Posted on 07/09/2009 8:31:24 AM PDT by NYer
The priest who gave Clinton communion was a maverick.
This line appears in the article, but nowhere in the article does anybody say this is what happened, and in fact everybody quoted says they never saw what he did with the wafer, because most of them were watching it later on TV and the TV cut away from him after a few seconds.
So for all everybody knows, he just partook of the wafer a bit late.
I don't think a protestant is supposed to be taking the wafer at a Catholic church, but Protestants tend to be inclusive about communion with other churches. Interestingly though, his Protestant church may think this was as much of an error as the Catholic church.
I took communion at a Catholic church once, at college, with my now-wife, because I had no idea they were not inclusive of all Christians. Of course, my "first communion" wasn't in my own church, it was in a Methodist church where I was a boy scout, on Boy Scout sunday. I just followed everybody else and did the communion thing -- even though I wasn't a communicant at my Lutheran church yet.
Most Catholic churches have announcements in the bulletin about protocol for communion. Someone should have clued Harper, although it is hard to believe he was that clueless. I certainly would not communicate in a Baptist church.
Two thoughts:
Many folks are ignorant regarding consumption, my sister was with a non-Catholic friend and my sister’s wedding and the Priest (my Uncle)didn’t give instruction beforehand and the friend had never been to a Catholic Church. To her credit my sister took the host from him and consumed it.
Secondly, time to do away with Communion in the hand.
If a church has a procedure for non-members to follow, they aught to mention it at the church service, since the non-members would otherwise have no reason to know what they are supposed to do, and are much more likely to just do what everybody else is doing.
In our church, during communion, our pastor specifically explains the rite, and who is supposed to participate and who should not. He does this EVERY communion service. So there is no confusion for non-members as to whether they can receive communion or not.
He also explains each time which cups have real wine, and which are the grape juice. For some odd reason, we use white grape juice and a dark red wine, which means the visual cues are not quite what you'd expect.
Taking communion is pretty much a sign of membership. I understand that some Baptists don’t let anyone communicate without a letter. In any case, whether Protestant or Catholic, the responsibility of the person is not to take it unworthily.
Yes, that's true, we do.
The reason being because the “priest” does not have the power to change the bread and wine into the body and blodd of Christ.
I don't follow your reasoning. Yes, we do believe it is the very body of Christ. But the reason is not because of any power in the priest per se. The power is in Christ's Word, which makes it so.
It was a state funeral, and he was there for that reason. Maybe he was unaware that they would do communion at a funeral, and then he just did what every other person in his row did, because he wasn’t told to do anything different.
I think that is a sound and reasonable way to handle it. If it is important to a faith that the host be consumed immediately, the Priest who gives the host should take the time to ensure the procedure is followed.
Communion in a Catholic Church is at every mass, not occasionally as in most churches. However at a funeral mass, it is wise to inform those attending since non-Catholics are commonly attendant in significant numbers. .
I think that this being a funeral, not a sunday worship service, may have complicated and confused matters.
It seems to me that the truly responsible party here is the priest who gave Harper communion. As the priest, it is his obligation and duty to protect the Holy Gifts from unworthy consumption. He didn’t do that.
All of this could have been avoided by a simple announcement before communion that the Holy Mystery is reserved to Catholics in good standing who are living their lives in accordance with the rules of The Church and who are properly prepared. Our priest does that every Sunday and it has prevented all sorts of embarassment.
Just when you thought you heard it all. What could the possible explanation be and will he bother to supply one.
You are exactly right.
A little guidance from the PM’s protocol folks (who obviously did not do their homework) could also have avoided this incident.
However, the responsibility, as you have said, clearly rests with the Catholic clergy in charge of the funeral.
The wise comment of the day.
Monsignor André Richard, who is Bishop of the Diocese of Moncton, gave Harper communion but said he didn't see what Harper did with the host.
"I didn't see anything wrong there "¦ because I was busy doing something else."
Excuse me, lame duck. You were busy doing something else while giving out communion to a known non-catholic statesman? Now you have compounded your sin even more.
The catholic church in Canada has gone to the dogs long ago.
Back in 1969, when Quebec was a “catholic province”, with 99% population as baptised catholics. It was the first province to decriminalize abortion, thanks to then solicitor general Pierre Trudeau, later the Prime Minister.
Even earlier, Bishops of Canada, on Sept. 27, 1968, issued the Winnipeg Statement, leading defiance and sowing confusion over the Papal Encyclical “Humanae Vitae”.
IIRC, Clinton received the Eucharist from the Bishop or Archbishop of Little Rock. That hierarch may be a maverick but he was not J. Random Rebel Priest. This is yet another example of why Catholics and especially Catholic bishops should stand ever vigilant to shun misbehaving bishops who would give the Eucharist to public pro-abort political hacks, even those who falsely claim Catholicism as public officials while actively conniving in the murder of 50+ million innocent babies.
Robbie, you are a Catholic and a good one. You are qualified to observe on in-house Catholic issues. Those who are not Catholic are entitled to express their opinions but those outside the Faith are not very qualified critics of an institution not their own.
May Blessed Alois Cardinal Stepinac effect the genuine enlightenment of those opposed to our Roman Catholic Church.
The incident I was familiar with was what happened in South Africa. In any case, since Vatican II, many priests and bishops have been careless, so determined were they to preach ecumenism—as they understood it. One story that sticks in my mind is the effort by a priest to FORCE a black musician who was entertaining at a mass, to take communion, and the black man quite rightly refusing. He knew what HE was even if the priest did not.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1874835/posts
THE TEN MOST COMMON LITURGICAL ABUSES and Why They’re Wrong
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