No wonder he told the Germans to wait a bit... https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/on-papal-flight-francis-says-intercommunion-policy-should-be-decided-by-diocesan-bishops- On papal flight, Francis says intercommunion policy should be decided by diocesan bishops By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Jun 21, 2018 / 05:22 pm (CNA).- Pope Francis said Thursday that the German bishops’ debate on the reception of the Eucharist by the non-Catholic spouses of Catholics, also referred to as intercommunion, should be decided by diocesan bishops, rather than bishops’ conferences. Speaking aboard the papal flight from Geneva to Rome June 21, the pope told journalists that the Code of Canon Law leaves decisions about the criteria for intercommunion to diocesan bishops, in order that their decisions will apply only to their individual dioceses, rather than to the Church across an entire country. The pope said that although the German bishops attempted to establish guidelines through their episcopal conference, “the Code does not foresee that. It foresees the bishop of the diocese, but not the conference, because a thing approved by an episcopal conference immediately becomes universal.” “The particular Church, the Code permits it, the local Church [episcopal conference] cannot because it would be universal,” Francis elaborated. “The conference can study and give direction and opinions to help the bishops to manage the particular cases,” the pope added. Canon 844 of the Code of Canon Law generally allows for episcopal conferences to establish norms regarding the circumstances in which non-Catholic Christians may be admitted to the Eucharist. In the danger of death, or “if in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it,” Catholic ministers may licitly administer penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick to Protestants “who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed,” the canon says. The same canon notes that “the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops is not to issue general norms except after consultation at least with the local competent authority of the interested non-Catholic Church or community.” The pope’s remarks were in response to a question about a letter he approved, sent from Cardinal-elect Luis Ladaria to the German bishops in May, asking them to study the topic more before publishing guidelines. The pope added that communion for Protestant spouses of Catholics “in special cases” is not a “novelty,” mentioning again the Code of Canon Law. The Vatican press office could not be reached for clarification by deadline. During the press conference, Pope Francis also addressed his feelings on the outcome of the day trip to Switzerland, which he undertook for the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches, saying the day’s activities of prayer, speeches, meetings, and Mass had all made him happy. “The right word of the day is ‘encounter,’ and when a person encounters another and feels appreciation for the meeting, this always touches the heart, no? They were positive meetings, good even,” he said. Francis also addressed the topics of immigration and refugees, the responsibility of religions to promote peace, and ecumenism. About immigration, he noted that mass-migration is a problem around the world, and that a country should welcome as many refugees as it can integrate and give work to, in light of the virtue of prudence. The pope also lamented the conditions which many refugees may face if they return to their country of origin, including the increased risk of being trafficked. Speaking particularly of the United States, the pope reiterated his comments in a recent interview with Reuters, that he backs the statements of the U.S. bishops on the issue. Answering a question on the topic of so-called “pacifist Churches,” which hold that a Christian cannot use or condone violence, Francis refuted the idea that there are “religions of peace,” as if that implied the existence of “religions of war.” He said that religious fundamentalism exists, with people who “seek wars,” which it is important to stay alert to, but that during this time, when there is a “crisis of human rights,” all churches should work together to bring about a spirit of peace in the world. The press conference concluded with Pope Francis presenting a slice of cake to Cardinal-elect Angelo Becciu, currently Substitute of the Holy See Secretariat of State. Francis, offering the slice of Sardinian cake, noted that it was Becciu's last trip with the pope, because he will soon "change color, but not for embarrassment," referencing the archbishop's recent appointment as a cardinal.
What utter confusion and resentment it would cause if a Bishop in a diocese allows Holy Communion to non Catholics; then he retires and the next Bishop bans Holy Communion for non Catholics. Can the Holy Father not think past the current tenure of any Bishop. Or is this an open door to confusion about what is right and what is wrong. There is bound to be huge resentment if some non Catholics who get to receive Holy Communion are then forbidden at a later stage. Lots of Confusion will be his legacy long after this Holy Father is gone. He will surely be remembered for 'Confusion.'
Excellent point Julia. I didn't even think of that. The policy could theoretically flip back and forth through the years. One year a Protestant could receive The Eucharist and the next they can't. In addition they may be allowed to in their own diocese, but then when they go on vacation to a different place they would be barred. Confusion reigns supreme...
