Episcopalian Communion

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Hello everyone. Although i believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches and plan to start regularly attending a Catholic parish I currently attend an episcopal church and I recieve communion every Sunday even though I don’t believe that episcopal communion is valid.

My question is whether or not I should continue to recieve communion even though I consider myself practically a Catholic. Is it a sin even though I haven’t yet converted?

Thank you:)
 
It isn’t a sin, but why continue if you don’t believe? God bless you on your journey over the Tiber.😃
 
CarolNoel said:
It isn’t a sin, but why continue if you don’t believe? God bless you on your journey over the Tiber.😃
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Thanks,

The reason I continue to recieve is because I keep telling myself that it might not have as much benefit as Catholic Eucharist but it might have just a little real presence:shrug: does that make sense?

But lately I’ve been feeling a little guilty about it and feeling like I am committing sacrilege by taking it
 
Dstep said:
Hello everyone. Although i believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches and plan to start regularly attending a Catholic parish I currently attend an episcopal church and I recieve communion every Sunday even though I don’t believe that episcopal communion is valid.

My question is whether or not I should continue to recieve communion even though I consider myself practically a Catholic. Is it a sin even though I haven’t yet converted?

Thank you:)
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Short answer - no you should not be receiving “communion” from another denomination and if you are a faithful active Catholic you are turning away from the Catholic faith when you do so.

If you consider yourself a Catholic no other “communion” compares because only the Catholic Church has the real presence in the Eucharist. As a Catholic Receiving Holy Communion this signifies unity and I believe.
 
If I understand you are an Episcopal who attends weekly who has been lately prompted more and more to realize that the Catholic faith is the home you should seek. If so you should be commended for attending church each week. Thats different than wandering away from the faith and joining another communion.

If I understand right, whether it is sinful or not I don’t know, but I do know I was in a similar situation to you not so long ago. Follow your heart and stop by your local catholic parish and inquire about RCIA. Discerning the right time who can say. Myself it took me a while to make the leap.

To parody Coke : “Catholicism Can’t Beat The Real Thing ™”
 
The last post has me wondering - are you Catholic? Or an Episcopalian thinking of becoming Catholic?

Either way the word communion means unity and a sign of full belief.
 
Dstep said:
Hello everyone. Although i believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches and plan to start regularly attending a Catholic parish I currently attend an episcopal church and I recieve communion every Sunday even though I don’t believe that episcopal communion is valid.

My question is whether or not I should continue to recieve communion even though I consider myself practically a Catholic. Is it a sin even though I haven’t yet converted?

Thank you:)
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If you consider of the Roman Catholic persuasion, just not yet received, you should be attending a RC church. If you are just considering Catholicism, then you may want to start your research in earnest.

BTW- does the church you attend have a male or female conducting the service?
 
Dstep said:
Thanks,

The reason I continue to recieve is because I keep telling myself that it might not have as much benefit as Catholic Eucharist but it might have just a little real presence:shrug: does that make sense?

But lately I’ve been feeling a little guilty about it and feeling like I am committing sacrilege by taking it
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Receiving communion is an act of worship. Unless blessed by a valid priest, you are objectively worshiping a piece of bread. When a Catholic receives communion, he is worshiping the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

You haven’t sinned because you didn’t fully understand the difference in the past; now, it would be best to simply refrain from communion at your old church.
 
Dstep said:
Hello everyone. Although i believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches and plan to start regularly attending a Catholic parish I currently attend an episcopal church and I recieve communion every Sunday even though I don’t believe that episcopal communion is valid.

My question is whether or not I should continue to recieve communion even though I consider myself practically a Catholic. Is it a sin even though I haven’t yet converted?

Thank you:)
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Are you in RCIA yet? That would make a difference. If you have formally joined the RCIA with the Rite of Welcome or Rite of Acceptance, then you should not be participating in non-Catholic worship ceremonies, other than special events for family members.

But if you have not yet joined the RCIA, you can worship anywhere you want to, and just make sure to follow their rules for holy communion.
 
jmjconder said:
The last post has me wondering - are you Catholic? Or an Episcopalian thinking of becoming Catholic?

Either way the word communion means unity and a sign of full belief.
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I am technically Episcopalian and I attend an episcopal church but I believe everything about Catholicism and know its true but I haven’t fully made the transition from attending an episcopal church to attending a Catholic Church. I plan to do RCIA next time it starts.

My problem is that since i haven’t converted to Catholicism yet, am I bound by the law that says Catholics can’t take communion in Protestant churches?
 
