Anglicans/Episcopals: Communion Etiquette Question

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It’d be mortal sin if you knew what you were drinking and fully thought it through! 😃
Rev Kev, would you serve us Catholics juice even if we would be committing venial sin by drinking it?
 
Rev Kev, would you serve us Catholics juice even if we would be committing venial sin by drinking it?
I don’t believe a Catholic would even consider taking grape juice from a Baptist minister or anyother minister because it, according to the CC, it not the Body and Blood of Christ… But if they choose to, its on them not on me. Now if I’m not mistaken, I read somewhere in Catholic writtings that there are certain occations when it is condoned by the CC for people to use grape juice if they can’t have wine.
 
I just wanted to point out that while the Episcopalian Church allows all baptized persons to receive communion, it is my understanding that it is considered at minimum a venial sin for a Catholic to receive in a Church that is not in communion with the Catholic Church.

Why? Because we are therefore, stating by receiving from them, that we are in union with their belief that Jesus really only meant for it to be as a symbol of His Body and Blood and not actually turned into the Body and Blood of Christ through the consecration.

The same way it is wrong for a non-Catholic to take the Eucharist in our Church it is wrong for a Catholic to take communion in a Church that does not hold the Real Presence to be the truth.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Catholic Church considered it a venial sin to commune with our fellow Christians in an act of our unity as Christians in Christ. What Gurney has said though is pretty much what TEC priest told me about their Communion. He formerly served as a priest in the Roman rite and says TEC officially believes in His Real Presence. He said they just don’t attempt to define the “how” in an elaborate doctrine such as Catholics do with transubstantiaton. They are satisfied he said with just believing the host and wine are His body and blood. A mystery of faith so to speak. He said the Communion minister says "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Life, the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation, to which the communicant receiving either or both responds “Amen”. Nevertheless he stated no one is interrogating anyone when they come forward and if anyone feels so called to receive, then so be it. I personally believe this is beautiful because Christ told us in Jn 6:37 He would not turn away anyone called to him by the Father.

Of course I know the Catholic Church does not believe TEC is in Apostolic succession and believing TEC has an invalid priesthood, the Catholic Church does not recognize the physical presence of Christ in TEC Communion. But I have to say if I were to ever find myself feeling called to receive in TEC and called to commune out of our unity in Him, then I personally might have to heed His call and take my chances I’m not sent to hell for it.

God bless you on your lifelong journey of faith and peace.
 
I still say you’re a prime candidate for the Episcopal Church, CMatt! 😛

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Catholic Church considered it a venial sin to commune with our fellow Christians in an act of our unity as Christians in Christ. What Gurney has said though is pretty much what TEC priest told me about their Communion. He formerly served as a priest in the Roman rite and says TEC officially believes in His Real Presence. He said they just don’t attempt to define the “how” in an elaborate doctrine such as Catholics do with transubstantiaton. They are satisfied he said with just believing the host and wine are His body and blood. A mystery of faith so to speak. He said the Communion minister says "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Life, the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation, to which the communicant receiving either or both responds “Amen”. Nevertheless he stated no one is interrogating anyone when they come forward and if anyone feels so called to receive, then so be it. I personally believe this is beautiful because Christ told us in Jn 6:37 He would not turn away anyone called to him by the Father.

Of course I know the Catholic Church does not believe TEC is in Apostolic succession and believing TEC has an invalid priesthood, the Catholic Church does not recognize the physical presence of Christ in TEC Communion. But I have to say if I were to ever find myself feeling called to receive in TEC and called to commune out of our unity in Him, then I personally might have to heed His call and take my chances I’m not sent to hell for it.

God bless you on your lifelong journey of faith and peace.
 
I don’t believe a Catholic would even consider taking grape juice from a Baptist minister or anyother minister because it, according to the CC, it not the Body and Blood of Christ… But if they choose to, its on them not on me. Now if I’m not mistaken, I read somewhere in Catholic writtings that there are certain occations when it is condoned by the CC for people to use grape juice if they can’t have wine.
Rev, well I of course would not be recognizing it as His blood if you were serving it to me but if I were thirsty after your long sermon… 😃
 
Rev, well I of course would not be recognizing it as His blood if you were serving it to me but if I were thirsty after your long sermon… 😃
There not to long, just about 30 min. As far as that goes I would need a drink also because my mouth would be dry after all that rambling. 😃
 
I still say you’re a prime candidate for the Episcopal Church, CMatt! 😛

:pshaw: Aw shucks Gurney, just because I could almost attest to Episcopalian Communion belief as well as you did 😛 does not make one an Episcopalian. Are you still missing where the Church says “it remains clear, in any event, that the sacramental bond of belonging to the Body of Christ that is the Church, conferred by the baptismal character, is an ontological and permanent bond which is not lost by reason of any act or fact of defection.” 👍
 