Surely nobody can be surprised by this. We have had this "the Pope would never......." on adultery, sodomy, fornication, eternal damnation, Protestant Communion, etc. Why on earth would this be any different? The St. Gallen group were Bishops who decided that each of them should be his own Pope because they wanted to disregard Church teaching and they schemed to get a man in the Chair of St. Peter who would make each of them his own Pope. Not a Conference of Bishops but each individual Bishop. And that's exactly what he is doing.
https://onepeterfive.com/pope-changes-tack-on-intercommunion-says-local-bishops-should-decide/ Pope Changes Tack on Intercommunion, Says Local Bishops Should Decide Steve SkojecJune 22, 2018 One Comment I tried to warn everyone. When it comes to Pope Francis, you cannot trust what he says. There’s more and more evidence of that all the time. And of course, we must never forget The Peron Rule. On the matter of intercommunion, it’s true that he signed off on the CDF’s rejection of the German bishops’ handout. Catholics who wanted to believe the best immediately got excited. “Hey look! He’s orthodox on this one!” But now, we see what it for what it was: sleight of hand. A rhetorical head fake. Another papal shell game. “Pope says local bishop should make the call on intercommunion” reads a new headline over at Crux. The pope has circled back to the intercommunion issue and spun it in a new direction. If you want to see what he did, you have to pay close attention to the way the cups move. Do you see which one the ball — which of course represents papal authority and approval in our little metaphor here — is under when he starts? Watch closely – the emphasis is mine: After a day of touting ways in which Christians might share in greater unity, that commitment to coming together didn’t prevent Pope Francis from backing the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog in its decision to insist on caution regarding proposals for intercommunion with Protestants. On a return flight to Rome on Thursday from a day-long ecumenical pilgrimage to Geneva, Francis said he supported the Vatican’s Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal-elect Luis Ladaria, in requiring a rethink of a draft proposal from the German bishops that would allow for non-Catholics to receive communion under certain conditions. […] Last month, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) rejected the German proposal, which was approved by roughly three-quarters of the bishops during a meeting earlier in the spring. In a letter published this month, Ladaria said the proposal was “not mature enough to be published.” Francis said that Ladaria did not act unilaterally, but with the pope’s permission… Up until now, we’re all on the same page. Everybody is watching the cup labeled, “Francis forbids intercommunion via the CDF”. But while he’s talking about Ladaria having his permission, he’s distracting us. People are watching his words, and when he sees our eyes are not on his hands, he makes the switch. The ball goes under another cup so quickly that almost nobody even sees the transition. Slow it down and keep your eye on the ball: …and that under the Code of Cannon [sic] Law it is up to the local bishop to decide under what conditions communion can be administered to non-Catholics, not local bishops’ conferences. “The code says that the bishop of the particular church, and that’s an important word, ‘particular,’ meaning of a diocese, is responsible for this… it’s in his hands.” Moreover, Francis said, the problem with having an entire bishops’ conference deal with such questions is that “something worked out in an episcopal conference quickly becomes universal.” Did you see him make the switch? The problem with the Bergoglian version of this illusion is that there’s no final reveal. The magician distracts the audience from what’s happening on the table and then thanks them for coming without ever lifting the cups to show them where the ball landed. He doesn’t actually want them to know he performed his magic, because his whole job was simply to distract them long enough that they forget he was pulling a trick at all. The ones watching the stage show go home assuming the ball stayed right where it was. But it’s not under the “Francis forbids intercommunion via the CDF” cup anymore. It’s now under the “Francis says individual bishops can decide the rules on intercommunion” cup. Some people have seen him perform his version of this trick enough times that they’ve learned how to look for the switch. But most, unfortunately, have not. And since they’re confident that the ball is still under the cup it should be under, they will argue with anyone who tells them otherwise. Meanwhile, the Catholic media is unlikely to report on the unscrupulous magician who isn’t really doing harmless party tricks, but playing a confidence game. So the game will continue. Departing from my imperfect metaphor before it falls all the way apart, I’d like to return for a moment to what I wrote back in April. I said that I believed Francis wasn’t happy with the flaming bag of… um… intercommunion handouts that was left on his doorstep. The Germans overstepped. They got a little too cute. This isn’t how Francis works, and that’s “a good part of the reason why this document was rejected. Because where Francis seems most comfortable working through insinuation, the Germans tried to create something more explicit. In writing.” He more or less confirmed exactly this when he said, in the comments cited above, that “something worked out in an episcopal conference quickly becomes universal.” We can’t have that. Remember what he told the Lutheran lady who asked him if she could receive Communion back in November 2015: I wouldn’t ever dare to allow this, because it’s not my competence. One baptism, one Lord, one faith. Talk to the Lord and then go forward. I don’t dare to say anything more. No ruling from the top. No official decree. Much easier to kick it downstairs and create chaos. Atomize and deconstruct the universal faith, one bishop at a time. Because Hagan lío or something.
