Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Cathy Johnston) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: In Communion with Rome? Message-ID: Date: 4 Oct 90 03:44:49 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Bitch Bride From Hell (living on pure adrenaline) Lines: 122 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com writes: >Cathy Johnston wrote: > > So, for example, a Greek family who are members of a uniate Church but > live in an isolated village with only a Greek Orthodox parish would be > allowed (indeed obligated) to go to Mass at the Orthodox parish and > receive Communion, although they would be expected to worship in a > uniate parish whenever possible. > >The Church has never allowed this in the Latin rite in the past, much >less obliged it. It's called "communicatio in sacris" (Communion in >sacred things) in Latin rite canon law, and used to carry an >excommunication. > >I admit to unfamiliarity with Eastern canon law, but highly doubt that >something traditionally meriting an excommunication in the West is >obliged in the East. > >Joe Buehler Ok, let's start with a description of the rules... { begin quote } RELATIONS WITH THE BRETHREN OF THE SEPARATED CHURCHES { to cut down on my work and your boredom, I've not typed in sections 24, 25, 28 & 29... :-) Footnotes are original to the text. } 26. A mutual sharing in sacred things (_communicatio_ _in_ _sacris_), which runs counter to the unity of the Church, or which involves formal adhesion to error or the danger of aberration in the faith, of scandal and of indifferentism, is forbidden by the law of God. [31] However, with regard to our Eastern brethren, pastoral experience shows that various circumstances affecting individuals can and ought to be taken into account, where the unity of the Church is not harmed nor are there dangers to be guarded against, but where the need of salvation and the spiritual good of souls are prime considerations. Therefore, the Catholic Church, by reason of circumstances of time, place and persons, has often followed and still follows a less rigorous course of action, offering to all the means of salvation and a witness to charity among Christians, through the common sharing in the sacraments and in other sacred functions and things. In view of this, "lest we be an obstacle to the salvation of men through the harshness of our judgment," [32] and in order to further union with the Eastern Churches separated from us, the holy council has laid down the following lines of action: 27. In view of the principles just noted, Eastern Christians who are separated in good faith from the Catholic Church, if they are rightly disposed and make such request of their own accord, may be given the Sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist and the Annointing of the Sick. Moreover, Catholics also may ask for those same sacraments from non-Catholic ministers in whose church there are valid sacraments, as often as necessity or true spiritual benefit recommends such action, and access to a Catholic priest is physically or morally impossible. [33] [31] This doctrine is also held in the separated Churches. [32] St. Basil the Great, _Cononical_ _Letter_ _to_ _Amphilochius_, PG 32, 669 B. [33] As foundation for this moderation of the law are considered the following: (a) validity of the sacraments; (b) good faith and good disposition; (c) the necessity of eternal salvation; (d) the absence of one's own priest; (e) the exclusion both of the dangers to be avoided and of formal adhesion to error. DECREE ON THE CATHOLIC EASTERN CHURCHES Vatican II, _Orientalium_ _Ecclesiarum_, 21 November, 1964. { end quote } I think Joe misinterprets my paranthetical comment about obligation. A very fundamental characterization of Catholicism and of Catholics is a relationship with the Sacraments and the Eucharist in particular. What I was trying to set up in my example is a clear choice: for a Catholic to participate in the (valid) Eucharist of a separated Eastern church, or to be cut off from the Eucharist for long periods of time (months or years.) I'm assuming in my example that this participation in the Eucharist of a separated church is allowed under the qualifications set up here -- what I'm arguing is that the *nature* of being Catholic obliges a Catholic to celebrate the Sacraments. Clearly, individuals in these difficult circum- stances of "time, place and persons" are dispensed from *formal* obligations of worship -- but the formal obligations of worship are really there for the clueless. If you are Catholic, then this kind of circumstance is not some convenient excuse to "get out of" an obligation. It is a spiritual hardship, and a hardship precisely because the circumstances do not change your nature, and your nature as a Catholic still obliges you to the Sacra- ments. Which goes back to the original point I was trying to make -- to separate the narrow technicality of the phrase "in Communion with Rome" from the much broader implication of Catholicism as a state of being, of which "in Communion with the Eucharist" is probably a pretty good summation. ********** On a more personal note, this posting is perhaps a farewell. On Saturday, Oct. 6, I'm getting married, and my very-soon-to-be-husband's job will take us to Pittsburgh immediately post-honeymoon. Not knowing what the future will bring as far as net.access, this will be the last posting from me for a while, and perhaps forever. I've really enjoyed the year I've spent reading s.r.c. -- it's been thought-provoking and fun, and only occasionally infuriating :-) -- thank you all. Y'all are in my prayers. Yours in Christ, cathy :-) old: Cathy Johnston cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (This account could continue to exist for quite awhile -- until accidentally deleted, or a new regime outlaws guest accounts and then gets around to getting rid of them.) (cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.bitnet is the same account for bitnet users.) new: Cathy Fasano c/o Chris Fasano, fasano@tabakin.phyast.pitt.edu fasano@anlphy.phy.anl.gov fasano@anlphy.bitnet