Steven P. BarrettCAN WE DO WITHOUT THE ERZATZ THEOLOGY? (LINK)
June 28th 2008 05:36
Steven Barrett
During the Funeral Mass held for the late Tim Russert, many Washington, DC media personalities and politicos lined up to receive Communion. But some of them had no business taking the Eucharist for various reasons, the most important being that they were non-Catholic.
Sorry to sound exclusivist here, but Catholics take their Eucharist seriously because the very presence of Jesus Christ in both body and blood is in that consecrated bread and wine. We don't believe in saying "Wouldn't it be great to acknowledge the 'real presence' during our next Communion Sunday" and all of a sudden start believing it's the same communion as partaken by Catholics during every Mass on any day of the week. It's all in the Catholic Catechism and I don't want to get into the particular details except to say unless you're in full communion with the Catholic Church, you shouldn't be taking the Sacrament.
Well along comes Sally Quinn, long a society reporter for the Washington Post, and of all things, " ... co-moderator of On Faith, a Washington Post and Newsweek blog," according to Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. (6/25/08)
What follows is amazing when one considers Quinn's position with the Post:
In fairness to Quinn, she's an old friend of Russert and wanted to honor him during his funeral. That's understandable. But Russert was also a solid, excuse me a SOLID Catholic, and with all due respects to his old friend, I'm sure he wouldn't have cared for her flaunting the teachings and rules of the Church he loved so dearly. According to Bill Donohue, Catholic League's CEO and President;
I don't wish to sound like some triumphalistic boor here, but when it comes to defending my faith and supporting others who do likewise, I'll be up front and say plainly that I'd rather belong to a faith that was hated for doing what was right by God's wishes than man's any moment of the day or night.
During the Funeral Mass held for the late Tim Russert, many Washington, DC media personalities and politicos lined up to receive Communion. But some of them had no business taking the Eucharist for various reasons, the most important being that they were non-Catholic.
Sorry to sound exclusivist here, but Catholics take their Eucharist seriously because the very presence of Jesus Christ in both body and blood is in that consecrated bread and wine. We don't believe in saying "Wouldn't it be great to acknowledge the 'real presence' during our next Communion Sunday" and all of a sudden start believing it's the same communion as partaken by Catholics during every Mass on any day of the week. It's all in the Catholic Catechism and I don't want to get into the particular details except to say unless you're in full communion with the Catholic Church, you shouldn't be taking the Sacrament.
Well along comes Sally Quinn, long a society reporter for the Washington Post, and of all things, " ... co-moderator of On Faith, a Washington Post and Newsweek blog," according to Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. (6/25/08)
What follows is amazing when one considers Quinn's position with the Post:
Quinn, who was an atheist most of her life, posted on Monday why she decided to go to Communion: “Last Wednesday I was determined to take it [the Eucharist] for Tim, transubstantiation notwithstanding. I’m so glad I did. It made me feel closer to him. And it was worth it just to imagine how he would have loved it.”
Quinn also admitted the following: “I had only taken communion once in my life, at an evangelical church. It was soon after I had started ‘On Faith’ and I wanted to see what it was like. Oddly I had a slightly nauseated sensation after I took it, knowing that in some way it represented the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”
Quinn also admitted the following: “I had only taken communion once in my life, at an evangelical church. It was soon after I had started ‘On Faith’ and I wanted to see what it was like. Oddly I had a slightly nauseated sensation after I took it, knowing that in some way it represented the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”
“Just reading what Sally Quinn said is enough to give any Christian, especially Catholics, more than a ‘slightly nauseating sensation.’ In her privileged world, life is all about experiences and feelings.
“Moreover, Quinn’s statement not only reeks of narcissism, it shows a profound disrespect for Catholics and the beliefs they hold dear. If she really wanted to get close to Tim Russert, she should have found a way to do so without trampling on Catholic sensibilities. Like praying for him—that’s what Catholics do.”
“Moreover, Quinn’s statement not only reeks of narcissism, it shows a profound disrespect for Catholics and the beliefs they hold dear. If she really wanted to get close to Tim Russert, she should have found a way to do so without trampling on Catholic sensibilities. Like praying for him—that’s what Catholics do.”
I don't wish to sound like some triumphalistic boor here, but when it comes to defending my faith and supporting others who do likewise, I'll be up front and say plainly that I'd rather belong to a faith that was hated for doing what was right by God's wishes than man's any moment of the day or night.
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Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
I did stop two Jewish friends from getting up to receive Holy Communion once; they wanted to see the Easter Mass. The male, a psychiatrist, said he felt excluded, and left out, which was interesting. That was probably more to do with his innate sense of persecution than anything else I would say.
cheers
fog
P.S. We are all old enough to know it is symbolism now, and not the "miracle" it was once considered, however, it still deserves to be respected.
Comment by Anonymous
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. And I think it's remarkable that even though you disagree with the Vatican about the Eucharist, you nevertheless respect the Church's wishes regarding non-Catholics taking Communion.
That's a lot more than I can say about some evangelicals who still don't understand that one Christian faith isn't just like everyone else's. (Oddly enough, some evangelical Christians are often the most exclusive in their interpretation as to who can pass through the Pearly Gates. If you're not a so-called
"Bible Christian" -- tough luck. This, too is odd, since it was the Catholic Church that gave Christianity the fully compiled OT/NT Bible that was universally recognized by all Christians for nearly 1,200 years after its compilation until the Reformation.
What brought me back to Catholicism was the recognization that I've always been Catholic and the mere symbolic communion of evangelical services left me empty. Empty! After all, it was Flannery O'Connor who said "If it's just a symbol, to hell with it." While that no doubt sounds awfully flippant to many evangelicals, once you've come to believe in the Miracle, as I do, and millions of other Catholics, O'Connor's witticism (however snappish) does carry some heft. Why settle for less than the real?
Nonetheless, I appreciate your taking the time to read my post and return with a thoughtful comment. Thanks, Steven
Comment by S.L.
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