www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Assyrian Church of the East centered in Chicago

From my reading, I have determined that this Church is apparently not in communion with the RCC (although members may apparently take communion in Chaldean Catholic Churches), the Oriental Orthodox, or the Eastern Orthodox and is clearly Nestorian. if so, how can a Chaldean Catholic take communion there? If one can, by extension a RCC should be able to do so too!

I found the following in an article on the Church in Wikkipedia. After reading the following, what do our resident experts (StuartK) say on the issue. Can a RCC or a member of the Assyrian Church go into each other's Church and get communion? I know it would not happen in an EOC parish.


"The hierarchies of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church subsequently promulgated a joint synodal decree implementing the present Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East on 20 July 2001. These guidelines permit liberal sharing in sacraments of communion (qurbana), reconciliation, and anointing of the sick for the diaspora of the respective churches.

This document includes following provisions: (1) Assyrian faithful are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in a Chaldean celebration of the Holy Eucharist (2) Chaldean faithful are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in an Assyrian celebration of the Holy Eucharist, even if celebrated using the Anaphora of Addai and Mari in its form without the Words of Institution. (3) Assyrian ministers are invited (but not obliged) to insert the Words of Institution in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari when Chaldean faithfuls are present to the liturgy.

The provisions above are intended exclusively to pastoral necessity, i.e. when it is not possible for a Assyrian or Chaldean faithful to attend their own Church. This document does not express a relationship of Full Communion, even if it marks the mutual recognition of the validity of the apostolic succession of the other Church, as well as its priesthood and sacraments, a recognition by the way never contested. It also has been possible because the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, even without the Words of Institution, has been officially declared valid by the Holy See with the very same document.

From a canonical point of view this document hasn't brought breaking news: actually canon 671 of the 1991 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches of the Catholic Church already stated that "If necessity requires it or genuine spiritual advantage suggests it and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is permitted for Catholic Christian faithful, for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers, in whose Churches these sacraments are valid. 3. Likewise Catholic ministers licitly administer the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick to Christian faithful of Eastern Churches, who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask for them on their own and are properly disposed" (see also canons 843 and 844 of the Latin rite Catholic Code of Canon Law). It shall also be noted that the Assyrian Church of the East follows an Open Communion approach allowing any baptized Christian to receive its Eucharist.[31]

From an ecumenical point of view this document wanted to mark a further step in the relation between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, possibly beginning a pastoral collaboration. Anyway in the following years the dialog between the two Churches slowed down and was suspended in 2005 and not yet resumed."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East

John,

The Assyrian Church of the East (and its break-away counterpart, the Ancient Church of the East) reject the application to themselves of the term 'Nestorian'. As you deduced, the Church is not in full communion with any of the Catholic or Orthodox Churches - Eastern, Oriental, or Western.

This is the short answer to your query. Continuing dialogue between the Catholic and Assyrian Churches concluded in a determination that the circumstances which caused the break between the Assyrians and the other Apostolic Churches resulted from differences in language and understanding among the parties at the time.

Additionally, studies by liturgical and theological scholars have resulted in a conclusion that the Anaphora of Blessed Addai and Mari, despite lacking explicit Words of Institution, validly effects the Consecration of the Holy Eucharist.

The agreements for reception of the Mysteries by Chaldean Catholics in temples of the Assyrian Church and vice versa were established as a matter of pastoral concern for each others' faithful, particularly given the upheaveal in their native lands, but are extended worldwide. Can other Catholics avail themselves of the Mystery of the Eucharist in an Assyrian Church? Technically, it's not the intent of the provisions; practically, yes, particularly as the Assyrians are noted to generally be accepting of communing those of other Apostolic Churches.

Many years,

Neil

No, it's not. Even Nestorius was not a Nestorian.

Stuart, I was just using a label that they are proud of using. Most scholars now say that all Nestorius was guilty of was bad use of Greek (their words, not mine). I checked with some Greek priests (highly placed in the diocese of Western PA) and they say Nestorians are heretical despite the position of scholars.

Neil, thanks for the information which i am going to pass on.

John,

Responded to your PM to clarify a bit.

Many years,

Neil

NEIL:

Christ is in our midst!!

If I'm not mistaken, we've been over this situation on other threads. I seem to remember a statement by the Catholic bishops of the United States some years ago wherein they stated that the pastoral provisions envisioned by this sort of permission do not apply in this country for Catholics since there are more than enough Catholic parishes for Catholics to avail themselves of. That being said, the reverse is open to those who find themselves in pastoral need and are far from parishes of their own. I don't think a Catholic--esp RCC--could justify receiving the Mysteries at an Assyrian or Church of the East parish.

Bob

The whole idea of the provision was to ensure Chaldeans and Assyrians maintain their own tradition and not just go to a Latin Church and get assimilated. Also the USCCB has no authority to tell Chaldeans anything.

To clarify a bit. If we put aside the pastoral agreement for a moment, this falls into the same circumstances as those envisioned by §§ 1-3 of Canon 844 of the Latin Code:


And the corresponding §§ 1-3 of Canon 671 of the CCEO:


As we know, the above applies to the EO/OO, Assyrian and Ancient Churches, and the PNCC. For quite a while, it was not uncommon to find a blurb to that effect in Catholic parish bulletins. More recently, some such (and one would hope all) such blurbs are accompanied by a caveat that the faithful of those Churches are encouraged to consider and adhere to the instructions of their hierarchs as to whether they may exercise the right to receive the Mysteries in a Catholic church.

And, as we also know, in the case of the EO and most of the OO, the instruction to the faithful by their hierarchs is to not do so. The Syriacs (and their Indian counterpart) and the Armenians are the exceptions among the OO, in allowing their faithful to do so. The Assyrians allow it as well (I believe the ACOE also does, although it was not a party to the pastoral agreement). (Although not germane to this discussion, I don't believe the PNCC hierarchs have forbidden their faithful either.)

Thus, I would argue that, while the pastoral provisions - any of them (Assyro-Chaldean, Syriac, and Armenian) - were particularly intended to meet the spiritual needs of the faithful of the respective counterpart Churches, the Canons clearly afford, at the very least, an arguable right for any Catholic to be afforded the Mysteries in any other Apostolic Church - albeit only if the hierarchy of that Church permits it (which the Syriacs, Armenians, Assyrians, and PNCC do).

But, all that aside, the circumstances in the instance regarding which John inquires involve the reception of the Mysteries in a Catholic church by a member of the Assyrian Church, so much of what is being discussed isn't germane. Under the Canons, that is permitted, provided that the individual's own Church does not object - which, unless anything has changed very recently, they do not, despite the fact that dialogue between the two Churches has suffered a bit since the translation of Bishop Mar Bawai Soro from the Assyrian to the Chaldean Church.

Many years,

Neil

The various missalettes used in Roman Catholic parishes do contain the Guidelines for the Reception of Communion [nccbuscc.org], usually found in the front or back interior cover:

GC, my friend,

Thanks. It's been a while since I've been in a Latin parish (haven't had occasion to attend any funerals or weddings for a long time, now that I think of it) and I had forgotten that the blurb was in the missalette, not the bulletin.

Many years,

Neil