Why do you people insist on making me loath Clinton even more?!?!?! ;)
I didn't know one could do this. I've only been to a few Catholic masses, but I have always remained seated during that part of the service. I always felt a little out of sorts, so it's nice to know that I can participate in a respectful way.
This WAS, at one time (when ALL the Christian world was Roman Catholic) the prime consideration for participating in the Eucharist. It is still the prime consideration in CATHOLIC Anglican and Episcopal churches...HOWEVER, the Roman church requires that all desiring the Eucharist must first make a confession (which is exclusive to RCs and in which case we all know that St. Bubba would try to convince the priest what "is" is) while Episcopalians and Anglican catholics recite a general confession.
Of course, as an Orthodox Christian, I find the notion of communing anyone who is not in complete unity of faith outrageous.
It is amusing, though, one of those East/West ritual differences, that in the East, those who are to receive communion approach the chalice with their arms crossed on their chest, while those who are not Orthodox or are not prepared*, but wish to receive a blessing, approach with arms at their side.
*Preparation for communion properly consists of having confessed and receiving absolution a) at least once in the past year, b) since the commission of any grevious sin and c) since any absence from the synaxis of three or more weeks; keeping the fasts appointed for the previous week; fasting from all food and drink at least from the hour of rising (properly from midnight); abstaining from marital relations from the hour of Vespers the previous evening; some manner of prepartory prayer; and arriving before the Gospel. (The last sounds lax, but I think it arose because in the Great Church of Constantinople, the part of the Litugy before the Gospel was sometime done in procession through the City, and folks would join up when the clergy and faithful passed closest to their home.)
(The Slavs, who commune infrequently, generally fast the week before, confess the night before and attend the 'All Night Vigil' (= Vespers, Compline and Matins done all in a row the evening before), but this is folk piety, or (in the case of the Russian Synod) a local canon, rather than a universal canon.)
bttt
This is so wrong on so many levels it makes me angry at the person who published it because they are leaving a lot of FACTS out of their article.
"In order to safeguard the sacrament, and to ensure that Christ is received with the proper dispositions (something very important for the authentic good of the person receiving Him), the Church has enacted certain norms for determining those occasions when intercommunion is legitimate. In the 1983 Code of Canon Law the following is prescribed:"
Canon 844 (c.671 in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches)
1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers with due regard for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, part 2.
2. Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose churches these sacraments are valid.
3. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.
4. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.
5. For the cases in parts 2, 3, and 4, neither the diocesan bishop nor the conference of bishops is to enact general norms except after consultation with at least the local competent authority of the interested non- Catholic Church or community.
As much respect as I have for President and First Lady Bush, they were not in danger of death nor do they believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Giving Clinton Holy Communion was outrageous because of his unrepentant adultery. We can not nilly willy go around giving Holy Communion to people just because they are political figures. It cheapens the sacrament.
In reference back to the post about Jesus welcoming all and eating with sinners, in Benedict's recent address about the Apostle Matthew, many rightly suggested that a conversion was involved. This is true but was the conversion before or after Jesus shared a meal with them and did the meal contribute to the conversion as healing food and is this not what the Eucharist is.
We have all heard priests tell non-Catholics not to come to communion and if we listen to the remarks of guests after a Wedding or funeral we know how unwelcome they felt and in many cases downright insulted. I much better like the remarks of a truly pastoral priest who before communion said words to the effect. "Catholics believe that Holy Communion is what Jesus said it was - His body and blood , really and not symbolically. If you share that belief you are most welcome to receive, if you find this difficult to accept, honesty might suggest you not approach the table at this time but join in a prayful mood in your pew "
Many Catholics do not realize that many Protestants believe in the real presence, especially Lutherans and Anglicans and to tell them not to come forward is easily taken as an insult and hardly what Jesus intended. What think you?
The blessing thing is a nice, feel good option for people who can't receive, but it's not technically supposed to be allowed. If you can't receive, you're really supposed to stay in your seat. So says my priest, anyway, who does not offer blessings during Communion.
I miss Cardinal O'Connor.
Amen!
I wish the dreaded arm cross didn't look so "gay", if you will. Much as I love and respect W and Laura for doing it, it makes me cringe just to see it in the photo. I had to do it for 9 months -- and I couldn't even get out of it by staying in the pew, I was expected to get the blessing. I would cross, but more like wrists across my heart which looked and felt more graceful.
It was really very very funny, but at one point GW got serious and called all to remember the late Cardinal O Connor and his respect for life.
The audience were on their feet cheering.
It was a wonderful moment.
I was speaking with someone who is something of an insider regarding the dinner and if I recall correctly they decided not to invite the candidates in 04 because Kerry would have to be permitted to speak.
I wonder why the African priest gave Clinton Holy Communion, knowing Clinton was not a Catholic.
Oh, you know us wacky Southern Baptists. After carrying around our "big bibles", our arms are too tired to cross them. The Methodists (Bush) obviously don't have this problem.