Unworthy of Christ: A Biblical Defense of Catholic Communion
The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion,
merely as a consequence of being present at Mass,
is an abuse that must be corrected – Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Presented by Rev. Msgr. Charles Pope and the Institute of Catholic Culture
Thursdays, June 11 and 18 @ 7:30 p.m.
St. Agnes Church Hall
1910 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22207
Thematic Description: Many today have reduced Holy Communion to a mere sign of hospitality
such that, if the Church does not extend Communion to one and all, we are considered unkind
and inhospitable. Others think of Holy Communion as an encounter with Christ but do not include
Communion with His Body, the Church. We will explore some of the deeper meanings of Holy
Communion to set aside these rather limited understandings of the Sacrament of Holy
Communion. We will also explore the admonition of Scripture, through St. Paul that we receive
Holy Communion worthily lest we sin against the Body of the Lord and bring condemnation upon
ourselves. In so doing we will strive to see that the Church’s limit of the Sacrament to Practicing
Catholics in a state of Grace is both wise and charitable.
I.
Remote Inquiry – Is the Eucharist a “sinners meal” or a Sacred meal? – Excerpts
from a Reflection by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
a. Nowadays [some] New Testament scholars… say that the Eucharist… is the
continuation of the meals with sinners that Jesus had held….a notion with farreaching consequences. It would mean that the Eucharist is the sinners’ banquet,
where Jesus sit at the table; [that] the Eucharist is the public gesture by which we
invite everyone without exception. The logic of this is expressed in a far-reaching
criticism of the Church’s Eucharist, since it implies that the Eucharist cannot be
conditional on anything, not depending on denomination or even on baptism. It is
necessarily an open table to which all may come to encounter the universal God,…
b. However tempting the idea may be, it contradicts what we find in the Bible. Jesus’
Last Supper was not one of those meals he held with "publicans and sinners". He
made it subject to the basic form of the Passover, which implies that the meal was
held in a family setting. Thus he kept it with his new family, with the Twelve; with
those whose feet he washed, whom he had prepared by his Word and by this
cleansing of absolution (John 13:10) to receive a blood relationship with him, to
become one body with him.
c. The Eucharist is not itself the sacrament of reconciliation, but in fact it presupposes
that sacrament. It is the sacrament of the reconciled, to which the Lord invites all
those who have become one with him; who certainly still remain weak sinners, but
yet have given their hand to him and have become part of his family.
d. That is why, from the beginning, the Eucharist has been preceded by a
discernment.… (I Corinthians 11:27 ff). The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,[the
Didache] is one of the oldest writings outside the New Testament, from the
beginning of the Second Century, it takes up this apostolic tradition and has the
priest, just before distributing the sacrament saying:"Whoever is holy, let him
approach, whoever is not, let him do penance.” (Didache 10)
e. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Collected Works, Vol 11, pp 273-274
II.
Root Instructions – from Scriptures and other texts
a. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone
ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink
judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a
number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to
ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are
judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally
condemned with the world. (1 Cor 11:27-32)
i. Thus St. Paul teaches that reception after examining oneself is a
prerequisite for worthy reception, If not, Holy Communion has the
opposite of the desired effect of union with our Lord, bringing
condemnation rather than blessing.
ii. So, out of respect for Christ and for our own good, the Church obliges us
to be in the state of grace when we receive. This obliges only when there
is mortal sin. Confessions of devotion, however, are highly recommended.
b. “Lord, who is it [who will betray you]?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give
this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he
gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel,
Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because
Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,”
or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of
bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. (Jn 13:21-30)
i. It is unclear and debatable if the “morsel” taken by Judas was Holy
Communion (why would Jesus have dipped it?) But still there is something
of a picture of what unworthy (sacrilegious) Communion might cause in an
extreme case.
c. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be
reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly
with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
III.
over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say
to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny (Mat 5:21-26)
CIC 915. Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition
or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave
sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.
Canon 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or to
receive the Body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless a grave
reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person
is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the
intention of confessing as soon as possible.
i. This is an exceptional permission requiring moral or physical impossibility
to go to Confession and the necessity to receive Communion - such as a
priest who MUST celebrate Mass.
Catechism 1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so
great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience:
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man
examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who
eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon
himself." Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of
Reconciliation before coming to communion.
If any one is holy, let him approach; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha.
Amen. (Didache 10)
But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, unless they have been baptized into
the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, "Give not that
which is holy to the dogs." (Didache 9)
Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision,
based on a reasoned judgment regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to
the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: "Am I in full communion
with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g.
excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I
prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?" The practice of indiscriminately
presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being
present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction "Redemptionis
Sacramentum," nos. 81, 83). (Ratzinger Memo to McCarrick, # 1)
Related Instruction –
a. What do we mean by “Communion?”
i. More than a “me and Jesus” concept
ii. To be united to Jesus is to be united to his Body, the Church
iii. It is also to be united to his mind and heart, therefore to his teachings and
the values and priorities of his heart.
iv. I believe all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and professes
to be revealed by God.
v. Catechism 1396 The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the
Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ.
Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church.
Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the
Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to
form but one body. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing
which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread
which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because
there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of
the one bread:" [St Augustine in Sermon 232 says] If you are the body and
members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of
the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. To that which you are you
respond "Amen" ("yes, it is true!") and by responding to it you assent to it.
