Communion for Non-Catholics ok with priest

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I am sure this has probably been addressed in a previous post. Anyway…here it goes. At my sister’s parish, her priest has personally told a non-Catholic, Episcopalian family that they could receive the Eucharist at this church. He has also allowed the Eucharistic ministers to distribute to this family as well. My sister does not know if her priest is also allowing other non-Catholics to receive. My sister confronted the Eucharistic minister about the problem, and they have since “corrected” the matter by telling the family they could not receive anymore because another family had complained. My sister feels that they have totally ignored the issue. Her complaint wasn’t that the family was receiving the Eucharist, but that they were told by a priest that they could. So, the question is, what should she do? This parish is also a school that her children attend. Is she even obligated to do anything more? If she confronts the priest, what ammunition (Church documents, writings, etc) could she use to show him where he is wrong? Thanks!!
 
The_Vatican_Two said:
I am sure this has probably been addressed in a previous post. Anyway…here it goes. At my sister’s parish, her priest has personally told a non-Catholic, Episcopalian family that they could receive the Eucharist at this church. He has also allowed the Eucharistic ministers to distribute to this family as well. My sister does not know if her priest is also allowing other non-Catholics to receive. My sister confronted the Eucharistic minister about the problem, and they have since “corrected” the matter by telling the family they could not receive anymore because another family had complained. My sister feels that they have totally ignored the issue. Her complaint wasn’t that the family was receiving the Eucharist, but that they were told by a priest that they could. So, the question is, what should she do? This parish is also a school that her children attend. Is she even obligated to do anything more? If she confronts the priest, what ammunition (Church documents, writings, etc) could she use to show him where he is wrong? Thanks!!
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If she has provided documentation from RS to this priest and he still allows this to happen in his parish. Notification of the Bishop is required.
 
I believe if she simply REMINDS him that what he is doing is against Church teaching that should be enough. If it continues you go to the Paster.
 
To clarify, the situation described above would not be considered a “rare circumstance” as discussed in the Pope’s encyclical.
 
The_Vatican_Two said:
To clarify, the situation described above would not be considered a “rare circumstance” as discussed in the Pope’s encyclical.
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With due respect, you were not privy to what criteria may have determined the nature of the circumstance. Rather than challenging the priest and assuming he is in error why don’t you simply explain YOUR confusion to him. This could prove to be a learning experience for you.
 
well, they can still go Communion unless they cross themself (like President Bush and his wife Laura does, I’ve seen a picture of him doing that). And the Church allows that too along they cross themself.
 
To the best of my knowledge, a lay Communion Distributor does not have the power to deny Communion to anyone who presents themselves to receive the Sacrament. As far as I know, that authority rests with the pastor or the bishop.

Even though this Distributor may suspect that this family shouldn’t be receiving, they don’t have the authority to make that determination. Unless the pastor tells the Distributor that “so-and-so” cannot receive, if “so-and-so” presents themselves, then the Distributor MUST give them Communion.

In this case, the pastor told the Distributors that the family in question could receive. They are compelled to follow the pastor’s instructions. If you have an issue with this family receiving, I encourage you to take the matter up privately with the pastor. However, regardless of who complains or what the Distributor thinks, they must give this family Communion until told otherwise by the pastor.
 
I thought Anglicans believe in the Eucharist though even though it is not a valid one. If this is the case, then couldn’t they just received a brief introduction to the Catholic church and then allowed to recieve. I don’t see why it would be necessary to teach them much if they already recieve the sacraments anyways in a not valid matter.
 
wjp984 said:
I thought Anglicans believe in the Eucharist though even though it is not a valid one. If this is the case, then couldn’t they just received a brief introduction to the Catholic church and then allowed to recieve. I don’t see why it would be necessary to teach them much if they already recieve the sacraments anyways in a not valid matter.
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Yes, It’s called seeking full union with the Catholic Church. They can be instructed, then will go to Confession. They will then make a public profession of Faith in the Catholic Church and alll that she teaches and believes. They will then be Confirmed and finally receive their First Holy Communion. They will then be Catholic, and no longer Anglican. The whole process should take generally speaking 2 to 4 months.
 
wjp984 said:
I thought Anglicans believe in the Eucharist though even though it is not a valid one. If this is the case, then couldn’t they just received a brief introduction to the Catholic church and then allowed to recieve. I don’t see why it would be necessary to teach them much if they already recieve the sacraments anyways in a not valid matter.
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As a former Anglican, I recognize what you are saying here. But in receiving the Eucharist one affirms not just the Real Presence but also accepts all the teachings of the Church. If you cannot do that, then short of your deathbed, you need to stay back at Communion time.
 
MusicMan said:
To the best of my knowledge, a lay Communion Distributor does not have the power to deny Communion to anyone who presents themselves to receive the Sacrament. As far as I know, that authority rests with the pastor or the bishop.

Even though this Distributor may suspect that this family shouldn’t be receiving, they don’t have the authority to make that determination. Unless the pastor tells the Distributor that “so-and-so” cannot receive, if “so-and-so” presents themselves, then the Distributor MUST give them Communion.

In this case, the pastor told the Distributors that the family in question could receive. They are compelled to follow the pastor’s instructions. If you have an issue with this family receiving, I encourage you to take the matter up privately with the pastor. However, regardless of who complains or what the Distributor thinks, they must give this family Communion until told otherwise by the pastor.
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Can. 912 Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to holy communion.
 
wjp984 said:
I thought Anglicans believe in the Eucharist though even though it is not a valid one. If this is the case, then couldn’t they just received a brief introduction to the Catholic church and then allowed to recieve. I don’t see why it would be necessary to teach them much if they already recieve the sacraments anyways in a not valid matter.
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And what about Confession ?
 
EMHCs do not have the authority to deny communion to anyone. This is becuae you have no way of difinitively knowing if a person has been recieved into the church or not.
 
wjp984 said:
I thought Anglicans believe in the Eucharist though even though it is not a valid one. If this is the case, then couldn’t they just received a brief introduction to the Catholic church and then allowed to recieve. I don’t see why it would be necessary to teach them much if they already recieve the sacraments anyways in a not valid matter.
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Anglicans/Episcopalians have other areas in which they are in disagreement with Rome, not only in the conceot of transubstantiation, which certainly one of the biggest is by far not the only one… They do not for example accept the primacy of the Pope among others…
 
They also do not have knowledge about whether or not someone is in the proper state of grace to receive the Sacrament. It’s not their call to make, and these rules exist to enforce that.
 
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