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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Only the baptized should receive communion - that's what Anglicans believe!

With reference to my post below about open table fellowship I am very grateful to Bishop George Connor of Dunedin, NZ for alerting me to this resolution of the International Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (IASCER):

"This is the IASCER resolution of 2007 Resolution 04.07 Admission of the Non-baptised to Holy Communion:

IASCER
1. affirms that Christian initiation leads us from incorporation into the Body of Christ through Baptism to full participation in the life of grace within the Church through Holy Communion

2. notes again with grave concern instances in some parts of the Anglican Communion of inviting non-baptised persons, including members of non-Christian religious traditions, to receive Holy Communion

3. reminds all Anglicans that this practice is contrary to Catholic order as reflected in principles of canon law common to all the Churches of the Anglican Communion

4. believes that the invitation to Holy Communion of non-baptised persons undermines ecumenical agreements on Baptism and the Eucharist, current policies of offering eucharistic hospitality to “Christians duly baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity and qualified to receive Holy Communion in their own Churches”[3], and eucharistic sharing agreements between churches

5. believes that the communion of the non-baptised undermines the very goal and direction of the ecumenical movement, namely the reconciliation of all things in Christ of which the Eucharistic Communion of the baptised is sign, instrument and foretaste."

Incidentally IASCER has been transformed into The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) and one of our bishops, Victoria Matthews of Christchurch, NZ, has been appointed to it.

1 comment:

  1. It's a no-brainer, really - to take communion is an expression of faith in Christ's body and blood given for us; and if somebody sincerely has that faith, then he or she ought to be baptized first.
    I wonder how much trouble has been caused by sentimental mush, like the English eutharistic "prayer" that has the line: "You share your bread with sinners." Making the Lord's Supper into a celebration of "Gemeinschaft" is so '70's!
    anon1

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