Can I Take the Bread if I'm non Catholic?

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stanvy

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Hey there,

I’m new to this forum and I apologies if this is the wrong session to post.

I were an Anglican (Protestant) when i was kid and baptist, but I’m leaving Christian and believe in buddhism few years back. I know I shouldn’t do that, as I’m influence by friends and I know is my own fault.

Now I decided to go back to Christian and I’m going to Catholic church. My question is can I take the bread (Jesus body & blood) or do I need to baptist again to take it?

appreciate anyone’s answer here, thanks!
 
stanvy said:
Hey there,

I’m new to this forum and I apologies if this is the wrong session to post.

I were an Anglican (Protestant) when i was kid and baptist, but I’m leaving Christian and believe in buddhism few years back. I know I shouldn’t do that, as I’m influence by friends and I know is my own fault.

Now I decided to go back to Christian and I’m going to Catholic church. My question is can I take the bread (Jesus body & blood) or do I need to baptist again to take it?

appreciate anyone’s answer here, thanks!
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No. You need to become Catholic and confirm your belief in the teachings of the Church.

In addition, you need to be in a state of grace, meaning you have confessed any mortal sins.

This is for your own good based on scripture and tradition.

1 Cor 11
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

“We call this food Eucharist;** and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration, and is thereby living as Christ has enjoined. **For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.”
St. Justin Martyr, First Apology 66, A.D. 151
 
oh no, I have just taken last week and I do not know about that.

What is the step should I take now?
 
stanvy said:
oh no, I have just taken last week and I do not know about that.

What is the step should I take now?
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Don’t worry about it, you weren’t to know.

You don’t need to do anything (there’s not really anything you can do) - just don’t receive again unless/until you’re ready to become Catholic!
 
Thanks Lily, I was worried that I need to go to church and repent or something…

I will go to the church and ask for baptism if necessary or confession when I’m ready. I hope you can prey for me.

Thanks all for the great answer, God bless!
 
As you spent your early life within the Anglican tradition, there’s a good chance you’ve been baptized validly already. If you don’t remember specifically being baptized, you should ask your parents if you were baptized as an infant.

Whether or not you’ve been baptized already, the first thing you should do is speak to a parish priest. Ask him to let you join in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA); this is a months-long process of teaching and reflection that will culminate in your receiving the remaining two sacraments of Christian initiation near Easter – those being Confirmation and the Eucharist. If a person has not been validly baptized already, they will receive all three Sacraments of Christian initiation at Easter: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

During RCIA you will be taught what and why the Catholic Church believes, and as the process wraps up, you will need to give an affirmation of faith that you hold Catholic teaching to be true before receiving Confirmation and the Eucharist.

It is at this point that you will be formally and sacramentally embraced into full communion with the Catholic Church, and you will have the awesomely humbling privilege to receive Christ in the Eucharist, together with the whole Church.

I am currently in RCIA myself and am looking forward with a tense anticipation for receiving Confirmation and Christ in the Eucharist. I hope you and I both grow leaps and bounds in this journey together!
If a knowingly person partakes of the Body and Blood while outside full communion with the Catholic Church, it is a grave sin. Though you should have asked the parish priest about communing first, your lack of knowledge of the Eucharist averts your culpability, so you have not committed a mortal sin.

Lily is right. Do not be scrupulous about this; simply be aware in the future until you’ve been accepted into full communion. May the day come swiftly. 🙂
 
stanvy said:
Thanks Lily, I was worried that I need to go to church and repent or something…

I will go to the church and ask for baptism if necessary or confession when I’m ready. I hope you can prey for me.

Thanks all for the great answer, God bless!
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Prayers heading your way :crossrc:
 
Prayers from me too and Welcome to the forum and welcome on your journey HOME!

in Christ
Steph
 
stanvy said:
Hey there,

I’m new to this forum and I apologies if this is the wrong session to post.

I were an Anglican (Protestant) when i was kid and baptist, but I’m leaving Christian and believe in buddhism few years back. I know I shouldn’t do that, as I’m influence by friends and I know is my own fault.

Now I decided to go back to Christian and I’m going to Catholic church. My question is can I take the bread (Jesus body & blood) or do I need to baptist again to take it?

appreciate anyone’s answer here, thanks!
Click to expand...
Hi there. Welcome to the forum. 🙂

I suppose you meant baptized. The Catholic Church considers baptism in an Anglican Church valid and if you had done it according to its requirement you do not have to be baptized again to become a Catholic. However, you are required to study the Catechesis of the Catholic Church and to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Taking part in RCIA is always a good thing though that may not be necessary. You can ask your local Catholic priest for further instruction on what you should do.

Receiving the ‘bread’ in the mass is called Holy Communion. This is only for Catholic. It signifies many things but one important understanding that a non-Catholic should know it is communion with God and with fellow believers who are Catholics. Thus the bread broken and shared by many. This is reserved only for Catholics because of this belief, which is contained in their faith.

I am glad you enquire about this and have an interest in the mass. As a Catholic I can say it is one special grace, which we are grateful to receive. It is true body of Christ and it nourishes our souls. Many Catholics are not just Sunday Christians meaning participating in the mass only on Sundays and days of obligation but devoted to the mass (Holy Eucharist) and find tremendous blessing and closeness to God through it.

May God bless you and please feel free to ask any question here or from your local Catholic Church. They would only be too happy to assist you. 🙂
 
stanvy said:
Hey there,

I’m new to this forum and I apologies if this is the wrong session to post.

I were an Anglican (Protestant) when i was kid and baptist, but I’m leaving Christian and believe in buddhism few years back. I know I shouldn’t do that, as I’m influence by friends and I know is my own fault.

Now I decided to go back to Christian and I’m going to Catholic church. My question is can I take the bread (Jesus body & blood) or do I need to baptist again to take it?

appreciate anyone’s answer here, thanks!
Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong for you to quit being and Anglican, turned to be Buddhist, and later want to go back to be a Christian, or a Catholic to be exact. I don’t think that was a fault. It is a proof that there is a tendency of human to search for God. If you were baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and was baptised by the flow of water (including from a cup to your forehead, for instance), perhaps all you had to do is just to recite the apostle creed. Then, you can take the bread and wine as the sacrament of eucharist, as you are counted as the member of the “church” under the RCC.

If you take the bread and wine before that, it won’t do you any good. It will be just the bread and wine for you. The priest will not reject you, I believe. They will not embarass you in front of other people.
 
swariffin said:
There is nothing wrong for you to quit being and Anglican, turned to be Buddhist, and later want to go back to be a Christian, or a Catholic to be exact. I don’t think that was a fault. It is a proof that there is a tendency of human to search for God. If you were baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and was baptised by the flow of water (including from a cup to your forehead, for instance), perhaps all you had to do is just to recite the apostle creed. Then, you can take the bread and wine as the sacrament of eucharist, as you are counted as the member of the “church” under the RCC.

If you take the bread and wine before that, it won’t do you any good. It will be just the bread and wine for you. The priest will not reject you, I believe. They will not embarass you in front of other people.
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The Eucharist is reserved for those who have prepared through the Catholic Church for First Communion.
 
Ross09 said:
The Eucharist is reserved for those who have prepared through the Catholic Church for First Communion.
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Though I agree with you, we can’t forbid non-Catholics to come forward to take the host, can we? Off course, the story is different if that non catholic coming forward, take the host, and throw it away in front of us. It will be an insult.
 
swariffin said:
Though I agree with you, we can’t forbid non-Catholics to come forward to take the host, can we? Off course, the story is different if that non catholic coming forward, take the host, and throw it away in front of us. It will be an insult.
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Yes we can forbid it, and we do. Most churches I’ve been to in my home state have a disclaimer on the bulletin that state the Eucharist is reserved for baptized Catholics in a state of grace. Some priests who think there may be a mixed crowd (like on Christmas) will annouce it. It is a sacrilege for a non-Catholic to receive this sacrament *knowing *it is “against the rules.” Likewise, it is a sacrilege for Catholics in a state of mortal sin to receive Communion. Correct me if I’m wrong.
 
Ross09 said:
Yes we can forbid it, and we do. Most churches I’ve been to in my home state have a disclaimer on the bulletin that state the Eucharist is reserved for baptized Catholics in a state of grace. Some priests who think there may be a mixed crowd (like on Christmas) will annouce it. It is a sacrilege for a non-Catholic to receive this sacrament *knowing *it is “against the rules.” Likewise, it is a sacrilege for Catholics in a state of mortal sin to receive Communion. Correct me if I’m wrong.
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you are right. our parish also announce this disclaimer during easter and christmas when turn out is heavy. the reason as written earlier is the communicant must be in the state of grace when he receives the body and blood of Christ. many non-Catholics deny the sacrament of reconciliation, therefore, they may not be in this state of grace. they must be in full communion with the teachings of the CC.😉
God bless.
 
Yeah, I’m baptized in Anglican church, and I took the bread and cup before. I was thinking that Catholic and Anglican church are similar as we worship ONE God.

I never know there’s so many rules though, I took the one month course before baptized when I was 12 years old.

I think I may want to speak to the priest or members of the church for more info on how to becoming a real catholic here.

By the way, thanks everyone here for your kind words, really appreciate it!
 
stanvy said:
Yeah, I’m baptized in Anglican church, and I took the bread and cup before. I was thinking that Catholic and Anglican church are similar as we worship ONE God.

I never know there’s so many rules though, I took the one month course before baptized when I was 12 years old.

I think I may want to speak to the priest or members of the church for more info on how to becoming a real catholic here.

By the way, thanks everyone here for your kind words, really appreciate it!
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God bless you on your faith journey. 👍
 
stanvy said:
Yeah, I’m baptized in Anglican church, and I took the bread and cup before. I was thinking that Catholic and Anglican church are similar as we worship ONE God.

I never know there’s so many rules though, I took the one month course before baptized when I was 12 years old.

I think I may want to speak to the priest or members of the church for more info on how to becoming a real catholic here.

By the way, thanks everyone here for your kind words, really appreciate it!
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Yes there are some rules but ultimately you’ll be glad that you do this one right. 🙂

As have been said, it is quite simple, really. Since you have been formally baptized in the Anglican Church that would not be necessary anymore for you to embrace Catholicism. Only thing you need is to learn the Catechism and instead of being baptized you will be given the Sacrament of Confirmation. If your parish does not have special class for Catechism then you might have to join their RCIA class. You will only receive the Holy Communion after being initiated into the Catholic Church and become Catholic. This will be done by a priest according to an appropriate time he deems fit after he is satisfied that you are ready to become one. 🙂

There are some differences between Catholic and Anglican. One being the acceptance or non-acceptance of the Bishop of Rome as the head of the church. One aspect of receiving of the Holy Communion which is seldom said is an act of solidarity with him and of course communion with God. By default this exclude non-Catholics.

Don’t worry about having mistakenly received the Holy Communion. You did not know. God is a compassionate and forgiving God and for that you can be pretty sure everything would be alright.

May God bless you on your faith journey too. 🙂
 
Ross09 said:
Yes we can forbid it, and we do. Most churches I’ve been to in my home state have a disclaimer on the bulletin that state the Eucharist is reserved for baptized Catholics in a state of grace. Some priests who think there may be a mixed crowd (like on Christmas) will annouce it. It is a sacrilege for a non-Catholic to receive this sacrament *knowing *it is “against the rules.” Likewise, it is a sacrilege for Catholics in a state of mortal sin to receive Communion. Correct me if I’m wrong.
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We have the same believe. In a mixture of audience, such as in marriage ceremony in the Church, the priest will announce that. In normal weekly mass, there is no such announcement. A person in state of mortal sin is also forbidden until he/she take the confessions.

In my country, the priest in a large crowd choose not to humiliate people, except those who is clearly ex-communicated by the decree of the local bishop. Since having a church building in my country is difficult to obtain the permit, it is a common situation that you can see large crowd of attendees sitting outside the church because inside is already full, despite 6 mass schedules. The situation is getting worse during big celebrations such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Saturday Vigil mass. My parish church has the capacity of about 1.000, but there are 13.000 Catholics registered in my parish. There is no way a priest could determine a non-catholic coming forward and take the communion.
 
I don’t think any one is saying priests should single anyone out, or that it is permissible to humiliate people; however, that is entirely different from defending the sacredness of the Eucharist by making a statement, printed or written, asking non-Catholics to refrain from participating in Communion out of respect of our belief in the Real Presence.

Anyway, this is becoming off topic.

The point is, if you know better, don’t take Communion. How can people become aware of our belief in the Real Presence? We tell them.

That’s all. 🙂
 
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