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NanaR
Member
| Joined: | Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Kentucky USA |
| Posts: | 165 |
| First Name: | Ruth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born JW, born-again Catholic (Tiber Swim Team 2008) |
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Posted: Mon Jun 9th, 2008 04:26 pm |
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Hey folks:
I was just told by a cradle Catholic friend that, in an emergency, a Catholic may receive Holy Communion in a Lutheran Church. He said that some validly ordained Bishops joined Luther and that, therefore, some parts of the Lutheran Church might actually have a valid Eucharist.
Is this correct? What evidence exists one way or the other?
I'm confused!
Ruth
____________________
When you bend down to help someone up, that is the best exercise for your heart. -- Fr. Noe, 2007
http://nanaruthann.blogspot.com
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5350 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Jun 10th, 2008 12:58 am |
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NanaR wrote: I was just told by a cradle Catholic friend that, in an emergency, a Catholic may receive Holy Communion in a Lutheran Church.
No. From a Catholic standpoint the Lutheran church does not have a valid sacrament or valid orders. Priests and bishops who joined the Lutheran, Anglican, and other churches were excommunicated so even if they could confect a valid sacrament (they couldn't as their faculties were removed), they could not validly ordain successors so apostolic succession died with them.
It is a remote possibility that if a current Catholic priest becomes a Lutheran or Anglican minister, the sacrament may be valid but not licit. A Catholic who knowingly receives the sacrament from such a schismatic priest commits a serious sin. However, a Catholic priest who has been laicized or excommunicated may grant absolution to a person in immediate danger of death. Under no circumstances may they celebrate mass or consecrate the Eucharist unless they are officially, currently recognized as Catholic priests under the jurisdiction of a valid bishop.
Canon 844 specifies from whom a Catholic is to receive the sacraments:
Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, §2.
§2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.
§3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.
§4. 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.
§5. For the cases mentioned in §§2, 3, and 4, 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.
Churches in which these sacraments are valid include the Orthodox and Oriental Churches recognized by the Vatican, and the Polish National Catholic Church. Anglican and Lutheran churches are not on the list.
For the record, permission to grant absolution is automatically granted to all priests if the penitent is in danger of death, by Canon 976:
Can. 976 Even though a priest lacks the faculty to hear confessions, he absolves validly and licitly any penitents whatsoever in danger of death from any censures and sins, even if an approved priest is present.
But that permission applies only to the sacrament of Penance, not Eucharist.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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