www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Orthodox Prelate Rebuked for Receiving Catholic Communion

Here is an update regarding the Romanian hierarch who received communion in a Catholic Church.

One step forward. One step back. Not much progress for 1000 years of effort.

CDL

Carson, why worry about this prelate? He is an Orthodox bishop and he knows the canons. He excommunicated himself. Unless he is defrocked, he will given scandal. As Orthodox myself, I would hope he is at the very least removed from office. He broke the rules.

Sigh.It does seem that way,Carson. At first I thought the angels were probably smiling at that historic moment, but then it dawned on me that he probably unnecessarily disobeyed his Church's canons (meaning he wasn't on his deathbed in a Catholic hospital), and disobedience is what got us all here in the first place!

I think back to the elementary school report card.

Deportment : "plays well with others"

" must throw the bum out "

I was curious as to why Catholics make it known that we allow Orthodox to receive communion in our churches. I like that we do, and I wish it were accepted and reciprocated, but I respect why it isn't. But my question is why offer it if it means that it would be the cause of sin or scandal for others? I mean, of course it is okay with us for Orthodox to receive in our churches as far as how close we feel to them and respect their Apostolic connection, but if they are taught not to receive from us by those in authority over them, how can we expect that it is anything but sinful for them to receive from us as they are openly disobeying authority, which is not a good thing for someone to do?
Anyway, I am not trying to sound like I know better or saying that my church is wrong for doing this. On one level I like that we offer it because it at least shows that we are serious about our respect for our Orthodox brethren. But I suppose I just do not completely understand or wonder how my objection has been considered.

If we believe in One Church, and we believe that the Orthodox Churches are part of that One Church, how can we deny members of the Orthodox Churches access to the Liturgy and Sacraments that we celebrate?

How can we say, "you belong with us, but you cannot participate"?

Until 1054 is finally resolved, this will always be a problem.

The problem is really one of fear. It is ironic; the Greek-Catholics underwent severe persecution in the twentieth century and that persecution is, sadly, associated with Eastern Orthodoxy, which never seemed to hesitate to give the Holy Mysteries to Greek-Catholics who were dragooned by the Communists into receiving the Mysteries in a context which violated the consciences of those Greek-Catholics. Anyone who might doubt this is cordially invited to watch the Soviet-made film of the so-called "L'viv Church Council" of 1946 - the faces of the poor priests forced to receive the Mysteries from the Orthodox bishops are a frightful mask of horror.

Yet when Metropolitan Nicolae shares the Holy Mysteries with us, in a context giving no hint of coercion, he is deemed worthy of being defrocked! One cannot help but ask just what the Patriarchate of Bucharest is afraid of.

Fr. Serge

Indeed!!

CDL

Please limit posts in this thread to those directly related to the topic. Other posts will be deleted without comment.

Father Serge,

Has any formal apology ever been made for this event by the Moscow Patriarchate? Any acknowledgment or even hint of remorse for participation in such an evil against another?

Your point about the irony of the chastisement of Metropolitan Nicolae is well made.

God bless,

Father Deacon Daniel

Jesus was condemned by the Pharisees for eating with sinners. That condemnation did not keep the Lord from continuing on The Way. May God bless the hierarchies of the Orthodox and Roman communions with wisdom for the future - and wisdom about the Lord's desire for His Church's unity.

-Pustinik
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"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved." �St. Serafim of Sarov

From a rigorous, faithful Catholic perspective, I think there is a serious problem with an Eastern Orthodox bishop receiving the Eucharist at a Catholic celebration of the Holy Sacrifice.

While I am aware that there are a number of specific guidelines whereby Eastern Orthodox can receive Eucharist in a Catholic context (guidelines that often cannot be met), one of them clearly must be - or should be if it somehow isn't - is that anybody openly preaching against the Catholic faith cannot be deemed fit to be receiving holy Eucharist.

It stands to reason that an Eastern Orthodox bishop has engaged in some share of open enunciation against some immutable aspects of the Catholic faith, enunciations which have not been renounced and repented of. Therefore, I think, from the Catholic perspective, any such individual should be barred.

So I will side with the Eastern Orthodox on this one.

Best,
Robster

Robster, you may side with the EOC on this issue but your rationale for doing so is obviously at variance with that of the EOC. The Catholic perspective is immaterial here since it is not an issue at least from the institutional perspective. The whole issue should be resolved by use of EOC canon law no matter what his intentions were. In a word, it is an in house issue.