Did I commit a mortal sin?

[Zenkai]

I am a Protestant and I have received Communion at Protestant churches quite a lot. Many times at a Baptist church and once at a Church of Christ. Have I committed a mortal sin?

I think it’s only a mortal sin if Catholics participate in Protestant Communion, but I just want to make sure.

-Thank you

 

[marian_love]

It doesn’t seem like you commited a mortal sin. You have to knowingly do wrong in order for a sin to be mortal. By virtue of the question of “if” you sinned…you couldn’t have knowingly sinned. Does that make sense?

 

[Zenkai]

It doesn’t seem like you commited a mortal sin. You have to knowingly do wrong in order for a sin to be mortal. By virtue of the question of “if” you sinned…you couldn’t have knowingly sinned. Does that make sense?

Yes it does.

So for future reference, should I continue to receive Protestant Communion while I’m still Protestant?

 

[marian_love]

That is up to you. Protestants cannot recieve the Eucharist at Mass. Catholics cannot receive communion at a protestant church. I see no underlying issue with continuing to receive communion, because you are still protestant.

 

[Angel7]

I might be missing something, but, if Protestant Communion should be avoided for Catholics.
Then shouldn’t someone wanting to become Catholic also avoid protestant communion?

 

[JK8619]

Just wondering, why can a Catholic not take communion at a Protestant church? The point of communion is allegiance to Christ, not to the Church.

 

[Wowbagger]

Why do you care what a bunch of Catholics think, Zenkai? I think that makes a big difference.

Receiving Protestant communion is a way of recognizing and affirming the legitimacy of Protestant sacraments – when, in fact, Protestant “sacraments” (I hate to use the scare quotes) suffer from many defects. It is a form of bearing false witness of Christ to the world. It is always an error.

It is only a sin, however, if you recognize that Protestantism is false, and continue to make that false profession anyway.

That’s my opinion, anyway. Does that make sense?

 

[ThirstyOne]

Hi Zenkai!!

Welcome to the Catholic faith! I have always been a Catholic, and I’ve always believed in the Church’s teaching of transubstantiation (Christ’s presence truly occurs under the APPEARANCE of bread and wine)

However, seeing as Protestants do NOT believe in transubstantiation as well as other teachings which the Catholic Church has taught from the beginning, I would not continue going to Protestant services…believe me, I understand the desire to receive Communion. I am going to be a religious! The Eucharist is my daily nourishment!! But if you are serious about this change, it’s going to be a long road…difficult at times and filled with challenges and temptations. But remember that when the devil is tempting us, it shows He is angry because we’re getting closer to God. It’s also a way of God allowing us to go through trials like waiting a year for the Eucharist so we truly love and appreciate Him when we are given those graces!

I would suggest asking a priest FIRST, but in my opinion, if you want to be a Catholic, you don’t believe what Protestants believe about Communion, so why would you want to receive it? They think it’s just bread, it’s just a memorial…a memory of His passion. Instead, surround yourself with the graces you CAN receive at this special time in your life. For example, have you heard of making a spiritual communion? You CAN receive Jesus into your soul at every Mass, just not PHYSICALLY until your Baptism. So you will be receiving just what every other Catholic is receiving. PLUS, the graces you receive at Mass will support and strengthen your new faith. Trust me, some of my spiritual communions have been more beautiful than my physical communions in the past!

Also, allow yourself a few moments to go to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament if at all possible…at any time in the day or night. Jesus is exposed in the tabernacle in tiny side-chapels all around the country! He is a “prisoner of love”, waiting for someone to visit. The beautiful moments you spend with God there are just as important as receiving Him in Communion…

God Bless you 100-fold!! There will be challenging days ahead, just keep your eyes fixed in a gaze on the Crucifix on which Christ gave His ENTIRE life for you!!!

 

[ThirstyOne]

Just wondering, why can a Catholic not take communion at a Protestant church? The point of communion is allegiance to Christ, not to the Church.

Hi JK! Blessings to you!

