Communion and Protestants

[sadie2723]

Help me out with this one. One of my parents, my Father, who is not a Catholic, asked me today after he attended Mass with me, "So as a baptized Christian who believes that the bread and wine actually become the Body and Blood of Christ, why can’t I take communion in your church just because I am a Protestant.

For the life of me, I could not think of the answer.

Help me out, but be nice. Please keep in mind that this Catholic is talking to his Protestant father and trying to help him have a better understanding of why his son went home to Rome.

Dad and Mom have both fully supported my conversion, and even came to my confirmation.

Help me out here guys.

Brad

 

[Thal59]

Because the sacrament of the Eucharist is a sacred covenant oath. To ask to receive it without believing in it, or without binding oneself through that oath, is like asking to have sex in the marital bed without marrying the woman.

Thal59

 

[sadie2723]

Thal59:

Because the sacrament of the Eucharist is a sacred covenant oath. To ask to receive it without believing in it, or without binding oneself through that oath, is like asking to have sex in the marital bed without marrying the woman.

Thal59

But what if you do believe in it? Imagine that you believe in it, but just don’e happen to be Catholic.

 

[DeFide]

sadie2723:

Help me out with this one. One of my parents, my Father, who is not a Catholic, asked me today after he attended Mass with me, "So as a baptized Christian who believes that the bread and wine actually become the Body and Blood of Christ, why can’t I take communion in your church just because I am a Protestant.

For the life of me, I could not think of the answer.

Help me out, but be nice. Please keep in mind that this Catholic is talking to his Protestant father and trying to help him have a better understanding of why his son went home to Rome.

Dad and Mom have both fully supported my conversion, and even came to my confirmation.

Help me out here guys.

Brad

If your dad truly believes that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, you might take this opportunity to ask him if he’s ever considered becoming Catholic!

But, you know your father better than I, so if there is some impediment still remaining, just tell him that by recieving the Eucharist at Mass, you’re saying with your actions that you hold and believe everything the Catholic Church holds and believes to be true. If you didn’t believe that, then you’d be lying by your actions, which I’m sure your father does not want to do.

If he’s OK with making that statement, however, get him signed up for RCIA classes as soon as possible.

 

[seabird3579]

sadie2723:

But what if you do believe in it? Imagine that you believe in it, but just don’e happen to be Catholic.

Then, traditionally as proof of that belief, you would have to attend RCIA classes and become a Catholic first. Just like he would have to formally marry someone he intended to have a covenant relationship with.

Talk is one thing, action quite another…

 

[mercygate]

When we receive the Eucharist, we are in a state of Grace (no mortal sins on our conscience). In order to be sure that this is the case, we come to confession. Does he want to go to Confession?

The Eucharist is a sign of our unity in Christ. When we receive it, we say “Amen” – this means we accept and profess all that the Catholic Church believes and teaches. This is not just a symbol: it is a covenant act.

If your father were to say, “Well, half the Catholics in that line don’t accept the Church’s teaching on contraception, so why should I not be allowed to receive?” you would answer that their consciences cannot be judged publicly, but since your father has not made a public act of acceptance of the Catholic faith, he is presumed to dissent. You could tell him that anybody who wishes to may receive the Eucharist – and invite him to attend RCIA so that his desire may be consummated.

 

[Elzee]

sadie2723:

But what if you do believe in it? Imagine that you believe in it, but just don’e happen to be Catholic.

It’s isn’t just believing in the Real Presence. By receiving communion in a Catholic church you are also saying you assent to the teachings of the Church. If that were true, you wouldn’t *‘just not happen to be Catholic’. *
Let me explain …since only the Catholic Church has the Real Presence of Christ, if you truly believed in the Eucharist and that the bread and wine become Jesus, you are also saying you believe in the Catholic Church. That means you would either be Catholic or be in the process of becoming Catholic. Once you have professed that faith in Christ and in His Church, you can then receive the Eucharist.

By the way - Catholics cannot receive communion in other churches either, even if you know it is only symbolic. It goes both ways - and for somewhat the same reason. We believe that receiving communion means we adhere to the teachings of that church. Since we do not adhere to the teachings of any other church, we cannot receive their communion - no matter how symbolic we know it is.

 

[Sherlock]

I think everyone here has given great responses.

I have found that some Protestants say they believe in the Real Presence, but when they’re drawn out a bit more it becomes obvious that their understanding of just what that means does not correspond to what Catholics (and the Orthodox) mean by that term. I would draw him out a little further.

 

[Thal59]

sadie2723:

But what if you do believe in it? Imagine that you believe in it, but just don’e happen to be Catholic.

This question has already been answered, but I’ll reiterate.

If you truly believe that the bread and wine, in a Catholic service, becomes the body and blood of Christ, you must also certainly then believe that the Catholic church is the church of Jesus and the apostles. (The miracle of the transubstantiation will not occur in a heretical church.)

To claim to accept the Eucharist, but to deny the priesthood or the RCC where the Eucharist is valid, violates the words of the Lord…

“He who accepts you accepts me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Christ makes it painfully clear… you cannot accept me while rejecting my authorized ministers.

Its all or nothing.

Thal59

 

[gardenswithkids]

The bishop of the diocese has the authority to allow a dispensation for Protestant Christians to recieve communion, so it can be done **if **the bishop finds the person understands the Eucharist as we do and if there is a serious reason to allow it.

Since your dad believes Jesus is present in the Eucharist, maybe he’ll understand that the Church has an obligation to make sure that those who recieve communion have been properly instructed. I know this can appear as if Catholics are being exclusionists, but that is not the reason. We do allow non-Roman Catholics (such as the Eastern Rite Catholics) to recieve communion.

If you dad seriously desires Catholic communion we would certainly want to welcome him into FULL communion with the Catholic Church. If he desires communion in the Catholic church while remaining Protestant it is more difficult. Exceptions for Protestants are made by bishops sometimes, but they are rare.