Interviewed by Jude Abanseka
Bishop ImmanuelBushu
It is a common practice nowadays to find Christians queued up in their numbers, especially during important church events, insisting they would receive Holy Communion only from a particular bishop or priest. One is forced to ask if there are special graces received when one receives Communion from a particular minister. L’Effort Camerounais discussed this practice and more with the Bishop of Buea, Mgr. Immanuel Bushu. Excerpts:
Why do Catholics receive Holy Communion every time Holy Mass is celebrated?
In the Catholic Church Holy Mass is the greatest Sacrifice that we make because we are celebrating God Himself; Christ is God. Christ gave us the Holy Mass, so when we celebrate Mass, we celebrate Christ. The Holy Mass is thanksgiving to God for the life that He gives us through Jesus Christ. For Catholics there is no greater thanksgiving than the Holy Mass. So when we offer sacrifice, the victim offered must be consumed. Christ is the Victim and we do that through offerings, that is, bread and wine. These offerings must be consumed because you cannot offer and not eat and drink.
Are there any benefits or graces receiving the Holy Eucharist frequently?
Yes. We receive the graces of growth in faith and growth in Jesus Christ. When we eat Christ’s body, He is food for our souls and food for our spiritual lives. This means we are more united to Him and to God because when we receive Communion, especially in a state of grace, which means without sin, we are very strong because Christ is grace Himself.
Do these graces depend on the minister of the sacrament?
No. Administering the sacrament in the Catholic Church does not depend on the state of the person. Administering is independent of the state of the person administering. The minister is only a servant or the one who gives or administers. It happens sometimes that somebody would be administering unfortunately in a state of sin. You do not benefit when you administer in a state of sin, but those who receive the Sacrament worthily benefit. The two are not tied together, that is the recipient and the person administering. So it does not matter who administers, the graces to be received remain the same. The receiver should be in a state of grace to obtain the graces.
Must ministers of Holy Communion be priests, deacons, Rev. Sisters and Brothers or Major Seminarians?
No, we also have lay people. The Catholic Church’s documents teach us that lay people who are prepared and given the power to distribute the Eucharist can do so. They take the Eucharist to the homes of the sick or what is called the home bound. In such cases lay people serve when they are prepared for that ministry.
But why is this not yet the case in Buea Diocese?
In our circumstance it is not yet necessary but we could have that someday when the circumstances are alright. We do not yet have any lay person who is prepared for that.
What is your opinion on the practice when during Masses several Bishops and /or Priests celebrate; some Christians prefer or even insist receiving Holy Communion only from a particular Bishop or Priest?
I do not have a personal opinion. The Church’s teaching is that ordinary ministers of the sacrament are the same. Once admitted as somebody who is supposed to administer the Eucharist or Holy Communion, anybody can do that. Those who are ordained, specially prepared ministers and extraordinary ministers can all give the sacrament. There is nothing attached either to a particular bishop, priest or any other minister of the Eucharist. People do that on their own account and it is not a practice to be encouraged. It makes no sense to insist receiving the Eucharist from a particular Bishop or Priest.
So what advice would you have for Christians who have this habit?
They should study their doctrine again to know what the Eucharist means, why they receive it, who administers it and what they should do when they go to receive the Eucharist. It is not a complicated thing. Unfortunately prejudices creep into people’s lives as Christians whereas there are no advantages tied to such a practice.
My Lord, is it possible to celebrate Mass without receiving Holy Communion?
It is not possible. We mentioned earlier that Mass is a sacrifice and whenever there is a sacrifice, there is a victim who is be offered. When you offer, you must eat. This is part of what we call sacrifice. So you cannot think of Holy Mass without any eating of the Eucharist. It is not possible.
In other words, if the Eucharist is not received we cannot call it a Mass?
No, it would not be Mass in that sense because we are talking of sacrifice. Mass is a Holy sacrifice and the victim, Christ offered in Bread and Wine, is always consumed.
Is there any other doctrine you would like to share as far as Holy Communion is concerned?
The Eucharist is simply the greatest of all Sacraments because it is Christ Himself who created it. St. John’s Gospel Chapter one, verse one says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” God created nothing without His Word. When the things God created ran amok because of sin, God promised to send someone who will restore those things and show people how to be His children. Christ has come, done his work and remains with us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the greatest Sacrament. So it would be good for us, as Christ intended it to be, to know the Eucharist, to love the Eucharist and to worship the Eucharist for our lives now and for the life to come.
In the Catholic Church Holy Mass is the greatest Sacrifice that we make because we are celebrating God Himself; Christ is God. Christ gave us the Holy Mass, so when we celebrate Mass, we celebrate Christ. The Holy Mass is thanksgiving to God for the life that He gives us through Jesus Christ. For Catholics there is no greater thanksgiving than the Holy Mass. So when we offer sacrifice, the victim offered must be consumed. Christ is the Victim and we do that through offerings, that is, bread and wine. These offerings must be consumed because you cannot offer and not eat and drink.
Are there any benefits or graces receiving the Holy Eucharist frequently?
Yes. We receive the graces of growth in faith and growth in Jesus Christ. When we eat Christ’s body, He is food for our souls and food for our spiritual lives. This means we are more united to Him and to God because when we receive Communion, especially in a state of grace, which means without sin, we are very strong because Christ is grace Himself.
