Q: How does the Lord's Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass?
A: The Lord's Supper declares to us
that our sins have been completely forgiven
through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ
which he himself finished on the cross once for all.1
It also declares to us
that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ,2
who with his very body
is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father3
where he wants us to worship him.4
[But the Mass teaches
that the living and the dead
do not have their sins forgiven
through the suffering of Christ
unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests.
It also teaches
that Christ is bodily present
in the form of bread and wine
where Christ is therefore to be worshiped.
Thus the Mass is basically
nothing but a denial
of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ
and a condemnable idolatry.]
1 John 19:30; Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25-26; 10:10-18
2 1 Cor. 6:17; 10:16-17
3 Acts 7:55-56; Heb. 1:3; 8:1
4 Matt. 6:20-21; John 4:21-24; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-3
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*Q&A 80 was altogether absent from the first German edition of the Heidelberg Catechism
(January 1563) but appeared in a shorter form in the second German edition (March 1563).
The translation above is of the expanded text of the third German edition (ca. April 1563).
Its strong tone reflects the setting in which the Catechism was written.
In response to a mandate from Synod 1998, the Christian Reformed Church's Interchurch
Relations Committee conducted a study of Q. and A. 80 and the Roman Catholic Mass.
Based on this study, Synod 2004 declared that "Q. and A. 80 can no longer be held in its
current form as part of our confession." Synod 2006 directed that Q. and A. 80 remain in
the CRC's text of the Heidelberg Catechism but that the last three paragraphs be placed in
brackets to indicate that they do not accurately reflect the official teaching and practice of
today's Roman Catholic Church and are no longer confessionally binding on members of
the CRC.
Q: Who are to come to the Lord's table?
A: Those who are displeased with themselves
because of their sins,
but who nevertheless trust
that their sins are pardoned
and that their continuing weakness is covered
by the suffering and death of Christ,
and who also desire more and more
to strengthen their faith
and to lead a better life.
Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however,
eat and drink judgment on themselves.1
1 1 Cor. 10:19-22; 11:26-32
Q: Are those to be admitted to the Lord's Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly?
A: No, that would dishonor God's covenant
and bring down God's anger upon the entire congregation.1
Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ
and his apostles,
the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people,
by the official use of the keys of the kingdom,
until they reform their lives.
1 1 Cor. 11:17-32; Ps. 50:14-16; Isa. 1:11-17