Catholics cannot receive Communion at a Protestant Church because we believe in transubstantiation, whereas Protestants believe in consubstantiation or other beliefs! They see it as a memorial…a memory of Christ’s Last Supper. Whereas as Catholics, we believe Christ is TRULY present in the Eucharist. When He said “This is my body” and “This is my blood”, He meant that quite literally…to show you how crazy of an idea this is (because it’s hard to believe sometimes!) the disciples argued amongst themselves when Jesus said this, and He LOST followers, it says they “went away” because He was talking of cannibalism. But He did not correct them…He did not mollify them and say “Oh, don’t leave! I meant that figuratively!” As a person receiving Protestant communion, they are witnessing to that faith and professing that the Protestant faith is what they believe in.

Sorry for the long paragraph Have a great night!

 

[smallgirl01]

I did not know this was a sin my husband is a protestant and whenever he is around we go for service together to his church and i always receive the eucharist. Oh no. What should i do now.

 

[Zenkai]

Hi Zenkai!!

Welcome to the Catholic faith! I have always been a Catholic, and I’ve always believed in the Church’s teaching of transubstantiation (Christ’s presence truly occurs under the APPEARANCE of bread and wine)

However, seeing as Protestants do NOT believe in transubstantiation as well as other teachings which the Catholic Church has taught from the beginning, I would not continue going to Protestant services…believe me, I understand the desire to receive Communion. I am going to be a religious! The Eucharist is my daily nourishment!! But if you are serious about this change, it’s going to be a long road…difficult at times and filled with challenges and temptations. But remember that when the devil is tempting us, it shows He is angry because we’re getting closer to God. It’s also a way of God allowing us to go through trials like waiting a year for the Eucharist so we truly love and appreciate Him when we are given those graces!

I would suggest asking a priest FIRST, but in my opinion, if you want to be a Catholic, you don’t believe what Protestants believe about Communion, so why would you want to receive it? They think it’s just bread, it’s just a memorial…a memory of His passion. Instead, surround yourself with the graces you CAN receive at this special time in your life. For example, have you heard of making a spiritual communion? You CAN receive Jesus into your soul at every Mass, just not PHYSICALLY until your Baptism. So you will be receiving just what every other Catholic is receiving. PLUS, the graces you receive at Mass will support and strengthen your new faith. Trust me, some of my spiritual communions have been more beautiful than my physical communions in the past!

Also, allow yourself a few moments to go to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament if at all possible…at any time in the day or night. Jesus is exposed in the tabernacle in tiny side-chapels all around the country! He is a “prisoner of love”, waiting for someone to visit. The beautiful moments you spend with God there are just as important as receiving Him in Communion…

God Bless you 100-fold!! There will be challenging days ahead, just keep your eyes fixed in a gaze on the Crucifix on which Christ gave His ENTIRE life for you!!!

Thank you very much! I look forward to when I will finally become a Catholic Christian!

 

[Wowbagger]

I did not know this was a sin my husband is a protestant and whenever he is around we go for service together to his church and i always receive the eucharist. Oh no. What should i do now.

Stop? Normally, when I can’t receive Catholic communion (because of serious sin), I just get out of the pew to allow others to pass me by on the way up to communion, then remain at the pew until I have to let them back in again. I politely recuse myself from the communion line without getting in anyone else’s way. Is that an option for you?

Since you weren’t aware it was wrong, you haven’t done anything sinful at this point, so you don’t need to do anything but stop.

As with everything you hear on CAF, check with your priest before acting on my opinion. After all, I am just some random guy on the internet.

In any event, the most important thing, by far, is that you are participating in a Catholic Mass at some point every Sunday, even when you also attend a Protestant service before or after.

 

[Zenkai]

Why do you care what a bunch of Catholics think, Zenkai?

Because I want to become a Catholic Christian.

The earliest Christians all believed in the real presence (at least from the research I’ve done so far). Only within the last 500 or so years has the idea of it being just a symbol came into existence. I don’t think the Holy Spirit would allow Christians to be incorrect for 1500 years.

 

[ThirstyOne]

Stop? Normally, when I can’t receive Catholic communion (because of serious sin), I just get out of the pew to allow others to pass me by on the way up to communion, then remain at the pew until I have to let them back in again. I politely recuse myself from the communion line without getting in anyone else’s way. Is that an option for you?

Since you weren’t aware it was wrong, you haven’t done anything sinful at this point, so you don’t need to do anything but stop.

As with everything you hear on CAF, check with your priest before acting on my opinion. After all, I am just some random guy on the internet.

In any event, the most important thing, by far, is that you are participating in a Catholic Mass at some point every Sunday, even when you also attend a Protestant service before or after.