Do these graces depend on the minister of the sacrament?
No. Administering the sacrament in the Catholic Church does not depend on the state of the person. Administering is independent of the state of the person administering. The minister is only a servant or the one who gives or administers. It happens sometimes that somebody would be administering unfortunately in a state of sin. You do not benefit when you administer in a state of sin, but those who receive the Sacrament worthily benefit. The two are not tied together, that is the recipient and the person administering. So it does not matter who administers, the graces to be received remain the same. The receiver should be in a state of grace to obtain the graces.
Must ministers of Holy Communion be priests, deacons, Rev. Sisters and Brothers or Major Seminarians?
No, we also have lay people. The Catholic Church’s documents teach us that lay people who are prepared and given the power to distribute the Eucharist can do so. They take the Eucharist to the homes of the sick or what is called the home bound. In such cases lay people serve when they are prepared for that ministry.
But why is this not yet the case in Buea Diocese?
In our circumstance it is not yet necessary but we could have that someday when the circumstances are alright. We do not yet have any lay person who is prepared for that.
What is your opinion on the practice when during Masses several Bishops and /or Priests celebrate; some Christians prefer or even insist receiving Holy Communion only from a particular Bishop or Priest?
I do not have a personal opinion. The Church’s teaching is that ordinary ministers of the sacrament are the same. Once admitted as somebody who is supposed to administer the Eucharist or Holy Communion, anybody can do that. Those who are ordained, specially prepared ministers and extraordinary ministers can all give the sacrament. There is nothing attached either to a particular bishop, priest or any other minister of the Eucharist. People do that on their own account and it is not a practice to be encouraged. It makes no sense to insist receiving the Eucharist from a particular Bishop or Priest.
So what advice would you have for Christians who have this habit?
They should study their doctrine again to know what the Eucharist means, why they receive it, who administers it and what they should do when they go to receive the Eucharist. It is not a complicated thing. Unfortunately prejudices creep into people’s lives as Christians whereas there are no advantages tied to such a practice.
My Lord, is it possible to celebrate Mass without receiving Holy Communion?
It is not possible. We mentioned earlier that Mass is a sacrifice and whenever there is a sacrifice, there is a victim who is be offered. When you offer, you must eat. This is part of what we call sacrifice. So you cannot think of Holy Mass without any eating of the Eucharist. It is not possible.
In other words, if the Eucharist is not received we cannot call it a Mass?
No, it would not be Mass in that sense because we are talking of sacrifice. Mass is a Holy sacrifice and the victim, Christ offered in Bread and Wine, is always consumed.
Is there any other doctrine you would like to share as far as Holy Communion is concerned?
The Eucharist is simply the greatest of all Sacraments because it is Christ Himself who created it. St. John’s Gospel Chapter one, verse one says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” God created nothing without His Word. When the things God created ran amok because of sin, God promised to send someone who will restore those things and show people how to be His children. Christ has come, done his work and remains with us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the greatest Sacrament. So it would be good for us, as Christ intended it to be, to know the Eucharist, to love the Eucharist and to worship the Eucharist for our lives now and for the life to come.
Mr Editor-in-chief, this is a piece i would have loved to contribute to. It was a very interesting topic and i like the way it was treated. Having grown in a Presbyterian miliue (where communion-taking is not a daily issue), and later on confirmed into the Catholic faith in Buea Diocese where i never saw any lay faithful administer Communion, i used to think the administrator of the Holy Eucharist must be a priest (or if possible,just a particular priest) for it to serve its purpose in our bodies. The first time i attended Mass here in the US, i thought i had been misled to another church. I later asked and was told that it is the reciever who matters, not the administrator. Besides, that the laity who administer communion are trained for it.
Mr Editor, i wish you could one day also treat the issue of wine at mass - who recieves it and when. i am sure i am not the oly who grew up thinking that wine is received on your first Holy Communion day and wedding; and exceptionally, at funerals. This is one of the things that surprised me with Mass in the US - everyone who wishes to, takes wine.
Posted by: mirabel A.T. Fru | March 16, 2010 at 04:12 AM
Thanks Mirabel for the interest you took in the topic. The suggestions you've made will certainly be considered sometime, somehow. Ireneaus
Posted by: Chia | March 16, 2010 at 08:03 AM
Mr. Editor in Chief, i think i have been enlightened with this educative topic
i grew up as a Catholic Christian up till now.I was receiving Holy Communion until i got married. I was told according to Catholic Doctrine even if you do Courtship without Church wedding you have to stop taking communion until your Church wedding. I think there is something to be questioned therein. I say so because, most times women suffer this effect. I know of cases where women have died not receiving Holy Communion because they are waiting upon their husbands to give the go ahead for church wedding. Personally, i have reported my husband to a Priest, who requested his presence and advise him on the advantages of sharing in the Holy Eucharist. The answer they always give is that they will come when they are ready. And you can't tie them down to it.
So my worry Mr. Chief Editor is to plead with you to pose this problem. Whether this doctrine can be changed to favour us the women.That is to participate in the Holy Eucharist after Courtship.
Posted by: Rachel Fongod | March 23, 2010 at 08:52 AM