For you hear the words, "the Body of Christ" and respond "Amen." Be then
a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true.
vi. Hence, the “denial” of Holy Communion to non-Catholics or to dissenters,
is a sign of respect since we do not ask of them an “amen” they are not
prepared, able or willing to give.
b. What is mortal sin?
i. When the will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible
with the charity that orients man toward his ultimate end, then the sin is
mortal by its very object . . . whether it contradicts the love of God, such
as blasphemy or perjury, or the love of neighbor, such as homicide or
adultery. . . . But when the sinner's will is set upon something that of its
nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and
neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like,
such sins are venial. (CCC 1856) If it is not redeemed by repentance and
God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the
eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for
ever, with no turning back. (CCC 1861)
ii. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin
is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full
knowledge and deliberate consent." (CCC 1857)
iii. Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to
the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit
adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor
your father and your mother." The gravity of sins is more or less great:
murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is
wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against
a stranger. (CCC 1858)
iv. Catechesis prior to 1950 tended to emphasize the objective.
IV.
v. By extension there are other scriptural lists of sins that can exclude one
from the Kingdom of heaven
1. 1 Cor 6:9-10 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually
immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexual offenders, nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were.
2. Gal 5:19-21 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and
envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before,
that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
3. Eph 5:3-6 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual
immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these
are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity,
foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather
thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No sexually immoral,
impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive
you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath
comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners
with them.
4. Rev. 22:12-16 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and
I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and
the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may
have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into
the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the
sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who
loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give
you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring
of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
5. Matt 25:41-46 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from
me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil
and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and
you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me,
I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also
will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for
one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go
away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Relevant Issues
a. Background
i. Infrequent Communion for most prior to 1900
ii. Attempts to restore frequent Communion
iii. The problem of overcorrection?
iv. Now most come with little confession
b. Communion for the divorced and remarried.
i. And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to
divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that
he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and
said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast
to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man
separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a
certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of
your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from
the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife,
except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery (Matt
19:3-9) Inter alia
1. Now the Lord uses the word “adultery” to describe divorcing and
marrying another.
2. This is his word. And he teaches using this word in many places.
3. The teaching was unpopular and considered irksome when the
Lord gave it. (see Matt 19:10)
ii. To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not
separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried
or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce
his wife. (1 Cor 7:10-11)
iii. Thus, one in this state or condition is in an on-going situation of what the
Lord calls adultery, and cannot present themselves for Holy Communion
unless and until the objective conditions are changed.
iv. There are options and possible solutions:
1. Investigate prior bonds for the possibility of annulment
2. Live as “brother and sister”
3. The death of a prior spouse.
v. Pastoral issues
1. Cultural disconnect causes many returning Catholics or converts to
become “irregular” prior to conversion.
2. The necessity of the Sacraments.
3. Some “prior” marriages ended decades ago and the current
marriage is both stable and seems notably to be a source for grace.
4. And yet, the Lord who knew all these possibilities chose to give little
room for lots of exceptions.
vi. Current Church Law favors the remedy of “annulment” where possible.
1. It respects the Lord’s teaching, does not set it aside.
2. But it also uses the Lord’s definition of marriage as what “God has
joined together.”
3. Hence, based on evidence the Church, exercising her prerogative
to bind and loose, can declare some marriages “null” rendering the
current marriage open to validity.
4. But there are legitimate concerns related to the number of
annulments granted and if the grounds of “lack of due discretion”
are too widely used.
c. Communion to public sinners, and notorious dissenters.
i. Some norms from Cardinal Ratzinger’s Memo “Worthiness to Receive
Communion” (2004).
1. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The
Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial
decisions or civil laws that authorize or promote abortion or
euthanasia, states that there is a "grave and clear obligation to
oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an
intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or
euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to 'take part in a
propaganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it'" (no.
73). Christians have a "grave obligation of conscience not to
cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil
legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral
standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This
cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the
freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits
it or requires it" (no. 74).
2. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and
euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the
Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the
decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered
unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the
Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to
exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals,
it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or
to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate
diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and
applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to
abortion and euthanasia.
3. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s
formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a
Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for
permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet
with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing
him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he
brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that
he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.
ii. Can. 915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the
imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering
in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.
iii. Pastoral issues:
1. The intersection of faith and politics is frequently ugly, and issues
become redefined and actions reinterpreted.
2. Is private instruction to stay back from communion enough, or is
public enforcement also required? When and how should
enforcement become public?
3. Defining what it means to “support abortion and euthanasia.”
4. Are some public figures in different categories, e.g. politicians and
judges.
5. As a prudential matter, how effectively does applying the penalty
called for accomplish the end for both the individual and the
common good?
d. A way forward
i. Church-wide instruction of all the faithful can avoid the impression that
certain people, issues or groups are being singled out.
ii. Many today for various reasons should not come forward for Communion
on a given Sunday.
iii. Encouragement to receive Communion with great regularity
notwithstanding, Communion must be worthy, lest the opposite of the
intended effects be manifest.
iv. Confession must be more readily available prior to Masses and at other
times.
v. Clear but charitable instruction must be more ardently offered in parishes
and from the bishops to all the faithful.