by whereami 26 Replies latest jw friends
PS When I was deathly ill, I clung to life in a NY Cathedral. It was very common for a bridal family to call the cathedral on a Thursday and announce they would marry at the high altar with family flying in from diverse parts on Saturday. Many people like the venue and traditoin. The altar and side chapels are already booked.
I've heard marrying in an English speaking church in Paris takes years of waiting.
Why didn't the [grand] mother talk to the priest before the last moment - she says she was preparing for this for months.
I agree, James!
Why did they let him go through prep if he wasn't eligible?
That is a good question, Rebel. If he was in a religous education class for First Communion, the instructor should have said something much, much sooner. What we don't know is whether the preparation class was taught by the priest (usually not, there are not enough priests to do so), a lay instructor (often the case case), or if he was not in a class and the grandmother taught him on her own (unusual, but the news report hints that may be what happened):
Irma Castro said that she had been helping to prepare Kevin for months for his communion
Unfortunately, in a local TV news report details take a back seat to time constraints. It does not state whether the boy was in the parish's preparation class, or if he was being "home schooled".
Father Henning said he offered Castro an alternative to the first communion. He offered them the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. 'That is the anointing they give you before death. That was very offensive,' Castro said.
Hers is a common misinterpretation; though often referred to as "last rites", this is the sacrament of healing:
"The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick:
This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord."
A communion is not really a big deal it is not a commitment other than saying you wish to join a faith community.
In the Roman Catholic church, Communion is a big deal and taken very seriously. It is not merely stating you wish to join. The Eucharist is not considered to be merely symbolic; it is not just emblematic bread and wine.
"The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: 'The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.' "
I was anointed with holy oil frequently during my illness. First, I'd travel around and do the Episcopal service and then lie and do the Catholic circuit.
I did not pay attention to this detail which is a big difference. Episcopa; priests make the sign of the cross when very young children are brought up during communion. So maybe the priest isn't the devil.
Details count.
GL Tirebiter:
A communion is not really a big deal it is not a commitment other than saying you wish to join a faith community.
In the Roman Catholic church, Communion is a big deal and taken very seriously.
I've noticed this too - particularly a child's First Communion. Little girls get to dress up like little brides, and little boys get to dress up in a little white suit. And around here, there are parties held for a child's First Communion. It is a big deal.
If the boy was incapable of understanding. Whose desire to have the boy confirmed was it ?
Yeah but a communion is still only a church tradition. It is not a biblical thing to do, and the catholics are the only ones that do this ceremony. And technically you are not really part of the church "in total" UNTIL you have your confirmation when you are like 13. But even then, no one will be kicked out of the catholic church for just disagreeing with the priest or deciding not to attend anymore. I know from personal experience because at 13 I quit the church and had no repercussions at all. I am still allowed in any catholic church and can associate with catholics. So there is a big difference between the jw's and the catholics.
But I guess the priest decided not to do this ceremony because he thought the boy could not understand it. I do find it odd though that he wanted to perform a prayer ceremony for the sick (and dying), I would have found this inappropriate too just like the kids family.
I can almost hear Jesus making a parablel of this situation. The Church serves a cultural function. People have different sorts of worship styles. The grandmother must take First Communion not as a canon law, doctrinal thing but as an affirmation that her grandson is a full Roman Catholic. I heard of a preist refusing to marry a parapalegic b/c he could not function sexually. Since Constantinte, the church universal gets caught up in rules and definitions. The priest may be legally correct, as Pharisees were, but Jesus set a different standard.
Probably no one met harm. Maybe the gm did not realize the church training was necessary. 98% of my public school was Catholic. I still remember how frantic they were to memorize their catechism class. I was so jealous that I could be a girl bride. Christ would err on the side of inclusion. Without all these rules, traditon and authority the Catholic church would not have its unique flavor. Failure to communicate.
The holy oil could mean that he is somehow lacking. He is not lacking in God's sight. Isn't oil used for things besides illness and extreme unction? When I've seen it used, only sick people or those with sick family and friends come forward.
