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Timisoara , May. 27, 2008 (CWNews.com) - A Romanian Orthodox bishop has shared Communion with Catholics, causing a sensation in a country where Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox have a history of tense relations.

At the consecration of the Queen of Peace parish church in Timisoara on May 25, Orthodox Metropolitan Nicolae Corneanu of Banat asked to share Communion. The Orthodox metropolitan approached the altar and received the Eucharist from his own hand.

Romanian Catholic Bishop Alexandru Mesian of Lugoj was the celebrant of the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine Catholic church; Archbishop Francisco-Javier Lozano, the apostolic nuncio to Romania, was also present.

Although Orthodox and Catholic bishops often join in ecumenical services, and occasionally participate in each other's liturgical ceremonies, they do not share Communion-- an indication of the breach in ecclesial communion between the Orthodox churches and the Holy See. In Romania, tensions between the Orthodox Church and the Eastern-rite Romanian Catholic Church have been pronounced, adding to the surprise created by Metropolitan Corneanu's action.

With some Orthodox believers outraged by the metropolitan's sharing Communion with Catholic bishops, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Romania issued a statement saying that at the next meeting of the Orthodox synod, in July, Metropolitan Corneanu "may be asked to give an appropriate explanation" for his action.

The statement from the Orthodox patriarchate went on to say that ecumenical relations with the Catholic Church, "already quite fragile, cannot be helped, but are rather complicated," by sharing in Communion.

Metropolitan Corneanu-- who was one of the first Orthodox bishops to admit that he had cooperated with the secret police under the Communist regime-- has a record of friendship with Romanian Catholics. He was among the few Orthodox leaders prepared to return church properties that had been seized by the Communist government from Catholic ownership in 1948 and handed over to Orthodox control.

Here's the picture that goes with that story:

[Linked Image]

Thanks.

Perhaps he is a fan of Fr. Afanasieff's Eucharistic Ecclesiology. It would be interesting to hear from him about why he did what he did.

The Metropolitan should properly have been vested, at the least, in Epitrachelion, Epimanika, and Small Omophorion. But I'm sure he was welcome.

Fr. Serge

More photos of this consecration can be found on the parish's website:

http://www.reginapacis.ro/

And on the website of the Greek Catholic Church in Romania:

http://www.bru.ro/lugoj/foto-sfintirea-bisericii-maria-regina-pacii-timisoara/

well... Aren't Orthodox allowed to recieve communion in Catholic churches? Either way, if he was not vested, he should have recieved communion by at least waiting in line.

That is a tricky question!

Clear guidelines are set forth by the Catholic Church and they are allowed to recieve. But it is a bilateral matter...

It is rather like Protestant congregations that have open communion - wouldn't bother them one way or another if Catholics or Orthodox went up to recieve - they would be glad to give. It isn't a question of us refusing, it is a question of whether they can remain in good standing with their own churches if they accept.

This isn't to say there are no instances where permission has been given...

Just a thought, but he may not have been properly vested because he had not planned to receive Holy Communion.

But then, the Holy Spirit moved...

God bless him and grant him many years!

Gordo

What are the opinions as to what disciplinary actions should be taken against former Metropolitan Nicolae, if any?

Just curious.

Alexandr

Well, in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we are all taught, if we receive communion in another church then we have cut ourselves off from the Orthodox faith and are thus no longer members of the Orthodox Church.

Halia, you are right. Although the Metropolitan may not have violated RC canon law, he certainly is subject to and in violation Orthodox canon law. He should be defrocked and excommunicated formally, although he has excommunicated himself. Perhaps, as the Anglicans like to say, he should "swim the Tiber." His involvement with the Romanian Secret Police also adds to his problems.

I am not commenting upon the Metropolitan's actions, but would simply like to point out that the Holy Canons forbid that a Clergyman should be both defrocked and excommunicated for the same offense.

Fr David Straut

"Down here" we frequently have Ukrainian Orthodox attend our UGCC parishes and missions and approach for Communion because of the distance involved in access to their own clergy. Most of them seem uninterested in attending the all-English OCA or Antiochian parishes in the area; quite simply they feel more at home in our UGCC communities. This is especially prevalent amongst the newer immigrants, primarily those from UOC-KP or UAOC backgrounds.

A few will sometimes attend the Serbian churches; but for baptisms, major feasts, etc. if they cannot travel to their own clergy they almost always come to our UGCC communities.

Alexei II would also seem to have a similar problem.