confession_communion_preparation_for_communion.htm

We set it at 1. But in both cases if there is an excusing reason of course it is not a sin…

here is the quote…

1. Also requiring reconciliation through Penitence and Confession are those who have not partaken of Communion (Can. 9 of the Apostles and Can. 2 of Antioch) or failed to go to Liturgy for three or more Sundays in a row without “grave necessity”, health difficulties or for reason of great distance in travel (Can 80 of the 6th Ecumenical Council). Once a person knows of this statute he or she is bound to go to Confession and after receiving the absolution and blessing of the priest to partake of Communion as regularly as possible.

and at the bottom of the article…

1. If committing a sin unto death (see above), or even if remaining uncorrected in “sin not unto death” as Scripture calls it, or if having missed Liturgy without a valid reason for more than three weeks (the local hierarch may narrow this time), on must partake of Confession and then approach.

and interestingly they do not even let someone receive communion after “the doors” if they come late…and there are other interesting things…

orthodox-christian-comment.co.uk/confession_communion_preparation_for_communion.htm

you see in the Catholic Church (under the 3rd commandment) we set it that one must attend Liturgy each Sunday and a few other important days…and this is a grave obligation…hence such would apply to our poster…

Iisous Christos nika!

 

[Bookcat]

And the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches would I think agree that anyone who commits a mortal sin…a sin unto death…needs to go to confession prior to communion (as we see in the Orthodox example above).

and as to attending Liturgy…

The disciplines regarding Obligation to attend Liturgy may be different (how many days one can miss)…but the moral principle behind them is the same…

 

[LilyM]

And the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches would I think agree that anyone who commits a mortal sin…a sin unto death…needs to go to confession prior to communion (as we see in the Orthodox example above).

and as to attending Liturgy…

The disciplines regarding Obligation to attend Liturgy may be different (how many days one can miss)…but the moral principle behind them is the same…

OK. So requiring confession for missing ONE liturgy is legalistic whereas requiring it for missing THREE liturgies isn’t? :whacky:

 

[Bookcat]

OK. So requiring confession for missing ONE liturgy is legalistic whereas requiring it for missing THREE liturgies isn’t? :whacky:

I assume you were directing this post elsewhere…I too agree that it is not legalistic…but simply for the importance of the Lord’s Day…

oh and my example here was that of it seems one Orthodox Church…the OP’s discipline may be different in his…but he would have to check on his …

but anyhow …regarding the persons original post…yes they must attend Mass…each Sunday and Holyday…unless they are dispensed…or sick etc…and such is a grave obligation…just to put this thread back on track…

 

[cait8]

Missing Mass is a mortal sin, though NOT because you would miss Communion… but because every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation. Your sin is missing Mass, not missing the Eucharist. (Eucharist only need be taken at a minimum of 1x per year.)

But skipping Mass is a mortal sin. If one skips Mass, one must first go to Confession and confess that (s)he skipped Mass before one can receive Holy Communion at the next Mass. (However, one can still GO to Mass without receiving Communion!)

So yes, if you want to go to Mass and receive Communion, but you skipped Mass in the past, you’d have to go to Confession first (if that’s what you’re asking?). Hope this helps! God bless you

 

[wayman]

The obligation to attend Mass is not an obligation to receive the Eucharist. You are still required to go to Mass even if you missed going to confession. You just have to stay seated instead of going up for communion. You should go to Confession, and confess what you would have confessed on Saturday and include in your confession that you missed Mass.