The second half of this article is VERY important: http://m.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-leaves-intercommunion-decisions-to-local-bishops-not-conferences Pope Leaves Intercommunion Decisions to Local Bishops, Not Conferences Posted by Edward Pentin on Friday Jun 22nd, 2018 at 12:38 PM The Pope said the final document will be an “orientative” one, “so that each diocesan bishop can manage what Canon Law already permits.” On the plane back from Geneva yesterday, Pope Francis told reporters it is up to “particular” bishops of a local diocese rather than episcopal conferences to ascertain whether a Protestant spouse has a “grave necessity” to receive Holy Communion. This would mean that a bishop’s decision on such an issue would apply only to their individual dioceses, rather than more broadly — to the Church of an entire country or universally. His comments came after the Vatican, with the Pope’s approval, wrote a letter May 25 to the German bishops’ conference rejecting their pastoral guide allowing some Protestants in interconfessional marriages to receive Jesus in the Eucharist under such circumstances. In that letter, Archbishop Luis Ladaria S.J., prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Pope had determined the document was “not ready for publication” because, among other things, the issue touches on the faith, has significance for the universal Church, and needed more collegial treatment. Therefore it “appears opportune to leave to the diocesan bishop the judgment on the existence of ‘grave and urgent necessity,’” Archbishop Ladaria wrote. In his comments on the papal plane yesterday, the Pope essentially doubled down on the role of the diocesan bishop regarding such situations while ruling out decisions made by bishops’ conferences on the issue. Asked by a German journalist why the letter seemed like an “emergency brake” on ecumenism when in early May the Pope had said the German bishops needed to come to a “unanimous” decision on the matter, Francis replied by reminding the questioner that Canon Law already provides for such situations. “What the German bishops were talking about is foreseen: communion in special cases,” he said. “And they were looking at the problem of mixed marriages, no? If it is possible or it isn’t possible. And the Code says that the bishop of the particular Church — this word is important, ‘particular,’ if it is of a diocese.” Noting that some aspects were not apparently clear as some priests did things that “weren’t in agreement with the bishop,” the Pope went on to say that the bishops therefore wished to study this theme, which they did for over a year. He then claimed that the bishops wanted to say “clearly what is in the [Code of Canon Law]” — that it applied to the local Church but did not allow Holy Communion for everyone. The problem, he went on, was that the matter “slid along,” up to the level of the bishops’ conference. He said the “Code does not foresee that,” but rather “foresees the bishop of the diocese, not the conference” taking such a decision “because a thing approved by an episcopal conference immediately becomes universal.” “This was the difficulty of the discussion: not so much the content, but this,” the Pope said, adding that after more meetings, Archbishop Ladaria sent the May 25 letter, “but with my permission.” “He didn’t do it alone! I told him: ‘Yes, it’s better to make a step ahead and say that the document isn’t yet mature and that the thing needed to be studied more.’” (The Register has learned from authoritative sources that Archbishop Ladaria was firmly against the German bishops’ proposal and was placed under significant pressure to reach a compromise). The Pope said the final document will be an “orientative” one, “so that each diocesan bishop can manage what Canon Law already permits.” “It wasn’t a brake” on ecumenism, he stressed, but about “reading the thing so that it goes along the right path.” He then recalled his visit to the Lutheran Church of Rome when he replied to a Lutheran spouse who asked if she could receive Holy Communion. “I replied according to the spirit of the Code of Canon Law,” he said. “It is the spirit that they are seeking now. Maybe it wasn’t the right information in the right moment, a little bit of confusion, but this is the thing: the particular Church, the Code permits it, the local Church [episcopal conference] cannot because it would be universal.” Instead, bishops’ conferences “can study and give orientative opinions to help the bishops to manage the particular cases,” he said. Persistent Questions A number of points are being made about the Pope’s response. Firstly, the Holy Father’s emphasis on Canon Law. Although he didn’t specifically refer to it, Francis primarily had in mind Canon 844 §4 which states that if: …the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed. Besides concern over how the Pope’s emphasis on the diocesan bishop might adversely affect Church unity, other frequently asked questions persist that have yet to be answered. These include what exactly merits a “grave necessity”? Edward Peters, a professor of canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, pointed to weaknesses