Archbishop Gregory says he won’t deny Biden communion. How will Catholics respond?

Discussion in 'Anglican and Christian News' started by bwallac2335, Nov 25, 2020.

  1. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    3,323
    Likes Received:
    1,626
    Country:
    UK
    Religion:
    CofE
    And "Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” Rev.22:11.

    Any spewing that goes on in the Church will be done by Christ to a church not by us to an individual.
    .
     
  2. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

    Posts:
    2,723
    Likes Received:
    2,563
    Country:
    America
    Religion:
    Anglican
    Of course, but we are commanded to never be lukewarm. We are commanded to settle and judge, to be hot or cold; to make a direct Yes or No.

    And when we don’t know if to swear by a black hair or by a white hair, we are forbidden to just swear by the head as a whole. We are commanded to judge with righteous judgment.
     
  3. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    3,323
    Likes Received:
    1,626
    Country:
    UK
    Religion:
    CofE
    Certainly to judge with true judgment not by appearances. John 7:24. We cannot know the heart of a transgressor though, only the fruit of their deeds, which admittedly most often proceeed from their heart. Luke 6:45.
    .
     
    Stalwart likes this.
  4. Empty

    Empty Member

    Posts:
    42
    Likes Received:
    27
    Have to agree it is not up to us to judge...........If one must be sinless to take communion, then none of us would be able to take it. I think we should always keep that in mind.
     
  5. peter

    peter Active Member

    Posts:
    129
    Likes Received:
    186
    Country:
    England
    Religion:
    Anglican
    This is the direction from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer on giving Communion to a person in a state of open sin.

    "If a Minister be persuaded that any person who presents himself to be a partaker of the holy Communion ought not to be admitted thereunto by reason of malicious and open contention with his neighbours, or other grave and open sin without repentance, he shall give an account of the same to the Ordinary of the place, and therein obey his order and direction, but so as not to refuse the Sacrament to any person until in accordance with such order and direction he shall have called him and advertised him that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table; Provided that in case of grave and immediate scandal to the Congregation the Minister shall not admit such person, but shall give an account of the same to the Ordinary within seven days after at the latest and therein obey the order and direction given to him by the Ordinary; Provided also that before issuing his order and direction in relation to any such person the Ordinary shall afford to him an opportunity for interview."

    That seems to me fairly similar to Cardinal Ratzinger's position and in any event seems reasonable to me. The Church, in all its guises, should bear in mind that a person who recieves unworthily eats and drinks damnation on themselves and that it could be charitable in some cases to deny Communion to someone in a clear state of unrepentant sin. How this is applied is for the judgment of the individual minister or bishop.
     
    Empty likes this.
  6. Empty

    Empty Member

    Posts:
    42
    Likes Received:
    27
    Wise summary of the situation, but the modern American church ignores this position completely as far as I can see. They do not call out criminals, adulterers, bigots, etc so why would they call out this one?
     
    Stalwart likes this.
  7. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

    Posts:
    2,723
    Likes Received:
    2,563
    Country:
    America
    Religion:
    Anglican
    Agreed, we should once again call out the criminals, adulterers, etc. In fact the Sacrament should return to being received infrequently and without pressure, only by some, and only in the best spiritual context. Today it is received without a second thought, and by literally everyone be they never in so much struggle against the faith. It is now far more a social activity (what will the others think?), which is 100% secularization of Christianity’s holiest mystery. “What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly.”
     
    Shane R likes this.