Funerals and weddings: what does your priest say to non-Catholics regarding the reception of communion?

[Tracy24]

Interestingly, this controversy has sprung up in the last week or so in Canada.

youtube.com/watch?v=BTH9b6YJ6mc

Wow! One would have thought that someone would have advised him on that and he wouldn’t have accepted the host. I am appalled that he stuck it in his pocket like it was no big deal.
I wonder what will come of it and if Harper will apologize for his actions.

I must also say that I read the comments people made on the video and I now wish I hadn’t

 

[Lepanto]

Interestingly, this controversy has sprung up in the last week or so in Canada.

youtube.com/watch?v=BTH9b6YJ6mc

Of course, this would have been less likely to have happened if he had received on the tongue.

 

[AlexisLivia]

The pastor at my FORMER parish says nothing because he feels that ANYONE who wants to receive communion is welcome to. He also has asked his parishioners (in a homily and in the bulletin) NOT to genuflect before receiving the Eucharist. I left that parish, and in my new parish the priests ask only Catholics in a state of grace to receive, at funerals, etc., and occasionally talk about worthy reception of the Eucharist from the pulpit. Thank heaven.

 

[mom4many]

AlexisLiva…

I am so happy for you to have moved on! We need to all do this, because if the priests see we are not protesting their sloppiness, they get more sloppy (isn’t that human nature for ALL of us–to “let things go” if we can??). We recently spoke about how hard it is in rural areas to get confession more often than at Easter and Christmas, but mostly because the priests got tired of setting up times and sitting alone. Half an hour before 8:00 a.m. Mass for an entire parish? We need to push more people to see the beauty of confession so more attend…then we get more confession times!

Heidi

 

[AlexisLivia]

Mom4Many:
Ah, yes…at my FORMER parish of over 3,000 families, confession was for one half hour once a week, before the Saturday evening Mass!! (or “by appointment”) At my current parish, with 1,500 families, confession is available 3 times per week, plus twice on First Fridays, after the morning and evening Masses! Now that’s more like it!

 

[RazzsMom]

It’s that or nothing.

The bishop also gives Communion to non-Catholics, so no help there: when approached just before a funeral at which he was the celebrant and asked directly by some dignitary’s aide-de-camp if his boss, a non-Catholic, could receive Communion the bishop’s reply was “Pretend you didn’t ask the question.” Needless to say the non-Catholic received. The transitional deacon was apoplectic.

As I tell new employees at orientation, if you do not get satisfaction for a problem at one level, DON’T STOP – there is always someone farther up the chain-of-command to take the issue to. This is true in the Church as well…you could tke it straight to the Pope himself! Do what you can do! Give him names and addresses and let the Vatican hear of this! Sure - it may not be resolved (in your lifetime!), but when you face Our Lord and He asks what did you do about this abuse, what will your answer be?

 

[rpp]

At my father’s memorial services (we had two, in different cities) both priests made a statement right at the beginning that Holy Communion is for only for confirmed Catholics who do not have any unconfessed grave sins on their conscience. The priest in my town, said it slightly differently saying that a person could not receive Holy Communion unless they were a confirmed Catholic, had no unconfessed grave sins and had been to confession at least during the previous Lent (My father’s funeral was in October).

This, by the way, annoyed my sister (the one with a bumper ticker that says “Keep your Rosaries from my Ovaries” and had probably not been to Mass since she was 10) who angrily said to me afterwards, “Who does that priest think he is saying who can and cannot go to Communion! I am not paying his stipend for the funeral.”

 

[Phemie]

At my father’s memorial services (we had two, in different cities) both priests made a statement right at the beginning that Holy Communion is for only for confirmed Catholics who do not have any unconfessed grave sins on their conscience. The priest in my town, said it slightly differently saying that a person could not receive Holy Communion unless they were a confirmed Catholic, had no unconfessed grave sins and had been to confession at least during the previous Lent (My father’s funeral was in October).

Since when does one have to be a ‘confirmed’ Catholic to receive Communion? A Catholic in good standing and in a state of grace, yes; confirmed? I don’t think so. Unless he was using ‘confirmed’ in a way unrelated to the sacrament of Confirmation.

 

[rpp]

Since when does one have to be a ‘confirmed’ Catholic to receive Communion? A Catholic in good standing and in a state of grace, yes; confirmed? I don’t think so. Unless he was using ‘confirmed’ in a way unrelated to the sacrament of Confirmation.

Well, I could not receive Holy Communion until I was confirmed.

 

[Phemie]

Well, I could not receive Holy Communion until I was confirmed.

But that’s because you weren’t Catholic and confirmation was conferred upon you before you joined us at Communion for the first time. Most Roman Catholics who were born after 1910 were not confirmed before they received Communion. Since the 60s many in North America would be receiving Communion for at least 5 or more years before they were allowed to be confirmed. There are probably more than a few people in their 20s & 30s (who have been receiving Communion since they made their First Communion at the age of 7) who are still not confirmed.

 

[zab]

My pastor has made announcements at weddings and funerals informing those in attendance that only Catholics properly prepared may receive Communion. He has added, “If you are not Catholic or not prepared to receive Communion you may come forward for a blessing and to indicate this, please cross your arms like so.”, while demonstrating. It sounded like the same little note given by my previous pastor. However, my pastor has recently been shown a reference that blessings should not be happening in the Communion line and he totally accepts that information.