in Canon 844 in comments to the Register in March, the main one being a broad interpretation of “grave necessity.” The canon, he said, has “several terminological problems” that make it an “urgent candidate for reform.” Other canonists speaking to the Register on condition of anonymity similarly see problems with the canon, with one saying it contains an “intrinsic vice.” He questioned how a non-Catholic can be “properly disposed” while persisting to remain outside the Church. The Catholic faith, he said, is not “sliceable” but has to be taken as a whole, with full acceptance of the Church’s authority, her infallible pronouncements, tenets of the faith and morals. “Respect for the Eucharist and the faith, and the need to avoid scandal and leading others into the sin of heresy, would demand a public act of retraction and Confession,” he said As Peters pointed out in his comments in March: disrespect for one sacrament “inevitably sets the stage for disrespecting all the sacraments.” This could perhaps be most clearly seen in the fact that Confession, a requirement for receiving the Eucharist worthily, was not mentioned in the rejected proposal of the German bishops. “They don’t speak about it because they’re not interested in it,” Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the CDF, told the Register last month. He said he believed some of the protagonists of intercommunion “don’t understand what the true sense of the Eucharist is, as a sacrament of the altar.” For them, he said, “it’s only a sign of belonging together, an external sign” and said that “some of our theologians say we’re all redeemed by the common will of God, salvation for everyone, and the sacraments don’t have instrumental significance. They’re only a superficial form of expressing some feelings of friendship and in the end there’s no need for them.” But he warned that if you’re “undermining the sacramental meaning of the seven fundamental rites of the Catholic Church, you’re undermining all the sacramentality of the Church, and so no there’s need for the Church” and “no difference” between a human institution and the “holy apostolic Catholic Church, instituted by Jesus Christ as the fundament of the Truth.” Lastly, assuming bishops and priests will have greater authority to interpret unilaterally whether a Protestant spouse can receive Holy Communion, will any sanctions be applied to those who habitually administer the Blessed Sacrament to Protestant spouses not in a situation of “grave necessity”? The Register has put these questions to Cardinal-elect Ladaria, Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and the Holy See Press Office and will include any answers they give below. For the German Church, the Pope’s comments will no doubt influence a meeting of the permanent council of bishops next Monday and Tuesday in Berlin. The gathering is reportedly crucial to determining how they will proceed.
So it seems that every Bishop can do what they please in interpreting what is a "grave necessity" - this is not only a brutal abuse of the Canon Law but also a monstrosity committed against the Body of Our Lord. I pray the Lord takes care of this mess! Pray that He steps in through the public witness of his faithful servants among the cardinals and bishops, that those who are working against the Church and precious Body and Blood of Our Lord, even if they think they are doing ´good´, that they may be humiliated for their own good and the good of the whole Church!: "That Thou wouldst deign to humiliate the enemies of the Holy Mother Church, we beseech Thee, hear us!"
Upon reading these posts, I had a horrific thought. What if this is another step in finding out which bishops are true to the faith and don't allow others to our Lord's table, will they be sent to the exile? No longer able to carry on in their priest duties. . May our Lord Jesus come soon.
I think this is just another step, (Step 2) in the roadmap put forth by Amoris Laetitia. The central issue here is the Eucharist. Many Bishops believe that everyone should take the Eucharist, no matter what the state of their soul is. For them sin is not incompatible with taking the Eucharist. I think they genuinely believe that but I also think that they are abusing the trust of God (beyond measure) and that the Church (all of us) will pay dearly. God has spoken till the present age (through his Church´s Magisterium and many saints like Padre Pio) about this absolute necessity of receiving communion in a state of grace. Many want that Magisterium to change, to adapt to what they see a more ´humane´approach in today's world. They have simply lost faith in the Teachings of the Church. But they are really up against God & his Church here - their lack of faith will not be an excuse. The devil is certainly very smart. Everything revolves around the Eucharist: the pardon of sins, marriage and the family, the priesthood, etc. So the dreadful bastard is going to the jugular! and maybe those who cooperate with him think they are doing great good, but we have the Church Tradition and the Saints that say otherwise. May the Lord humiliate the enemies of his Holy Mother Church! "Lord take care of everything", we are in your hands!