It’s good to stand up and let people go and then sit back down in the pew and receive a spiritual communion (I LOVE the fact that we have that option!!!) but ALSO, for many reasons a person may want to go in the Communion line but instead of receiving Christ physically, you should cross your arms over your chest and bow your head for a blessing from the Priest! My sister did this once when she didn’t want my parents to know she had committed a serious sin, she just hadn’t had the opportunity to go to Confession yet, so I saw her go up with the people in our pew to receive, and quietly crossed her arms and received a blessing from the priest! awesome!!

 

[Usige]

I am a Protestant and I have received Communion at Protestant churches quite a lot. Many times at a Baptist church and once at a Church of Christ. Have I committed a mortal sin?

I think it’s only a mortal sin if Catholics participate in Protestant Communion, but I just want to make sure.

-Thank you

Interesting question. It’s not a mortal sin if you didn’t know better, but is it a sin once you know that protestant communion services are a shadow of the Eucharist? I would think once you have had that mental conversion to knowing that the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of our Lord that it would be a grave matter to continue to participate in memorial celebrations done as a symbolic gesture.

That being said that would be something up to you and your confessor to discuss (I tend to be hardline about stuff so your confessor might not see it the same way I would )

 

[Zenkai]

That being said that would be something up to you and your confessor to discuss (I tend to be hardline about stuff so your confessor might not see it the same way I would )

I don’t have a confessor though.

I guess I should just not receive Communion at my Protestant church. I guess I can just wait until I’m Catholic and receive the Eucharist.

 

[kentcara2003]

Hi Zenkai!!

Welcome to the Catholic faith! I have always been a Catholic, and I’ve always believed in the Church’s teaching of transubstantiation (Christ’s presence truly occurs under the APPEARANCE of bread and wine)

However, seeing as Protestants do NOT believe in transubstantiation as well as other teachings which the Catholic Church has taught from the beginning, I would not continue going to Protestant services…believe me, I understand the desire to receive Communion. I am going to be a religious! The Eucharist is my daily nourishment!! But if you are serious about this change, it’s going to be a long road…difficult at times and filled with challenges and temptations. But remember that when the devil is tempting us, it shows He is angry because we’re getting closer to God. It’s also a way of God allowing us to go through trials like waiting a year for the Eucharist so we truly love and appreciate Him when we are given those graces!

I would suggest asking a priest FIRST, but in my opinion, if you want to be a Catholic, you don’t believe what Protestants believe about Communion, so why would you want to receive it? They think it’s just bread, it’s just a memorial…a memory of His passion. Instead, surround yourself with the graces you CAN receive at this special time in your life. For example, have you heard of making a spiritual communion? You CAN receive Jesus into your soul at every Mass, just not PHYSICALLY until your Baptism. So you will be receiving just what every other Catholic is receiving. PLUS, the graces you receive at Mass will support and strengthen your new faith. Trust me, some of my spiritual communions have been more beautiful than my physical communions in the past!

Also, allow yourself a few moments to go to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament if at all possible…at any time in the day or night. Jesus is exposed in the tabernacle in tiny side-chapels all around the country! He is a “prisoner of love”, waiting for someone to visit. The beautiful moments you spend with God there are just as important as receiving Him in Communion…

God Bless you 100-fold!! There will be challenging days ahead, just keep your eyes fixed in a gaze on the Crucifix on which Christ gave His ENTIRE life for you!!!

Do listen to our brother ThirstyOne…
He speaks of our Faith. He got it nailed to a T!
I read in another thread of a sister who was converted to the Faith because of “the awesomeness of the Holy Eucharist and thru the years she says she enters more deeply in appreciation of this gift.” She’s got it right too.!!!
The Eucharist is the cornerstone of the Faith because Jesus our Lord is the cornerstone and He is the Eucharist!!

