Communion offered to a Non-Believer

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jericho777 said:
Went to a Catholic funeral today for a 23 year old young lady. When it came to communion the priest said that anybody who believed in the actual presence was welcome to receive. That would open it up to some non catholics.
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And he was wrong in doing so.
 
SingleMomMonica said:
I am one, who as a non-Catholic received Holy Communion in a Catholic Church several times while in High School. The LEM who gave me the Eucharist was a class mate of mine who knew that I was not a Catholic. I did not know that I was not supposed to receive as no one told me. I came from a Protestant background and had no knowledge that Catholics believe that the Eucharist if the actual Body and Blood of Jesus.

The LEM never told me anything. I continued in my ignorance until several years later, I went through RCIA during which time I also attended a Bible Study and it was in the Bible Study, not RCIA, that I learned that the Catholic Church teaches that Communion is the true Body and Blood of Christ and that non-Catholics generally are not permitted to receive.

As far as mortal sin…all I can say is that God is Love and He is not waiting for a chance to send anyone to hell. He wants the salvation of everyone. I highly doubt He’d hold someone accountable for something they didn’t know.

Previously being a Catholic, I’d say that the majority of Catholics who do not believe in the Eucharist being the Body and Blood of Christ is because no one ever taught them about it. I wasn’t taught about it at all in RCIA myself. I was lucky in hearing about though through an off-handed comment in a Bible Study I chose to participate in during the same time period. And I know that many, if not most, Catholics who baptize their babies in the Catholic Church do not pay to have their children go through CCD, so those children also are not informed and even if they did attend CCD there is a good chance that it may not have been addressed there either since it wasn’t addressed in RCIA either. What I found in the Catholic Church is that it really depends on the particular parish - from parish to parish within each diocese - as to what is taught about the Catholic Church and her teachings. Some Catholic Nuns teach, as we were all taught by them in the RCIA Classes I attended, that soon there will be women priests and bishops in the Catholic Church, etc. The people within the Catholic Church are completely dependant upon those in authority to teach them correctly, but this does not happen consistently even within a single diocese.
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You are greek Orthodox. You can recieve in a catholic church, provided you do so with your church’s blessing (which is very unlikely!)

So, it’s no wonder no one told you you could not recieve. Unless you were yet another denomination at that time.🤷
 
Newbie2 said:
That begs the question, methinks, of who has the authority to ordain such pastors?
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My own thoughts on that is that one is “called” to become a pastor, so God or the Holy Spirit gives them the authority.
 
schaick said:
Your question makes me wonder do you believe that the priest has the “power” to consecrate the bread and wine or is it GOD through the words that Jesus spoke at the Last Supper?
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It’s the power of God working through the Priest.
 
Lutheranteach said:
My own thoughts on that is that one is “called” to become a pastor, so God or the Holy Spirit gives them the authority.
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This is where there is a difference in what we believe. Because, if all that is required is to be “called” anyone anywhere could claim they were called and practice all kinds of sacrilige. 😦

The Catholic Church teaches that this authority is a gift from God. The sacrament of Holy Orders. The only way one can recieve this gift is through the ministry of a validly ordained Bishop. 🙂

Of course the church does not recognize any ordinations from Bishops that broke from the Church, therefore the church would suggest that protestant ministers are not from a true line of apostolic succession and do not have the authority to consecrate.

What’s really hard to get your head around are the priests that were validly ordained, but left the Church. I assume they still have the authority, although they are probably in a heap of spiritual trouble. :confused:
 
It’s definitely the teaching of the Church that non Catholics are **not **permitted to receive the Eucharist.

the only exception is the Orthodox, but they need to get permission.

Protestants are not allowed because they don’t have Confession and receiving the Eucharist without Confession is dangerous for the person’s soul. (unless they repent of it later of course, and if they’re ignorant that obviously decreases or eliminates their culpability)
 
Monica4316 said:
It’s definitely the teaching of the Church that non Catholics are **not **permitted to receive the Eucharist.

the only exception is the Orthodox, but they need to get permission.

Protestants are not allowed because they don’t have Confession and receiving the Eucharist without Confession is dangerous for the person’s soul. (unless they repent of it later of course, and if they’re ignorant that obviously decreases or eliminates their culpability)
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Correction- the Orthodox are not the ONLY exception. I suggest you read the inside cover of your misalette in the pew sometime, carefully.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Correction- the Orthodox are not the ONLY exception. I suggest you read the inside cover of your misalette in the pew sometime, carefully.
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I have a missal and it doesn’t say anything… :confused:

do correct me if I’m wrong 🙂

but I don’t think that my non denominational friend can just walk into Mass and receive the Eucharist… I think maybe it refers to specific types of Protestants, and probably in specific situations? (emergency, etc)?
 
