German bishop criticizes methods used to oppose Eucharistic hospitality

La Croix ^ | May 17, 2018 | Christa Pongratz-Lippitt

[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.

[FatherofFive]

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.

No. As Paul said in First Corinthians, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

The Church is ONE.

[ADSUM]

So should everyone be able to receive Holy Communion?

My understanding that Catholic Church teaching on the Eucharist was that one was a baptized Catholic in good standing without mortal sin to receive Holy Communion worthily.

If this is the understanding, why is a small group of Bishops in Germany changing the practice? Is there a benefit? Why does this affect Germany and not the whole Church? Do we have a Catholic faith for each country?

Are these spouses baptized, can they received the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

I would hope for better information and explanation.

[ebb tide]

The dire warning from Our Lady of Akita is being fulfilled worldwide

On October 13 of that year (1973), Our Lady of Akita revealed to a pious nun this impending crisis in the Church:

The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals and bishops against other bishops. ... The Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the devil will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.

[Fedora]

“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.

We're not insinuating or suspecting: we're directly stating it. The Arians who denied Christ's divinity were also in the majority for a while.

[OpusatFR]

The Eucharist is the body blood soul and divinity of Christ under the species of bread and wine. This is the faith. This is the summit of Catholicism.

By allowing everyone to receive without discerning the body, the Eucharist is reduced to a mere symbol of unity and not a sacrament.

This is going to cause schism.

[Skywise]

Mmhmm - a few peons stand in the way of my magnanimous gesture along with the vast majority of my fellow bishops and, of course, the Pope who gave me this position of letting non-Catholics partake in communion because of this silly belief in the Bible.

[Skywise]

You’d think this guy would know his own churches history about the Protestants and what separates them from the Catholics...

Oh well - those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

“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...”

I didn't know it was a "democracy?"

[Bigg Red]

Exactly.

[Bigg Red]

This is going to cause schism.

...
I suspect schism will delight these fiends who are trying to destroy the Faith.

Prayers up for Holy Mother Church.

[ebb tide]

This is going to cause schism.

Pope Francis’ Reported Words: “I Might Go Down in History for Having Split the Catholic Church”

[NewJerseyJoe]

>> "acts as if the position of the majority is out of line with church teaching"

St. Thomas More, unfortunately, was quite accustomed to this type of response.

[Bigg Red]

I am hoping the speculation about the meaning of his comments on Tuesday are correct and that we will soon be free of him.

[pepsi_junkie]

This is only a problem if you believe the Eucharist is a holy sacrament that you must prepare for and be ready to receive. In other words, if you are Catholic. Non Catholics and German bishop, which apparently are th same thing, don’t have a problem with it at all. Nor does the Pope who is letting it happen by intentionally leaving it in the hands of people he absolutely knows will make it happen.

The Catholic Church is no longer run by Catholics. That’s the sad truth now.

[ealgeone]

The dire warning from Our Lady of Akita is being fulfilled worldwide

You mean this idolatrous thing????

3“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:3-6 NASB

Hey lookie....she's even got her own medal as well.....more idolatry for the Roman Catholic.

The false message of the apparition.

My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior. As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity...the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son.

Each day recite the prayer of the Rosary. With the Rosary pray for the Pope, bishops and the priests. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them. With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and to accomplish works of reparation. It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community. You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior.

Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary.

I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Akita

Sheer utter blasphemy. But this is typical of the apparitions Roman Catholics worship and believe in. The apparition may have a little truth mixed in with a lot of error.

If we compare the apparitions admonition that "only it can save you" with Scripture we see the error Rome has allowed.

The New Testament clearly states only Christ saves....no one else.

22At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30“I and the Father are one.” John 10:22-30 NASB

The Old and New Testament are both clear in condemning and rejecting idols and the worship and/or serving them.

I call on all Roman Catholics to publicly condemn and reject these false apparitions and come to salvation through Christ and only Christ.

[metmom]

“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

Oh, boo hoo.

When did grown men become such cry babies?

[boatbums]

Are Roman Catholics all so gullible that they’ll believe anything a supposed “apparition” of Mary tells them?

[ealgeone]

If you don't think this in idol....a created being on a cross...on top of the world...then you are truly lost.