Receiving the Eucharist in Non-Roman Rite Churches

Please note that all email submitted to Catholic Exchange or its authors (regarding articles published at CE) become the property of Catholic Exchange and may be published in this space. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity. Names and cities of letter writers may also be published. Email addresses of viewers will not normally be published.

Dear Catholic Exchange:

Your recent feature on St. Pius X Society was off the mark. Provided is a letter from Rome on the subject. As the letter indicates, the Catholics United for the Faith writer who responded to your viewer was incorrect in his assessment of the SSPX. In fact, Cardinal Hoyos granted the SSPX bishops, faithful and priests the use of one of the major basilicas in Rome during the Jubilee year. A Catholic is free to receive communion in an SSPX chapel, and even donate money. These actions would not be available to a Catholic when it comes to Orthodox Churches unless there were extenuating circumstances (e.g., they lived in an area where there were no Catholic Church’s for hundreds of miles). I am not an apologist for the SSPX, nor am I a member of their chapel here in Pittsburgh, but I do believe you owe your readers a correct explanation of the issue with the most current information available.

Thanks,

Brian Barcaro

Sacraments in Eastern Rite and Byzantine Churches

Dear CE:

I read with interest the question and answer regarding Catholics receiving the Eucharist at a Pius X Mass. I was wondering if there is any problem with a Roman (Latin) rite Catholic receiving sacraments from an Eastern rite Catholic Church (like the Byzantine Church) that is in communion with the Bishop of Rome. Can a Latin rite Catholic become an Eastern rite Catholic without canonical problems?

Thanks,

Jim Lavin

Dear Jim:

Mark Shea

Senior Content Editor

Catholic Exchange

The Authenticity of Written Prayer

Dear CE:

I enjoyed the article you posted titled, Parrot Prayer. Mark, here’s a thought you might use sometime, which pertains to the wisdom of using written prayers in private devotions. Praying written prayers can be compared to buying a greeting card of any kind—let’s say a sympathy card for a friend who is grieving over a death. No one considers such gestures worthless or inauthentic because we use someone else’s words to express ourselves.

Thanks,

Charles Williams

Right you are, Charles.

Mark Shea

Senior Content Editor

Catholic Exchange

Kudos to Amy Welborn for Her Recent Review

Dear CE:

Amy Welborn’s review of the Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Catholicism was wonderful. Her style is witty, informative and to the point. I hate to admit, I bought the book already. I wish I had read this article first! Please include more of Amy’s helpful and entertaining insights on your site.

God Bless,

Genni Ottomanelli

Thank you for your feedback, Genni. There’s lots of Amy’s work to choose from in the Catholic Exchange archives.

Tom Allen

Editor, CE