Bishop Fürst: “No Intercommunion”

Bishop of Rottenburg: A reception of the Catholic Eucharist by Protestant Christians and the Protestant Eucharist by Catholic Christians is not possible according to current ecumenical state of affairs.

Rottenburg (kath.net) Churches can not merge in a localized way. This was the opinion of the bishop of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Gebhard Fürst, at a discussion event in Ravensburg, RTL reported. A reception of the Catholic Eucharist by Protestant Christians and the Protestant Eucharist by Catholic Christians is not possible according to current ecumenical state of affairs. Reasons for it are, for example, a different understanding of the change of the substance in the Host and understanding of the Church. At the same time, the bishop encouraged further efforts for ecumenism.

Fürst explained, according to RTL: "But we are still not in church fellowship between the two confessions and that is necessary in our understanding, because you don’t merely receive the gifts as individuals, but in the community, which is supported by a particular faith.” Background of the discussion is the controversial "Ravensburg Declaration", which was signed in 2017 by representatives of the Protestant and the Catholic Church in the city and is in favor of a joint communion of the two denominations.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG