Jimmy Akin on Francis…

…on Lutherans and Communion. Jimmy is his typically lucid self.

I think Francis is struggling with this. As did Benedict.  Benedict, recall, gave communion to Br. Roger of Taize, who was not a Catholic.

I realize this is all cut-and-dried for a lot of Catholics, but I think it is a real source of anguish for not a few of the Church’s members, including two popes at least.  For my part, I go with the present discipline of the Church and would counsel anybody not in full communion with the Church to do the same. But I also realize this is precisely one of those pastoral questions that actual pastors are really struggling with and that plump suburbanites like me have no business speaking of blithely. I have no dog in this fight.  But our bishops and pope–unlucky souls–have to figure out a way to navigate the problem.  My very strong suspicion is that, privately, bishops and priests do like Benedict did with Br. Roger on a fairly regular basis.  I know this makes those who see the faith as a System of Rules very nervous. But my sense has always been that our shepherds tend to take a much more  loose, easygoing Mediterranean attitude to such rules if they think it appropriate.  After all, the law was made for man, not man for the law.

So I mostly thank God that it’s not my problem and not my office to parse.  I have no idea how any of that will play out, nor do I have a big interest in in how it will play out.  My own guess is that nothing will change much, since the logic of the Church’s position is really quite sound. But logic doesn’t necessary quiet the heart so I, for one, find it hard to get very upset about Benedict giving communion to an obvious old saint like Br. Roger.  I basically just say, “God, it was *you* who gave some to be bishops, not me. So I’m gonna trust that you will guide them and I’m not gonna worry about it.”