An update from former member Basto. ........... As you probably know by now, the bishop of Leiria-Fátima, the future cardinal António Marto, has just published the guidelines for opening the communion to divorced "and remarried" in his diocese (it's here). This is a catastrophe! Gradually, the whole country is falling into the "new mercy" of Pope Francis as you can see here (the red dioceses have approved it already and the yellow ones are in queue). Take care my friend!
I believe that the Church is growing closer and closer to an actual schism and it is as close to a catastrophe as the Church can get. But... Maybe I am just trying to remain hopeful but I still believe that Saint John Bosco's prophecy of the two full moons occurred this past March along with his prophecy of a Pope who is journeying back to Rome. Although I don't believe that the pope in these prophecies could be Pope Francis especially not after these statements about intercommunion. In addition, I have wondered what could have occurred in March to have made a positive change in the Church that we should experience in the near future and now I wonder if Pope Francis was presented with a formal correction in March. I am also wondering if St. Bosco's prophecy may have to do with Pope Benedict's involvement in this. I am not certain about this but I just feel that the Triumph of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart has begun and nothing else makes sense right now. I also believe that the fact that Cardinal Burke will be featured at the Conference of Catholic Families which is an alternative conference to the World Meeting of Families in Dublin this August is another sign that this triumph is beginning. Imho this alternative conference and the support that it is receiving from some of the most highly respected clergy in the Church represents an outspoken opposition to these non-orthodox positions that the Church is taking.
I have been thinking a lot about this issue the past few days. What is happening with ecumenism, inter-communion and active, persistent adulterers being given Holy Communion. is truly the destruction of the universality of the Catholic Church. At this point now Holy Communion is offered to: Unrepentant grave sinners. Any non-Catholic who has been baptized. What next? Non-Christians? Is there really anything else left? What is already being done opens the Body and Blood of Our Lord to untold desecration! The marks of the Church are being destroyed. One Holy Catholic Apostolic I think this is why in one of Sister Lucy's visions she heard that the Church will be restored. "...in time, one faith, one baptism, one Church, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic." Something can only be restored if it has been destroyed. Hence it would seem that what we are seeing now is the destruction (or attempted destruction) of the four marks of the Church. Her whole vision: ‘I felt my spirit flooded by a light-filled mystery which is God and in Him I saw and heard: the point of the flame-like lance which detaches, touches the axis of the earth and it [the earth] shakes: mountains, cities, towns and villages with their inhabitants are buried. The sea, rivers and clouds leave their bounds, they overflow, flood and drag with them into a whirlpool, houses and people in a number unable to be counted; it is the purification of the world from the sin it is immersed in. Hatred, ambition, cause destructive wars. Afterward I felt in the increased beating of my heart and in my spirit a quiet voice which said: ‘in time, one faith, one baptism, one Church, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic. Heaven in eternity!’ This word, ‘Heaven,’ filled my heart with peace and happiness, so much so that, almost without realizing it, I continued to repeat for some time: Heaven, Heaven!’
What is being done is a smoke and mirrors game. The code of canon law does not permit Protestant spouses to receive Holy Communion. It is not and was never intended for that purpose. They are trying to use a legal loophole that truly doesn't even fit. The canon was intended for the Eastern Churches who believe the same thing as Catholics in regards to the Eucharist and only when there is some grave need such as being on one's death bed or in times of war, natural disaster, etc. If Protestants feel so strongly they need the Eucharist then they can have it. Just convert. An excellent brief overview: https://onepeterfive.com/cdl-brandm...concerning-the-german-intercommunion-handout/
https://onepeterfive.com/cdl-brandm...concerning-the-german-intercommunion-handout/ Cdl. Brandmüller Sets Record Straight Concerning the German Intercommunion Handout Maike HicksonJune 23, 2018 0 Comments In light of the 21 June remarks by Pope Francis concerning the German intercommunion handout allowing some Protestant spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion, Cardinal Brandmüller reminds Catholics now of the fundamental principles involved in this matter. He reminds us that there are only few cases of dire emergency where Christians of the Eastern Orthodox Church may receive Holy Communion. He also says: “Only the truth makes us free.” On 21 June, Pope Francis gave yet another in-flight interview to some journalists on his flight back from Geneva to Rome. In this new interview, he came out suddenly defending the controversial German intercommunion handout, calling it “well done” and “well thought out, with an