Practise as Br ThirstyOne has suggested and you will grow in faith in Him.
If we catholics do not take the generous presence with great awe and trembling and heartfelt thanksgiving , we will lose out on what eternal life is all about…namely to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent…

Do you know of anyone who has allowed nails to pierce his hands and feet… for love of you?
Limbs to be pulled out of their sockets and left hanging on these very wounds that penetrate to the very marrow of their bones and the depths of their being… for love of you?
Hung on the cross for 3 hours, where not one spot on his body that was not in torment … for love of you?
This same Jesus awaits you in Holy Communion to give you a foretaste of the eternal life He is preparing for you and all who are prepared to deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him. …
He is so humble…so small…humbly waiting as a “piece of bread” …that He might reward us for our act of Faith by coming to receive Him. It is truly unbelievable that anyone would give himself so generously, so fully and completely to another as our God does in the awesome gift to each and every of us! Such is the measure with which He gives Himself!!! Not once and for all at Calvary but at every Holy Communion to the end of Time for LOVE OF US. Can we BUT just understand this, then we would not venture to ask what has God done for ME?
Alas, even to those in mortal sin!! He comes whole and entire, though they receive Him but not the graces that comes with this gift but only add punishment unto punishment unless they repent…I believe the world is this terrible state because of the sins and indifference of catholics…and yet it is not the worse because of those who would try to make reparation by receiving Him with a grateful heart and allay the Justice of God from sweeping down upon the world!!)
Make no mistake abt it, as St PAUL tells us, “God highly exalted Him, bestowed on Him the name above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee must bend, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings…yet He remains meek and humble of heart in the Eucharist…will you respond in His ways and after His example?

So dear future brother in Christ, seek this great gift with all your heart and resolve never to let a day pass without you managing to receive Him (presently, only spiritually), which as our brother has said would prepare you by the graces He give in preparation for the happy day you will truly receive Him in communion) with all the ardor of your heart even if you do not feel his presence …but walk in faith…and you will be more and more grateful for this awesome gift which comes to us through the gift of the Catholic Faith…

God bless.
Kentcara2003

 

[Zenkai]

Do listen to our brother ThirstyOne…
He speaks of our Faith. He got it nailed to a T!
I read in another thread of a sister who was converted to the Faith because of “the awesomeness of the Holy Eucharist and thru the years she says she enters more deeply in appreciation of this gift.” She’s got it right too.!!!
The Eucharist is the cornerstone of the Faith because Jesus our Lord is the cornerstone and He is the Eucharist!!

Practise as Br ThirstyOne has suggested and you will grow in faith in Him.
If we catholics do not take the generous presence with great awe and trembling and heartfelt thanksgiving , we will lose out on what eternal life is all about…namely to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent…

Do you know of anyone who has allowed nails to pierce his hands and feet… for love of you?
Limbs to be pulled out of their sockets and left hanging on these very wounds that penetrate to the very marrow of their bones and the depths of their being… for love of you?
Hung on the cross for 3 hours, where not one spot on his body that was not in torment … for love of you?
This same Jesus awaits you in Holy Communion to give you a foretaste of the eternal life He is preparing for you and all who are prepared to deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him. …
He is so humble…so small…humbly waiting as a “piece of bread” …that He might reward us for our act of Faith by coming to receive Him. It is truly unbelievable that anyone would give himself so generously, so fully and completely to another as our God does in the awesome gift to each and every of us! Such is the measure with which He gives Himself!!! Not once and for all at Calvary but at every Holy Communion to the end of Time for LOVE OF US. Can we BUT just understand this, then we would not venture to ask what has God done for ME?
Alas, even to those in mortal sin!! He comes whole and entire, though they receive Him but not the graces that comes with this gift but only add punishment unto punishment unless they repent…I believe the world is this terrible state because of the sins and indifference of catholics…and yet it is not the worse because of those who would try to make reparation by receiving Him with a grateful heart and allay the Justice of God from sweeping down upon the world!!)
Make no mistake abt it, as St PAUL tells us, “God highly exalted Him, bestowed on Him the name above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee must bend, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings…yet He remains meek and humble of heart in the Eucharist…will you respond in His ways and after His example?

So dear future brother in Christ, seek this great gift with all your heart and resolve never to let a day pass without you managing to receive Him (presently, only spiritually), which as our brother has said would prepare you by the graces He give in preparation for the happy day you will truly receive Him in communion) with all the ardor of your heart even if you do not feel his presence …but walk in faith…and you will be more and more grateful for this awesome gift which comes to us through the gift of the Catholic Faith…

God bless.
Kentcara2003

Thank you for your response. God bless.

 

[marian_love]

I don’t have a confessor though.

I guess I should just not receive Communion at my Protestant church. I guess I can just wait until I’m Catholic and receive the Eucharist.

That’s what I am doing.