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German bishop criticizes methods used to oppose Eucharistic hospitality
La Croix ^ | May 17, 2018 | Christa Pongratz-Lippitt

Posted on 05/17/2018 3:32:37 PM PDT by ebb tide

A German bishop has criticized a small minority in his nation’s episcopal conference for questioning the orthodoxy of the vast majority of bishops who favor a pastoral plan to allow non-Catholic spouses in inter-confessional marriages to receive the Eucharist at Mass.

“We must get out of this way of argumentation which uses insinuation and suspicion and acts as if the position of the majority is out of line with church teaching,” said Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz.

“I feel personally affected when, in their letter to Rome, the seven bishops warn that my vote and that of the majority of my fellow bishops is endangering the deposit of the faith and church unity,” he said in an interview published May 12 in the Kölner Stadtanzeiger.

The 51-year-old Kohlgraf, who just last year succeeded Cardinal Karl Lehmann as bishop of Mainz and is Germany’s youngest bishop, said he did not believe Pope Francis saw this as a danger either.

He said that, on the contrary, Francis praised the German bishops’ ecumenical commitment and signaled how they could proceed. He said the pope has often pointed out that ecumenism is not a case of black or white or yes or no.

Bishop Kohlgraf said Francis now expects the bishops to reach a consensus on Eucharistic hospitality that is “as unanimous as possible.”

But he emphasized that this does not mean fully unanimous. He said it was his understanding, however, that dealing with this issue was within the competence of the German bishops.

Their task now, he said, was to explain their interpretation of shared communion to those mixed marriage couples who still had a problem with receiving the Catholic Eucharist or had already made up their own minds.

“Let’s be honest. People vote with their feet. And while I’m the last person to say, ‘OK, we must follow the crowd,’ conversely I ask myself if we really think we must protect God by deciding who may go to communion and who may not?” the bishop said.

Asked what would happen if the bishops could not agree on the communion handout, Kohlgraf said in that case every bishop would be free to allow Eucharistic hospitality in his diocese or not.

“But I do wonder what would happen if the ruling in Cologne were different to the one in Aachen. I’m quite sure that that would further increase incomprehension and resentment among the faithful. In fact I can positively hear people saying ‘we can’t take what the bishops say seriously any longer,’” he said. 

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is president of the German bishops’ conference, said on May 13 that he would be informing his fellow bishops extensively “in the next few days” on what he and a small delegation of German bishops discussed with Vatican officials in Rome. 

The cardinal told the German Catholic news agency KNA that he hoped the bishops could re-start their discussions on the issue next month when the episcopal conference’s permanent council meets.

He said he was confident that a “consensual” agreement would be found. However, he also added this caveat: “We want to find as great a consensus as possible but one cannot go on discussing and re-discussing the issue until a unanimous decision is reached.”

Cardinal Marx said that, in the end, it would be up to each diocesan bishop to decide whether or not to allow Eucharist hospitality in his diocese.

But he stressed that all the bishops, and not just the two opposing groups, should therefore approach one another and make a concerted effort to seek common ground.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: francisbishops; francischurch; germany; heresy
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Comment #21 Removed by Moderator

To: boatbums; Mom MD; metmom; ebb tide
Are Roman Catholics all so gullible that they’ll believe anything a supposed “apparition” of Mary tells them?

Yes they are.

And they will kneel before the apparition.

They will pray to the apparition.

They will further rely upon the apparition to save them.

The apparition of Akita said this: I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.

Now, contrast with what Scripture records Christ as saying:

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 NASB

Only one of these statements can be correct.

I'm sticking with what Christ said.

Will the Roman Catholic reject the apparition and follow Christ and Christ only?

22 posted on 05/17/2018 6:33:07 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide
Do you spit on crucifixes like some other non-Catholics?

Nope.

But you are rejecting the very Man who Roman Catholics continue to keep on the crucifix in favor of this apparition.

Ebb....do you not see the error?? The apparition...on a cross...standing over the world??

A created being on a cross with its arms open wide....

Roman Catholicism has replaced Jesus with the apparition.

Don't let pride keep you from admitting it.

Ebb, do you believe this:

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

23 posted on 05/17/2018 6:38:59 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide

Of course not. But do you Romans realize Christ is no longer on the cross? He is gloriously resurrected and sits at the right hand of God. To look at your churches and altars He is still suffering on the cross.


24 posted on 05/17/2018 6:46:02 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: ebb tide

A demon spreading falsehoods. Those that belong to Christ cannot be lost by any mechanations of Satan. Satan can not harm anyone who lives in Christ.


25 posted on 05/17/2018 6:47:24 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: ealgeone

Yup I don’t see Mary anywhere in that statement


26 posted on 05/17/2018 6:48:23 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: ealgeone

Since when is a crucifix an apparition?


27 posted on 05/17/2018 6:55:06 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

That’s right...avoid the question.


28 posted on 05/17/2018 6:59:29 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide

Since when was Mary crucified for the sins of the world that she should be shown to be on the cross with the world under HER feet?


29 posted on 05/17/2018 7:09:21 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Mom MD; ealgeone
Yup I don’t see Mary anywhere in that statement

Do you see Mary in the Old Testament?

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. Isaias 7:14.

30 posted on 05/17/2018 7:13:16 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

Keep avoiding the question.


31 posted on 05/17/2018 7:14:25 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide
Do you see Mary in the Old Testament?

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. Isaias 7:14.

Is Mary alive at this point?

32 posted on 05/17/2018 7:20:41 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone

I have no idea what point he is trying to make. Prophecies of Christs virgin birth can be found in the OT. How does that make Mary someone that can save you?


33 posted on 05/17/2018 7:22:28 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: metmom

It’s a snake that’s immediately under Her feet, no crucifix nor “cross”.

Where do y’all come with this stuff?


34 posted on 05/17/2018 7:23:16 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: Mom MD
It can't.

It's called avoidance.

35 posted on 05/17/2018 7:26:16 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone

Is Jesus born at this point?


36 posted on 05/17/2018 7:27:13 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

So the cross behind her isn’t really a cross?

What do you call it then?

And the round thing under her feet, let me guess, it’s an exercise ball?

Cause I’ve never seen a round or spherical snake before.


37 posted on 05/17/2018 7:27:48 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: ebb tide
It’s a snake that’s immediately under Her feet, no crucifix nor “cross”.

uhh....no.

It's the world.

38 posted on 05/17/2018 7:32:26 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide
It’s a snake that’s immediately under Her feet, no crucifix nor “cross”.

I never said that it was a cross under her feet.

39 posted on 05/17/2018 7:36:59 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: ealgeone; metmom
I said "immediately" and where's the cross that metmom claims?
40 posted on 05/17/2018 7:40:08 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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