ecclesial [sic] spirit.” He now also claims that the German intercommunion handout is in accord with to the 1983 Code of Canon Law (CIC), saying: “what the [German] bishops wanted was to say clearly what is in the Code.” The Pope adds that what was wrong with the German handout is that it was done by the German bishops’ conference itself, further stating that in the CIC it is not foreseen that the bishops’ conference rules over such matters. Francis states: “The thing slipped there, that is, saying that it is for the German Episcopal Conference. And there’s a problem there, because the Code doesn’t provide for that. It provides for the diocesan bishop, but not for the episcopal conference.” [emphasis added] It was “not so much the content” that was the problem, the pontiff states. He now seems to announce that the German handout will be maturely published after all: “I believe that this [German handout] will be a guiding document,” thereby implying that it will soon come out, and more or less as it is. The goal is “that each of the diocesan bishops can handle what is already permitted under Canon Law.” As we shall see, Cardinal Walter Brandmüller sets the record straight with regard to several statements made by the Pope, even though he does not mention him by name in his commentary. In Brandmüller’s statement, which is entitled “Holy Communion for Non-Catholics Spouses in Mixed Marriages?” and which has been published today by the Austrian Catholic news website Kath.net, he clarifies three important points: The Code of Canon Law 844§4 CIC foresees that a non-Catholic Christian may receive Holy Communion in “danger of death” or in a similar “situation of danger” under the condition that he “freely requests the Holy Eucharist,” “shares the Catholic belief in the Holy Eucharist” and that he “cannot reach his own minister” and that “he is in the state of grace.” As Brandmüller reminds us, this “situation of danger” has to be assessed “according to the judgment of the local bishop or the bishops’ conference [sic].” The Catholic Church had here in mind “Orthodox and ancient Near Eastern Christians, who anyway already share the Catholic Eucharistic belief” and who live often in situations of a diaspora where they seldom even meet one of their own priests. This Canon cannot be applied to Protestant spouses of Catholics in situations of daily life: “It is evident that the preconditions for the application of can. 844§4 are not at all given for the specific case of non-Catholic spouses of Catholics.” Cardinal Brandmüller then returns to the fact that the canon applies to “extreme situations” (such as war, persecution, natural disasters) and that either the local bishop or the bishops’ conference may make a judgment about the nature of these situations. He then adds that such an “emergency situation” “does not apply in the case of the German intercommunion handout and its claim to admit non-Catholic spouses of Catholics to Holy Communion with some reference to their spiritual distress.” Moreover, the German cardinal also raises the question as to why those non-Catholic spouses do not simply ask to be properly admitted to the Catholic Church. “One is either fully Catholic or not at all; an “à la carte” [Catholicism] is not possible.” In the eyes of Cardinal Brandmüller, however, there are many Christians for whom “the question of truth does not play any role, or, if so, then merely a secondary role.” “The mere glue of a pragmatism that has forgotten truth cannot restore the broken unity in the Faith. Only the truth makes us free,” he concludes [emphasis added]. With his polite comments, Cardinal Brandmüller thus corrects the Pope’s claim that, according to Canon Law, the bishops’ conference is not to be involved in this matter of Holy Communion for non-Catholics. He also corrects the papal claim that the German handout is in accordance with Canon Law. And, finally, he makes it once more clear that a habitual reception of Holy Communion by a non-Catholic is not at all foreseen or permitted by this particular Church law. Importantly, even the German bishops’ website Katholisch.de today raises the question of the accuracy and consistency of the recent papal words concerning the German intercommunion handout. Roland Juchem – the very journalist who had asked the Pope, during the flight back from Geneva, about the German intercommunion question – indulgently comments on this papal interview, pointing out that such spontaneous comments of the Pope are not as well prepared as his official statements. Afterwards, Juchem points out some mistakes made by the Pope, for example that the Pope said confusingly “Because something approved in an episcopal conference immediately becomes universal [Italian: universale].” Juchem comments: “Implicitly, this means that it is ‘relevant for the Universal Church’. Because one decision by a larger bishops’ conference has another effect on the Universal Church, more than the one made by a single bishop.” The “second difficulty” caused by Pope Francis is in Juchem’s eyes that the Pope claimed that a bishops’ conference could not, according to Canon Law, make such a judgment as to what those “emergency situations” are. “The case is clear,” however, Juchem concludes: “a bishops’ conference, according to Canon Law, can also regulate such questions.” As we reported earlier, the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost recently gave an overview over how many