A family member is a Lutheran who insists on taking communion when he goes to mass.
He knows clearly the church teaching on this. For my part, I respect other denominations and faiths by following their rules. This fellow doesn’t.
It happens all the time. Any suggestions here? I have a moral duty, at least a small one, to change this situation. Give me some tips.
I would ask that person if they understand the teaching of the true presence and whether or not they believe it ? I would think either way you should advise them to stop receiving until their understanding is clear. St. Paul warns about receiving and not recognizing who it is.
Hope this helps and have a great day.
Lutherans do believe in the True Presence, they just do not believe in that Apostolic Sucession is necesary for consagration and they explain it by consubstanciation.
This person does not have the right to receive the Eucharist. Receiving the Eucharist is never a right. It is a gift. Even Catholics should not receive when they are in a state of mortal sin. This Lutheran should certainly not receive and should be told this in the strongest terms.
[quote=Maxply;] For my part, I respect other denominations and faiths by following their rules. This fellow doesn’t.
[/quote]
a i) Explain to the family member the concept of “closed communion”;
a ii) Explain to them the concept of “restricted communion”;
a iii) Explain the concept of “open communion”;
a iv_ Explain to them the concept of “unrestricted communion”;
If you need help in how to explain those concepts, ask.
b) Discuss the situation with the priest. Whilst I seriously doubt that there are extenuating circumstances, there is an infinitesimally small possibility of that being the case. Regardless, the Priest should explain to you that specific aspect of Canon law, and how to deal with your family member. Then the Priest can deal appropriately with the family member;
c) Some people just don’t know how to be good guests. There is a thee or four volume set of book (out of print) about how to be the perfect guest at services for denominations other than one’s own. I’d suggest them as a Twelfth Night gift for that family member, but I don’t remember the title.
xan
jonathon
I would not matter even if they fully accepted the Church’s teaching on transubstantiation and the Sacrament. To take communion as a non-Catholic is to proclaim a unity that isn’t there and therefore it’s lying to Our Lord, the Church, and the person receiving it is lying to himself. It’s a profaning of the Sacrament and the Church has a duty to prevent it.
You do not know this person’s heart. How do you know that he is not in perfect union with Christ?
Perhaps by denying him, it is you who is not not in union. :shrug:
Mortal sin?
I think you misread the post.Even Catholics should not receive when they are in a state of mortal sin. This Lutheran should certainly not receive and should be told this in the strongest terms.
She’s not saying the Lutheran is in mortal sin, she is making the point that the Sacrament is not a right, not even a right for Catholics. You have to be a). Catholic b.) in good standing free of mortal sin. A Catholic can be excluded based on b, a Lutheran on a. (with the exception of danger of death).
To be in union with Christ is to be in union with the Church including ALL She proposes for belief. It’s not about knowing a person’s heart, the person by remaining Lutheran is objectively not in union with the Church. I suspect you don’t agree with that understanding, but that’s another thread.
DUH!
I am not accusing him of any mortal sin and neither did anybody else!
You once again misread what was written, shall we try again?
[quote=] SENTENCE 1: Even Catholics should not receive when they are in a state of mortal sin. **SENTENCE 2:**This Lutheran should certainly not receive and should be told this in the strongest terms.
[/quote]
It is TWO SEPERATE sentences.
The second one mentions the Lutheran and it states that he should not receive Communion! No one said anything about mortal sin in regards to the Lutheran!
Sentence one refers to mortal sin in regards to CATHOLICS.
Ginger are you purposefully misreading or misquoting the post:?
So, because this Lutheran does not hold membership in the RC, you assume he cannot be in union with Christ.
Even some Catholics don’t believe “ALL (the Catholic Church) proposes for belief” And different sects of Catholics hold different doctrines. Yet, RC assumes all Catholics to be in union.
If some Catholics don’t believe all the Catholic Church teaches, then can they really be considered Catholic? I’m sure the SSPV considers themselves Catholic, but they reject the papal authority due to their positions as sedavacantist. I’m sure “A Call to Action” members consider themselves Catholic, but their positions on abortion/gay rights clash with official Catholic teaching.
It is you who is being unclear. Next time try separating the two comments to demonstrate the one is NOT related to the other.
You definitely sound like you are giving the reason the Lutheran should be denied in line one. In light of your explanation that line one has nothing to do with line two, I ask you to provide the “why” for your second statement.