Dstep said:
I am technically Episcopalian and I attend an episcopal church but I believe everything about Catholicism and know its true but I haven’t fully made the transition from attending an episcopal church to attending a Catholic Church. I plan to do RCIA next time it starts.

My problem is that since i haven’t converted to Catholicism yet, am I bound by the law that says Catholics can’t take communion in Protestant churches?
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No, not yet. 🙂
 
As the Deacon has told me, it’s one thing thing to convert from other Christian faiths to the Catholic faith, and quite another to convert from the Catholic faith to other Christian faiths.
His intent with this statement was,
To Catholicism is a step up, which is better.
From Catholicism is a step down.
“In other words,” he said, “in the other Christian faiths, you know the Truth. In Catholicism, you know the whole truth. Retracting part of the truth makes no sense.”

Understood.

For one who is, say, Episcopalian, or even still discerning as a Christian, one could take communion respectfully (according to that Church’s protocol), as part of the truth, even if symbolically, till the day one could take communion as the full truth when able…

In other words, honoring Jesus symbolically while discerning is not without merit though it may not be the ‘whole truth.’
 
cheezey said:
As the Deacon has told me, it’s one thing thing to convert from other Christian faiths to the Catholic faith, and quite another to convert from the Catholic faith to other Christian faiths.
His intent with this statement was,
To Catholicism is a step up, which is better.
From Catholicism is a step down.
“In other words,” he said, “in the other Christian faiths, you know the Truth. In Catholicism, you know the whole truth. Retracting part of the truth makes no sense.”

Understood.

For one who is, say, Episcopalian, or even still discerning as a Christian, one could take communion respectfully (according to that Church’s protocol), as part of the truth, even if symbolically, till the day one could take communion as the full truth when able…

In other words, honoring Jesus symbolically while discerning is not without merit though it may not be the ‘whole truth.’
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Thank you this is what I really wanted to know:)
 
Dstep said:
So is it a sin to take communion that I don’t believe in? I’m not sure why but I feel like its wrong to take communion that’s not actually the real thing
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And nearly a year before you will receive it validly in the Catholic Church.

It’s up to you - follow your conscience.
 
At the risk of giving unsolicited advice…If you have made the decision to become Catholic it might be wise to attend a Catholic church and not receive communion until accepted. There is nothing at a non-Catholic church which will edify you and draw you closer to the Catholic faith, yet much that will try to draw you away. If you have made the decision, protect it by surrounding yourself with people of like mind and practice.
 
Dstep said:
So is it a sin to take communion that I don’t believe in? I’m not sure why but I feel like its wrong to take communion that’s not actually the real thing
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I think your instincts are telling you correctly. You can always make a spiritual communion in the Catholic Church, and there are some lovely prayers for that.
My personal favorite is the Anima Christi.
 
katy said:
I think your instincts are telling you correctly. You can always make a spiritual communion in the Catholic Church, and there are some lovely prayers for that.
My personal favorite is the Anima Christi.
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Is it not possible that non catholic communion can have some symbolic benefit. I know it doesn’t compare with the real thing but I feel conflicted about it
 
ChurchSoldier said:
At the risk of giving unsolicited advice…If you have made the decision to become Catholic it might be wise to attend a Catholic church and not receive communion until accepted. There is nothing at a non-Catholic church which will edify you and draw you closer to the Catholic faith, yet much that will try to draw you away. If you have made the decision, protect it by surrounding yourself with people of like mind and practice.
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Well, for me, it was a choice to attend church and enter RCIA, but it is not a choice to refrain from communion; it is mandated. The way you worded the above sounded as if the OP should refrain from communion as a choice. Maybe I am wrong. I am a bit dense sometimes. Not my fault though. 😛
 
Dstep said:
So is it a sin to take communion that I don’t believe in? I’m not sure why but I feel like its wrong to take communion that’s not actually the real thing
Click to expand...
Dstep said:
Is it not possible that non catholic communion can have some symbolic benefit. I know it doesn’t compare with the real thing but I feel conflicted about it
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In my opinion it has about as much benefit as continuing to date a former boy or girlfriend when you are engaged to marry a different person. The time for dating around is before you decide who you want to marry.

If you are so unsure that you want to keep dating around then by all means do so, but don’t pretend you’re engaged. Once you are engaged, it is a time to live basically as a married person would (apart from the sleeping together bit). Ie stay faithful!

Of course in any engagement you are free not to go through with the wedding if you get cold feet, in which case you break it off and then are free to resume dating whoever you want.

Having said all this, there may be reasons to continue to attend (eg family pressures) but under no circumstances would I advise receiving communion.
 
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