No, I never was “missing” that statement. But just because the ontological and permanent bond is there doesn’t mean one can disregard Catholic teaching. Now I’m not saying YOU are doing that. I merely think your theological views, and I’m not insulting them, are very well-suited to the Episcopal Church and not to the Catholic. But I have heard people say that someone who believes in gay rights, women priests, abortion rights, intercommunion, stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, and all the other liberal stuff will always be a Catholic and should stick around. Me, personally, well, I have been at the Anglican Church because I don’t want to be a hypocrite. Despite agreeing with them on 8 out of 10 issues and having Catholicism in my blood in so many ways, Catholicism is an all-or-nothing proposition. If one can have a liberal opinion but be man enough to put his feelings aside and defer to the Holy Father/ Magisterium and agree to follow them and cooperate despite his/her personal feelings, then that’s different. But I have been divergent on several issues and have had too much respect, actually, for Catholicism to stay there taking communion when I’m not in full agreement and seriously have views that violate the unity of the Eucharist. The Anglican Church doesn’t view the Eucharist in terms of theological/doctrinal unity as much as a personal encounter with Christ in the Sacrament. Catholicism sees it as unitive with Christ Almighty but also a deep sign of unity with all other Catholics on the theology and truth that the Church teaches. So I’m a firm believer that unless one truly buys the product of Catholicism, an individual has no business being a Catholic. I’m at the point where I might very well return to Catholicism, tomorrow for all I know, seriously. I’m seriously considering it. But if I return, I’ll have to bury my divergent views and defer out of respect to the Chair of Peter. If I cannot, I’ll remain Anglican. 🙂
:pshaw: Aw shucks Gurney, just because I could almost attest to Episcopalian Communion belief as well as you did 😛 does not make one an Episcopalian. Are you still missing where the Church says “it remains clear, in any event, that the sacramental bond of belonging to the Body of Christ that is the Church, conferred by the baptismal character, is an ontological and permanent bond which is not lost by reason of any act or fact of defection.” 👍
 
Officially the Eastern Orthodox do not subscribe to the term “transubstantiation” either as a means to describe the Real Presence. Transubstantiation was an Aristotlean scholastic term. The Anglicans reject an official embrace of transubstantiation. The 39 Articles condemn it outright but keep in mind the 39 Articles are only normative in the Church of England and many provinces/dioceses/parishes do not accept the Articles as necessary or even true. Anglo-Catholics especially reject the Articles. Most Anglo-Catholics I know have absolutely no problem whatsoever accepting transubstantiation as a great term to define the R.P. The groups that don’t tend to be the evangelicals who lean toward a Genevan Calvinist model really.

Anglicans are not forbidden to take communion in Catholic parishes. It is the Catholic Church that forbids Anglicans to do so. And Anglicans, out of respect, comply and do not partake of your Sacrament. My rector and I were talking the other day about this. He told me he has visited Catholic parishes on many occasions and that he wishes greatly that he could go up and share communion with Catholics. His son is at West Point Military Academy and he visits a Catholic parish daily for Mass. He told the priest that he’d like to take communion, that he was an Anglican, that his father is an Anglican priest. The Catholic priest, rightly, told my rector’s son, “sorry, you may not.” Catholics have too many differences with Anglicans and historical divergence as well as an unwillingness to accept Anglican orders so they forbid Anglicans. Anglicans, however, would not forbid you from taking communion at their church. If you attended an Anglican church tomorrow, you’d be welcomed to the altar to experience the Sacrament. 🙂

Anglicans believe in the Real Presence but choose not to define the HOW of it, just that it is what Christ said it is: His Body and Blood. Queen Elizabeth I, who did a GREAT DEAL to define modern Anglicanism, believed in the Real Presence of the Eucharist but chose not to define “how” Jesus made Himself manifest in the Sacrament. She is famous for this saying about the Eucharist:

***Christ was the word that spake it.
He took the bread and break it;
And what his words did make it
That I believe and take it. ***
Its a shame the Catholic priest didn’t consider is request more seriously, particularly if you son doesn’t have regular access to an Anglican priest while at WP. The Catholic churche does provide several circumstances when non Catholics who do believe in RP can take communion at Roman Catholic churches. This is very prevalent in Germany with family members from Lutheran evangelical churches being given the Eucharist along side their Catholic siblings. I Also know there are some diocese that if one parent is Catholic and one is Anglican they will let the Anglican receive at their child’s first communion. The term they use is deep spiritual need I think.
 
If she can’t drink the wine because she is pregnant, I believe that in cases like this there are exceptions in the CC when grape juice can be used instead of wine.
grape jucie no, Mustum yes.
 
It’s not my son, nhylan, but my rector’s son. 😉 I’m only 35 and my oldest son if five years old 😛 He’s not ready for West Point! 😃
Its a shame the Catholic priest didn’t consider is request more seriously, particularly if you son doesn’t have regular access to an Anglican priest while at WP. The Catholic churche does provide several circumstances when non Catholics who do believe in RP can take communion at Roman Catholic churches. This is very prevalent in Germany with family members from Lutheran evangelical churches being given the Eucharist along side their Catholic siblings. I Also know there are some diocese that if one parent is Catholic and one is Anglican they will let the Anglican receive at their child’s first communion. The term they use is deep spiritual need I think.
 
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