Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bbnccv.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!bbnccv!sdyer From: sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: Re: WChurches saying they are the ONE TRUE CHURCH Message-ID: <331@bbnccv.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Feb-85 00:06:39 EST Article-I.D.: bbnccv.331 Posted: Mon Feb 11 00:06:39 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 02:54:58 EST References: <319@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <469@ptsfa.UUCP> <562@topaz.ARPA> <8203@brl-tgr.ARPA> Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA Lines: 36 Keywords: intercommunion > While I do not know the official church policy on open Communion, the > last three catholic funerals (well, Masses of Christian Burial) that I > have attended (one in Maryland and two in Massechussettes) the priest > has always stated that qualified communicants of other religions are > welcome to participate in communion if the desire. Now I could understand > one parish being renegage, but this was three different churches in > three different dioceses. The officially stated policy is that a non-Catholic may receive Communion if the following conditions are met (quoted from "Catholicism", by Fr. Richard P. McBrien, Winston Press, 1981, who is himself quoting a Vatican directive): "1.) Admission to the Eucharist is confined to particular cases of those Christians who have a faith in the sacrament in conformity with the Catholic Church. 2.) Such Christians must experience a serious spiritual need for the eucharistic sustenancce. 3.) They must be unable for a prolonged period to have recourse to a minister of their own community. 4.) They must ask for the sacrament of their own accord. 5.) They must have proper dispositions and lead lives worthy of a Christian. Even if these conditions are met, it will be a pastoral responsibility to see that the admission of these other Christians to communion does not endanger or disturb the faith of Catholics. These 'rules' do not apply to Orthodox Christians." I think Ron's experience (and my own) reflects the strange state of American Catholicism, where "rules" are one thing, but practice is often quite another. Frankly, I appreciate the kind of situational flexibility we see here, given the glacial intransigence of years of tradition. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA