Catholic Wedding with Protestant Guests/Family

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Slightly different view here - - for the Catholics in attendance, if everyone is in there for the full hour that the Mass typically takes, it seems inhospitable to not allow all the Catholics in attendance to receive. Honestly, to me, sorry if this offends you, but it seems a little Bride-zilla-y.

To me it seems like the sad reception toast when only the wedding party is provided champagne, and everyone just has whatever drink they happen to be drinking. Just seems inhospitable to your guests.

Do you the two of you really have zero friends among the parishioners? Zero practicing Catholic friends?

Plus, the non-Catholics may positively enjoy getting on their high horse - - “Can you believe? We couldn’t even take Communion! At our own daughter’s / niece’s / cousin’s … wedding!”
 
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They already took sides when she became Catholic, and they chose to get married in a Catholic church. I wouldn’t be surprised if your Protestant family was offended then too, right?
 
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I am not sure why half the congregation would be upset by not being allowed to partake in communion.
When protestant friends join me for a Mass, I tell them that they must be Catholic to receive communion. They never seem to be offended.
 
You don’t see the difference between regular Mass and a family wedding?
 
Sorry, but I do not.
Our protestant brothers and sisters need to understand that we, as Catholics, are taking in the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is not a symblolic action.
Whether it be a wedding or a regular Mass, it is, for the most part, the same.
 
Our Catholic brethren need to understand that some Protestants do, too.

But if you prefer to start a family schism at a wedding over the not-required inclusion of Communion, be my guest. I think it’s not a healthy way to start a marriage, but whatever floats your goats.
 
Loud-living-dogma said:
Honestly, to me, sorry if this offends you, but it seems a little Bride-zilla-y.
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Really?? OP: I’d prefer not to have a mass. Fiance: I’d like to have a Mass. OP: OK, can we meet in the middle with private communion. I’d rather not have a practice in OUR wedding that makes my family observers where I’m participating with your family. Fiance: OK, I can get on boad with that…And now the fiance has taken a stand and refuses to give at all and you’re calling the OP a Bridezilla…seems legit.
Loud-living-dogma said:
Do you the two of you really have zero friends among the parishioners? Zero practicing Catholic friends?
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From the sounds of it…no, but that isn’t the point either. She would prefer not to have a part of her wedding where here family is strictly mere observers where she would be fully participating with his family.
Loud-living-dogma said:
Plus, the non-Catholics may positively enjoy getting on their high horse - - “Can you believe? We couldn’t even take Communion! At our own daughter’s / niece’s / cousin’s … wedding!”
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At communion time? The priest would simply come and give them Communion and be done.
 
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Well, let me rephrase. I think some people at the wedding might feel offended if the couple is offered Communion, and no one else. I just think it can seem rude to partake of something that is not offered to guests. I realize that some of the guests could not receive, but the “optics” of that are different than not offering to anyone but the bridal couple. I would vote to take it in private, or offer it to everyone.
 
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SnowRose said:
Our Catholic brethren need to understand that some Protestants do, too.

But if you prefer to start a family schism at a wedding over the not-required inclusion of Communion, be my guest. I think it’s not a healthy way to start a marriage, but whatever floats your goats.
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Good if there is understanding but I do not think Protestants with entitlement mentality do understand the Catholic Eucharist. If that’s the case, never then the twain shall meet.

Probably those Protestants just think that Catholics just regard the Eucharist just as they do - that anybody can receive Holy Communion.

There is no understanding here.
 
They should not receive Communion. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation (I.e. the bread and wine coexist with the Body and Blood of Christ) whereas Catholics believe in transubstantiation (I.e. that the bread and wine cease to exist when the words of consecration are pronounced; only the appearances of bread and wine remain).

Therefore they should not receive.

My cousins are Russian Orthodox and would NEVER receive Communion from a Catholic priest nor ask him to do it. And the Orthodox DO have valid sacraments.
 
