COMMUNION WITH ROME? JUST (STILL) SAY "NO!"

Very recently Pope Francis (Frank the Hippie Pope) has been at it again, seemingly questioning the possibility of (certain) Lutherans being permitted to partake of the Eucharist with Roman Catholics. Given that this idea is severe error, I wanted to address the seriousness of this error.

"BUT MY SPOUSE IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC, AND I'M A LUTHERAN......"

Recently the Hippie Pope visited a Lutheran church in Rome and was asked questions after his visit. A distraught Lutheran woman asked him if it is possible for her, a Lutheran, to partake of Holy Communion with her husband, who is a Roman Catholic. Francis correctly said it was not his authority to permit it, but nonetheless seemed to open the door to the possibility, quoting friends who had said "we both believe in the Real Presence," and saying that it could help sustain us on the way.

Now, I do not wish to make light of this Lutheran woman's sadness and concern. For almost a year I had felt the pain of not being able to partake of the Holy Supper with my wife. I am thankful and give praise to God that she embraced the Lutheran faith and now she, with my whole family, partakes with me together.

But the thing to do, instead of making light of our serious differences with the Roman Catholics--and other heterodox bodies within Christianity--is to set an example for the articles of the Gospel by continuing to commune only with those Lutherans that we are in fellowship with.

In fact, the Pope's words have caused great alarm within the borders of his own Vatican City. Many Roman Catholics are concerned that this could change the very meaning of the Eucharist. So, not only is Rome concerned, but as a Lutheran I am concerned as well that my fellow Lutherans do not succumb to this temptation to partake with Roman Catholics.

IS BELIEVING IN THE REAL PRESENCE ENOUGH?

There is a common error that is currently present in many churches within the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod when it comes to our understanding of Holy Communion. Some well-meaning pastors have taken their understanding of pastoral discretion on the Eucharist, but have run with it, even though the very nature of pastoral discretion should be rare exceptions. A recent survey showed that close to 50% of our parishes allow anyone who believes in the Real Presence to partake with us. Not only is this a problem because it goes against the Missouri Synod's official position on the Supper, but these folks also are going against their own denomination.

For example, Rome officially does not allow its parishioners to partake anywhere other than a Catholic parish--although they allow them to partake at an Orthodox church if there is not a Catholic church nearby. However, I do not know of *any* situations where an Orthodox bishop has allowed a Catholic to commune at an Orthodox church. And likewise, although Rome offers the Orthodox Eucharistic hospitality, the Orthodox church does not permit its faithful to partake anywhere else other than an Orthodox church.

So, all around, even when Eucharistic hospitality is offered, *all* those churches that practice closed Communion--Lutherans, Catholics, and Orthodox--end up being only permitted or accepted to partake of Holy Communion at their own churches.

But why is this so?

WHY LUTHERANS CAN ONLY PARTAKE WITH LUTHERANS

On the surface, the idea of inter-communion sounds nice and loving. After all, being excluded from Communion makes someone feel like they are "out" or not part of the "group." Closed Communion sounds so unloving, right?

But I dare say that those churches who allow inter-communion, or the folks that desire it, do not understand the meaning of Holy Communion.

You see, Holy Communion is much more than simply the Real Presence. Indeed, it is union with Christ's Body and Blood, vertically speaking--***but it is also union with the Church, the Body of Christ.***

***This includes unity in doctrine.***

In other words, for a Lutheran to commune at a Catholic church would be to say that we accept that the Pope is the vicar of Christ; to say that justification is a process; to say we accept purgatory; to say we accept the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary; to say we believe the Mass is a sacrifice we offer to God for the sins of the living and the dead; and a whole host of other doctrines we absolutely REJECT as Lutherans.

We cannot pretend that these doctrines do not matter.

It is for this reason that our Confessions have made clear that we do not have fellowship with Rome. Solid Declaration Rule and Norm 7 clearly states:

" . . . we have abandoned the papistical errors and idolatries, and can have no fellowship [communion] with them, and also . . . we know, and can think of, no way for coming to any agreement with the Pope concerning them."

 Likewise, the Missouri Synod has stated several times in its Synodical documents from the CTCR that pastors should only ordinarily commune those from Lutheran churches with which we have fellowship. It has likewise stated that since the very meaning of Communion is "agreement in the Gospel and all its articles, [that] it is inappropriate to commune at non-Lutheran altars."

WHO HAS THE SUPPER AS CHRIST INSTITUTED IT?

Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as the Most Blessed Sacrament of comfort for those who partake of it. It is faith in the Words "given for you, for the forgiveness of sins" that receives the benefits of this Most Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus nowhere instituted the Sacrament to give us benefits by simply gazing at it, or applying its benefits to those who do not partake by mouth, or who have already died.

The Sacrament is not something we do for God.

The Sacrament is the Most Blessed Gift that God gives to us.

In this sense, it is vital that we partake with only those churches that have preserved the Sacrament as Christ instituted it, rather than with those that have perverted it.

Whether Rome has the Sacrament or not (there are some Lutherans who differ on this question), *all* Lutherans agree that Rome has perverted the Sacrament.

In this sense, they do not have the Sacrament with the pure institution of Christ. Christ never instituted a Sacrament that we can offer for the sins of the dead.

Christ instituted the Sacrament for those who are alive and who know they are sinners who need forgiveness. For those who have faith in His Words that this is His Body and Blood given for forgiveness.

A FINAL PLEA TO MY FELLOW LUTHERANS

I encourage my fellow Lutheran brethren to respect the care of our Missouri Synod (or WELS or the AALC) when it comes to our Eucharistic discipline. As we can see in the above, we give witness to the Gospel by doing so.

The Gospel is all that matters. And all of its articles matter.

Please don't give in to the temptation of unionism. There can be no unity without unity in the doctrines of the Gospel.

I am thankful to our Savior† for the Most Blessed Sacrament as He instituted it for us!