Communion outside of church

[reidtgang]

Our RCIA class has been trying to find a rule that tells us not to receive communion outside of the Catholic Church. We know we are not allowed but where is it written?

Help.

Reidtgang

 

[Orionthehunter]

reidtgang:

Our RCIA class has been trying to find a rule that tells us not to receive communion outside of the Catholic Church. We know we are not allowed but where is it written?

Help.

Reidtgang

From teh Catechism:

1398 The Eucharist and the unity of Christians. Before the greatness of this mystery St. Augustine exclaims, "O sacrament of devotion! O sign of unity! O bond of charity!"237 The more painful the experience of the divisions in the Church which break the common participation in the table of the Lord, the more urgent are our prayers to the Lord that the time of complete unity among all who believe in him may return.

1399 The Eastern churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church celebrate the Eucharist with great love. “These Churches, although separated from us, yet possess true sacraments, above all - by apostolic succession - the priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy.” A certain communion in sacris, and so in the Eucharist, "given suitable circumstances and the approval of Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged."238

1400 Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church, "have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders."239 It is for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible. However these ecclesial communities

 

[reidtgang]

Thanks!

I knew the answer was in there (CCC) somewhere.

Reidtgang

 

[Church_Militant]

Also from John Paul the Great’s encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia

1. The Catholic Church’s teaching on the relationship between priestly ministry and the Eucharist and her teaching on the Eucharistic Sacrifice have both been the subject in recent decades of a fruitful dialogue in the area of ecumenism. We must give thanks to the Blessed Trinity for the significant progress and convergence achieved in this regard, which lead us to hope one day for a full sharing of faith. Nonetheless, the observations of the Council concerning the Ecclesial Communities which arose in the West from the sixteenth century onwards and are separated from the Catholic Church remain fully pertinent: “The Ecclesial Communities separated from us lack that fullness of unity with us which should flow from Baptism, and we believe that especially because of the lack of the sacrament of Orders they have not preserved the genuine and total reality of the Eucharistic mystery. Nevertheless, when they commemorate the Lord’s death and resurrection in the Holy Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and they await his coming in glory”.62

**The Catholic faithful, therefore, while respecting the religious convictions of these separated brethren, must refrain from receiving the communion distributed in their celebrations, so as not to condone an ambiguity about the nature of the Eucharist and, consequently, to fail in their duty to bear clear witness to the truth. **This would result in slowing the progress being made towards full visible unity. Similarly, it is unthinkable to substitute for Sunday Mass ecumenical celebrations of the word or services of common prayer with Christians from the aforementioned Ecclesial Communities, or even participation in their own liturgical services. Such celebrations and services, however praiseworthy in certain situations, prepare for the goal of full communion, including Eucharistic communion, but they cannot replace it.

The fact that the power of consecrating the Eucharist has been entrusted only to Bishops and priests does not represent any kind of belittlement of the rest of the People of God, for in the communion of the one body of Christ which is the Church this gift redounds to the benefit of all.

 

[mercygate]

reidtgang:

Our RCIA class has been trying to find a rule that tells us not to receive communion outside of the Catholic Church. We know we are not allowed but where is it written?

Help.

Reidtgang

Does it scare you that your RCIA leader did not know the answer to this basic question? :bigyikes:

 

[Church_Militant]

mercygate:

Does it scare you that your RCIA leader did not know the answer to this basic question? :bigyikes:

It shouldn’t, since there are a lot of Catholics who don’t know this and have never even looked into it. RCIA teachers are often gleaned from parish volunteers, and they don’t always have all the answers…most are thrilled to have anyone in the class supplement their materials along the way.

In the class that my wife and I did in our parish…this discussion was summed up. “Can” you receive in a non-Catholic service? Yes. Should you? NO.
Me…I compare it to going to a fancy restaurant that advertises great food, and only finding that they serve crackers and juice.
Pax tecum,

 

[Joan_M]

Church Militant:

It shouldn’t, since there are a lot of Catholics who don’t know this and have never even looked into it. RCIA teachers are often gleaned from parish volunteers, and they don’t always have all the answers…most are thrilled to have anyone in the class supplement their materials along the way.

This, to my mind, is a major problem. No one should be allowed to teach the Faith without proper preparation - they should have training as catechists before being let loose on a class! Each diocese or region should have a catechist training center, or some other way to train those who will be passing on the Faith.

I know - this is the ideal, and if the Bishop is not enthusiastic, nothing will be done. But, it’s frightening - while there are knowledgeable Catholics involved in at least some parishes, in many more it is a case of the blind leading the blind!

 

[Church_Militant]

Joan M:

This, to my mind, is a major problem. No one should be allowed to teach the Faith without proper preparation - they should have training as catechists before being let loose on a class! Each diocese or region should have a catechist training center, or some other way to train those who will be passing on the Faith.

I know - this is the ideal, and if the Bishop is not enthusiastic, nothing will be done. But, it’s frightening - while there are knowledgeable Catholics involved in at least some parishes, in many more it is a case of the blind leading the blind!

Then maybe we should volunteer, huh?

 

[Orionthehunter]

Church Militant:

Then maybe we should volunteer, huh?

This is such a good point. So many people are critical on this forum when the root of the problems in the Church are related to poor catechesis. They would each have more standing if I knew they were involved in CCD, RCIA, Adult Education, or evangalization in their parish (either to fallen away Catholics or our separated brethren).

 

[Brendan]

mercygate:

Does it scare you that your RCIA leader did not know the answer to this basic question? :bigyikes:

It might have been their homework assignment, ya know.

 

[stbruno]

Propositions of Synod on the Eucharist, Nos. 41-45
Holy Communion With non-Catholic Christians “Not Generally Possible”

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 4, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Propositions 41-45 given to Benedict XVI by the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.

The Pope has allowed the publication of a non-official provisional translation in Italian, on which this text is based. ZENIT is publishing translations of all 50 propositions.

---

Proposition 41

Admission of Non-Catholic Faithful to Communion

Based on the communion of all Christians, which the one Baptism already keeps active, though not yet in a complete manner, separation before the Lord’s banquet is justly experienced as something painful. Both within the Catholic Church as well by our non-Catholic brothers and sisters, there often arises as a consequence the urgent request for the possibility of Eucharistic Communion between Catholic Christians and others. It must be clarified that the Eucharist does not only signify our personal communion with Jesus Christ, but above all the full communion of the Church.

Therefore, we ask non-Catholic Christians to understand and respect the fact that for us, according to biblically based tradition, Eucharistic Communion and ecclesial communion are closely linked; therefore, Eucharistic Communion with non-Catholic Christians is not generally possible. Even more does an ecumenical concelebration have to be excluded. It should also be clarified that, in view of personal salvation, the admission of non-Catholic Christians to the Eucharist, to the sacrament of penance and to the anointing of the sick, in specific individual situations, under precise conditions, is possible and even recommended (“Unitatis Redintegratio” 8, 15; Ecumenical Directory 129-131; Code of Canon Law 844, 3-4; Code of the Eastern Churches 671, 4; encyclical letter “Ut Unum Sint,” 46; encyclical letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” 46).

The synod insists that the conditions expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1398-1401) and its Compendium (293) be observed