I am a cradle Catholic with no Protestant background. In CAF, the subject of Protestants (some of them) wanting to receive Catholic Holy Communion have often become dragged discussion.

My question is: in wanting to receive Roman Catholic Communion, do they really know what they are doing? Do they really know what is Catholic Holy Communion? And if they want to receive it, why?
 
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I reckon if every or even just most other Christian denominations restricted communion for members of their church this wouldn’t be as much of an issue.
 
I’m sure I’ve answered these questions on here before, maybe even in replies with you because I remember saying how far off that “entitlemnet” comment is. Eitherway, here we go.
Reuben_J said:
My question is: in wanting to receive Roman Catholic Communion, do they really know what they are doing?
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Most of the time, No.
Reuben_J said:
Do they really know what is Catholic Holy Communion?
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Most of the time, no.
Reuben_J said:
And if they want to receive it, why?
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As I’ve said on here before, and in this thread…to Christians who practice open communion, communion is a time that we come together in Christian unity…not Catholic unity, or Lutheran, or non-Denom…, so they think that’s what’s happening and when they are not welcome to communion (to them) it’s the same thing as saying “You Are NOT Welcome Here” and you get the feelings that they are looked down upon or thought of as 2nd Class Christians.

There’s nearly 20 people in my extended family on my wife’s side. It would be like being invited over to their house for Easter and my MIL saying “Please come, everyone is welcome!” then after everyone shows up, the Catholics go to partake in the meal while asking me and my one other non-Catholic BIL to wait in the livingroom until they’re done.

I’m not saying who’s right or who’s wrong, but you ask why…here’s that’s the why.
ConfusedLucy said:
I reckon if every or even just most other Christian denominations restricted communion for members of their church this wouldn’t be as much of an issue.
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Pretty much, or I’d say if they restricted it TO members of their church… I don’t believe in that, but if it were that way…ya, you’d see less of an issue.

One thing we need to remember here, this isn’t about a scheduled Sunday Mass but an OP that doesn’t want something in her wedding where her family is only mere observers while his family joins in the participation.

(please forgive poor spelling)
 
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Then it’s a matter of ignorance which can be easily solved by simple explanation to these Protestants. It looks like a very big issue here. It’s not much a big deal if they know what a Roman Catholic Holy Communion really is. Can’t understand why this is such a big issue to the wedded couple.
 
The second form is not Mass


Scroll down the part on the page that says:

The Celebration of Matrimony

“It needs to be stressed that these words [of consent] cannot be reduced to the present; the involve a totality that includes the future: ‘until death do us part.’” – Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, no. 214

“The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1639

Address to the couple by the minister
The Questions before the Consent
The Consent (two versions of the vows to choose from, and the couple can either say the words themselves or respond “I do” to the vows posed as a question by the minister)
The Reception of the Consent by the minister
The Blessing and Giving of Rings (three versions of the prayer to choose from)
Optional: The Blessing and Giving of the Arras, a tradition important in Hispanic and Filipino families
Optional: a hymn or canticle of praise may be sung
The Universal Prayer / Prayers of the Faithful (two examples provided in the liturgical text; couples can also work with the minister to write their own)

If Holy Communion is not to be distributed (which is usually the case), the ceremony continues:

The Lord’s Prayer
Optional: The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil, a tradition important in Hispanic and Filipino families
The Nuptial Blessing (three versions to choose from)
Blessing of the newly married couple and the congregation
Dismissal
Recessional (a hymn could be sung, or instrumental music could be played)

But if Holy Communion is to be distributed, the ceremony continues:

Optional: The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil, a tradition important in Hispanic and Filipino families
The Nuptial Blessing (three versions to choose from)
The Lord’s Prayer
The Sign of Peace
Distribution of Holy Communion (an appropriate Communion song should be sung)
Solemn or Simple Blessing of the newly married couple and the congregation
Dismissal
Recessional (a hymn could be sung, or instrumental music could be played)AA
 
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