national bishops’ conferences have already issued such specific pastoral guidelines with regard to the nature of those “emergency situations.” There are twenty-one of them. As Die Tagespost then made clear: none of these guidelines have given permission for Protestant spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion. When considering this question of Holy Communion for non-Catholics, it might be worth considering the ethos and doctrine of Tradition in this matter. Rome Correspondent Edward Pentin has just published on his twitter account a comparison between the 1917 Code of Canon Law and the 1983 new Code of Canon Law (can 844). The 1917 Code of Canon Law (574) stated clearly that “It is forbidden to minister the Sacraments of the Church to heretics and to schismatics, even though they are in good faith and ask for them, unless they have first renounced their errors and have been reconciled to the Church.” (We remind our readers here that Bishop Athanasius Schneider, in a recent OnePeterFive interview, criticized canon 844 when speaking about the “problematic and contradictory principle of canon 844 of the Code of the Canon Law.”) In view of Pope Francis’ own new claims about the German intercommunion handout, one justly wonders what, then, all these recent CDF letters and Rome meetings were about? The German bishops will meet, on Monday and Tuesday next week, for their regular gathering. We shall then hear what they themselves have to say about the future and nature of their own purportedly pastoral intercommunion handout. So, in light of all these confusing messages coming to us from the Pope, we will now have to wait for another clarification from the Vatican as to what the Pope really meant to say and what Canon Law – in the view of Tradition – really has to say.
This is such an important distinction!!! This has NEVER been about intercommunion with Protestants! (And not to put too fine a point on it, since the Orthodox allow barrier contraception (morally sinful) and divorce and remarriage up to THREE times (mortally sinful), it probably shouldn’t apply to them any longer either!)
I think that this proposal for Eucharistic Intercommunion will be taken up again with the Synod on Synodality; we should be on the lookout for any liturgical innovations by some dioceses from this point on.
The reason why this is all this is happening is that most Catholics, including many,many priests Bishops and Cardinals (and I include Our Present Holy Father the Pope) do not believe that the Eucharist is the actual Body of Christ. If they did they would not be doing as and saying as they are. This is not a new thing. When a person is in the process of loosing the Faith the first thing to take a nose dive is belief in the Real Presence and the Mass. It's just that its happening in such a massive scale. I just wish that since they are no longer Catholic they'd hurry on out of the building and shut the door after themselves. They're letting a draught in. By their Fruits you shall know them.
Pope Francis: Listen to the melody of God in your lives Pope Francis welcomes a group of young Lutherans on an ecumenical pilgrimage from Germany to Rome. By Christopher Wells A group of some five hundred young Lutheran pilgrims from Germany greeted Pope Francis with song as he welcomed them to the Vatican on Monday morning. ‘Singing unites’ The Holy Father took up the musical theme in his remarks to the pilgrims, saying, “Singing unites,” and explaining that “In the choir, no one is alone: it is important to listen to others.” Pope Francis said he desired “this willingness to listen for the Church,” which is “learning it anew in the synodal process.” He encouraged the pilgrims to also listen for “the melody of God” in their own lives, calling on them to open not only their ears, but also their hearts. “Whoever sings with an open heart,” he said, “already touches the mystery of God, perhaps without even realizing it.” This mystery, he said, “is love, the love that in Jesus Christ finds its splendid, full, and unique sound.” And this, he said, “is also how ecumenism takes place,” not only in Germany, but throughout the world. Choir of the ecumenical pilgrimage "With Luther to the Pope" ‘With Luther to the Pope’ The 2021 Ecumenical Pilgrimage has as its motto “With Luther to Rome,” and is intended to help pilgrims get to know Rome and their faith from a new perspective. It is focused on the elements that unite Christians, the obstacles that have already been overcome in the journey to unity, and the challenges that must still be faced. It is the second time the group has come to Rome, with the group meeting previously with Pope Francis in 2016. On that occasion, the Holy Father invited the pilgrims to be “witnesses of mercy,” and to continue to get to know one another better, to pray and help one another, and to assist those in need. In this way, he said, “free from prejudice and trusting only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaiming peace and reconciliation, you will be the true protagonists of a new season of this journey which, with God’s help, will lead to full communion.” The 2021 pilgrimage, which is taking place from October 23-30, is supported by major Christian communities in the region of Saxony Anhalt, including the Diocese of Magdeburg, the Evangelical Church of Anhalt, and the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/...isten-to-the-melody-of-god-in-your-lives.html
