Just when you think you’ve seen it all…
An Anglican priest has apologized for offering communion to a dog, but the act has repercussions for a Church already divided by liberalization measures.
(…)
Marguerite Rea, the interim priest at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Toronto, offered Trapper — a four-year-old German Shepherd-Rhodesian Ridgeback cross — communion during a church service in late June. It quickly became symbolic of an ever-widening theological rift between the conservative brand of Anglicanism observed by ANIC congregations, which, for example, reject same-sex marriage, and a more liberal-leaning Anglican Church of Canada that condones the rite. (Source)
I guess if it’s just a piece of bread, what’s the big deal, right? I mean, if communion isn’t the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, then how is it different from a potato chip or even Beef & Bacon Flavoured Beggin’ Strips? (My mom’s pooch loves those.)
Some Anglicans were not amused, however, and this has set off yet another round of internal conflicts and divisions. Cheryl Chang, director of the Anglican Network in Canada, said: “Communion is a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus’s body; he died for all of us. But I don’t recall anything from the Scripture saying anything about Jesus dying for the salvation of our pets.’’
Some Anglicans, on the other hand, are wondering what the fuss is about. Listen to this quote from Duncan Keith, the owner of the dog:
“Holy smokes. This is small stuff. I thought it was innocent and it made me think of the blessing of the animals. This has blown me away. The church is even getting emails from Catholics.”
Yeah, I can see how some Catholics would be upset.
The priest, for her part, apologized for the incident and said it was just a way of welcoming a stranger, nothing more. Does that sound a bit flippant with regards to something she should hold sacred?
A commentator in the magazine First Things had this to say:
“The intention might be to make a visitor feel comfortable, but the real message being sent is that the members of the church don’t take communion seriously—so newcomers shouldn’t take it seriously either,” commentator Joe Carter wrote on First Things, a magazine website dedicated to religious issues in the wider culture. “But if nothing is sacred, then you no longer have a church; you just have a religious club that is going to the dogs.”(Source)
I’m afraid the Anglican Church in Canada will experience more growing pains dislocation pains as the liberals keep pushing the envelope away from Christianity.
- Authored by Steve G
I don’t know where to begin… It’s difficult to describe my revulsion at this… How is it possible that a priest with even a single brain cell in his head could give the host to a dog???
These people don’t see the problem because they don’t actually believe that religion is based on anything *REAL*. To them, being a priest is about a role that someone chooses to take on in the community, not about a REAL sacrament or calling from God. The eucharist is a meal they share to help build up community, not something REALly changed into the body of Christ. And Jesus is a character in a fictional book that has some good advice for how to get along better with one another.
So… I’m not the least surprised. I’m sure most people there thought it was cute.