Lutheranteach said:
My own thoughts on that is that one is “called” to become a pastor, so God or the Holy Spirit gives them the authority.
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StrawberryJam said:
How do we know that person has been given the thumbs up by the Holy Spirit?
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Good question, SJ.

I meant it more in the sense of, for example, in the Lutheran Church, who has the authority to ordain a Lutheran minister and why does that person have that authority, and so forth for the mainstream protestant denominations.

I think there is a commonality of all Christian denominations, Catholics included, that one is “called” to the ministry, however who confers that authority and how that authority to confer/ordain is given seems to be quite different.
 
Newbie2 said:
Good question, SJ.

I meant it more in the sense of, for example, in the Lutheran Church, who has the authority to ordain a Lutheran minister and why does that person have that authority, and so forth for the mainstream protestant denominations.

I think there is a commonality of all Christian denominations, Catholics included, that one is “called” to the ministry, however who confers that authority and how that authority to confer/ordain is given seems to be quite different.
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In case you were curious, this is how Lutheran pastors are placed with congregations. Rather lengthy process:

gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976760993
 
Monica4316 said:
I have a missal and it doesn’t say anything… :confused:

do correct me if I’m wrong 🙂

but I don’t think that my non denominational friend can just walk into Mass and receive the Eucharist… I think maybe it refers to specific types of Protestants, and probably in specific situations? (emergency, etc)?
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Its right inside the front cover on the ones in our church.

No protestants are listed. I don’t remember any listed.

Going from memory now, other than the Eastern orthodox there is also some old polish catholic church listed as OK to recieve, and there are more listed. All seem to be easternish in nature. I wish I had a copy here at home. I read it the very first mass I went to.

I’ll see if I can even remember the name of it, the one used in the parish I go to and see if I can get it online. I have to think.
 
For the record, the Bishop has the right to allow a non-Catholic Christian (read Protestant) communion under some circumstances. Basically, the situation would need to be dire and the person must have an understanding of the Real Presence that is not different than the Catholic one. That would mean that they must understand that Jesus is truly present in the form of bread and wine.
 
ralphinal said:
For the record, the Bishop has the right to allow a non-Catholic Christian (read Protestant) communion under some circumstances. Basically, the situation would need to be dire and the person must have an understanding of the Real Presence that is not different than the Catholic one. That would mean that they must understand that Jesus is truly present in the form of bread and wine.
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I asked for that when I got married, but was turned down. So, we did not get married in a Catholic Church.
 
Lutheranteach said:
I asked for that when I got married, but was turned down. So, we did not get married in a Catholic Church.
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More than likely, it would be because the situation was not serious enough. Generally, it is taken to mean that the person is close to or in danger of death
 
Lutheranteach said:
In case you were curious, this is how Lutheran pastors are placed with congregations. Rather lengthy process:

gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976760993
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Interesting, thanks.

I didn’t know there were bishops. Is that just in the ELCA or in the LCMS?

My buddy who is currently a vicar working towards ordination is in a sort of new “fast-track” ordination program within the LCMS. He is working in the church where he grew up and attended all his life, and after ordination will stay there.
 
Newbie2 said:
Interesting, thanks.

I didn’t know there were bishops. Is that just in the ELCA or in the LCMS?

My buddy who is currently a vicar working towards ordination is in a sort of new “fast-track” ordination program within the LCMS. He is working in the church where he grew up and attended all his life, and after ordination will stay there.
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I believe it’s with both ELCA and LCMS
 
06convert said:
This is where there is a difference in what we believe. Because, if all that is required is to be “called” anyone anywhere could claim they were called and practice all kinds of sacrilige. 😦

The Catholic Church teaches that this authority is a gift from God. The sacrament of Holy Orders. The only way one can recieve this gift is through the ministry of a validly ordained Bishop. 🙂

Of course the church does not recognize any ordinations from Bishops that broke from the Church, therefore the church would suggest that protestant ministers are not from a true line of apostolic succession and do not have the authority to consecrate.

What’s really hard to get your head around are the priests that were validly ordained, but left the Church. I assume they still have the authority, although they are probably in a heap of spiritual trouble. :confused:
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Sadly no church can keep out people that might practice sacrilege. You must know them by their fruits.
 
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