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Casilda
Guest
He traveled to the Azores and names the church and the priest who gave him communion.
timothylutts.com/madeira-and-the-azores/
timothylutts.com/madeira-and-the-azores/
Non-Catholic blogger recounts receiving communion in Catholic church
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PaulfromIowa
Guest
There is no need to make this seem like a scandal. The priest didn’t know that he was non-Catholic. It sounds like the writer was ignorant of the fact that he should not receive the Catholic Eucharist.
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Reuben_J
Guest
He obviously did not know that as a non-Catholic, he should not receive Holy Communion. He also mistakenly thought that Father would be disappointed if he didn’t receive.
This kind of mistake happened. It didn’t help that Father took it for granted that those who came to his church were Catholics.
Edit:
Disrespectful. He thought it was disrespectful if he didn’t receive which was to the contrary. It was disrespectful that he did but since it out of his ignorance, so it was just a mistake.
This kind of mistake happened. It didn’t help that Father took it for granted that those who came to his church were Catholics.
Edit:
Disrespectful. He thought it was disrespectful if he didn’t receive which was to the contrary. It was disrespectful that he did but since it out of his ignorance, so it was just a mistake.
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adamhovey1988
Guest
I think we should do a better job of telling people during the Liturgy that non-catholics except under certain circumstances can not receive communion because of a different understanding of communion. I went to a Christmas Divine Liturgy once and the priest there out and out said that unless you are Catholic or Orthodox (technically he’s right, the Church doesn’t reject the Orthodox receiving communion, although they are asked to listen to their Bishops on that issue) do not receive communion. I went to a funeral mass with a friend of mine for another friend that had died and I told her before we went that she can’t receive communion and do you know what? She didn’t and they have weekly communion in her tradition but I explained to her what our understanding of Anglican communion is (she is ACNA) and why she couldn’t receive. I also told her out loud I didn’t think she had valid Apostolic succession in her charge now I told her that’s not to say that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be getting anything from communion in hers, but I told her she can’t receive communion in mine. Even if I were invited to receive communion in her church I wouldn’t.
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RPRPsych
Guest
Agreed with both the above posts. Our outrage is best reserved for more serious matters, where sins against the Sacraments are committed openly with full knowledge.
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adamhovey1988
Guest
A little off topic but it has to do with my grammar I need to get my computer back because this voice to text is not cutting it. I think the dude should have read up on what the discipline was with regards to non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist
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RPRPsych
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I’m lucky that way: at the Mass I attend, they spell it out explicitly before the distribution of the Eucharist begins.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
I actually knew someone who was visiting a church that placed the host on the tongue and the before she could say she wasn’t a Catholic the priest stuffed it in her mouth! She panicked and spat it on the floor. I don’t know if that was better than swallowing but it was an awkward moment.
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Memaw
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The writer knew, he even said even tho he wasn’t Catholic, he went out of “respect” for the priest. Why not “RESPECT” Our Lord first??? God Bless, Memaw
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Mintaka
Guest
The article is from 2012.
At this point, the mistake is between the writer and God, and between the priest and God.
To be fair, most non-Americans would think of Boston as a Catholic city full of Catholics, and Timothy as a good Irish Catholic name. (Because it stood in for Tadhg.)
At this point, the mistake is between the writer and God, and between the priest and God.
To be fair, most non-Americans would think of Boston as a Catholic city full of Catholics, and Timothy as a good Irish Catholic name. (Because it stood in for Tadhg.)
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Agape_Thom
Guest
This account called to mind an experience I had some thirty years ago.
First, I am a former Catholic. The reasons for that are too many to explain in this post. I consider my self to be a born again Chistian and I hold no animosity toward the Catholic church. In fact, it was the priest and nuns that I had for teachers through twelve years of pa to hail school who laid the foundation of my faith.
Some years ago the only son of friends was killed at the age of fourteen, in a dirt bike accident. Upon learning this, my wife and I immediately went to their home to comfort them.
The house was filled with friends and family. Among those gathered there was my friend’s parish priest. Yes, my friends are Catholic. My friends had told the priest that they would like me to give a brief eulogy at their son’s funeral mass. The priest and I stepped out onto the back yard deck to discuss this. It was a very friendly discussion.
At the end of our talk I gave the priest a condensed version of my faith journey. I explained that although I had absolutely no regrets or second thoughts about leaving the Catholic church that there was one thing that bothered me. That thing was that I was not welcome at the communion table in a Catholic church.
He looked me in the eye, placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “When it comes time for communion at the mass, come to me.” Knowing the Catholic teaching on communion I was a bit surprised.
At the mass I did take communion. It was a moment of love and joy for me, not because I believe the Catholic stance on communion, but because of the per lived reconciliation that I experienced.
I will always be grateful to that priest.
Take this experience for what it is. It’s not my intention to cause controversy. I just felt a need to share.
First, I am a former Catholic. The reasons for that are too many to explain in this post. I consider my self to be a born again Chistian and I hold no animosity toward the Catholic church. In fact, it was the priest and nuns that I had for teachers through twelve years of pa to hail school who laid the foundation of my faith.
Some years ago the only son of friends was killed at the age of fourteen, in a dirt bike accident. Upon learning this, my wife and I immediately went to their home to comfort them.
The house was filled with friends and family. Among those gathered there was my friend’s parish priest. Yes, my friends are Catholic. My friends had told the priest that they would like me to give a brief eulogy at their son’s funeral mass. The priest and I stepped out onto the back yard deck to discuss this. It was a very friendly discussion.
At the end of our talk I gave the priest a condensed version of my faith journey. I explained that although I had absolutely no regrets or second thoughts about leaving the Catholic church that there was one thing that bothered me. That thing was that I was not welcome at the communion table in a Catholic church.
He looked me in the eye, placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “When it comes time for communion at the mass, come to me.” Knowing the Catholic teaching on communion I was a bit surprised.
At the mass I did take communion. It was a moment of love and joy for me, not because I believe the Catholic stance on communion, but because of the per lived reconciliation that I experienced.
I will always be grateful to that priest.
Take this experience for what it is. It’s not my intention to cause controversy. I just felt a need to share.
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Phemie
Guest
Unfortunately, in the last 50 years I’ve attended Mass across Canada, at Notre Dame in Paris, San Marco in Venice, and in the Netherlands and I’ve heard that statement made exactly once, by a visiting priest who was serving in my parish over Christmas a few years ago.
To be fair, the Mass in the Netherlands was in Dutch so they may have said it and I didn’t understand.
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EnglishTeacher
Guest
If you believe that Christ is present in the Eucharist, why not come back to His Church? If you do not believe it, why would you want to receive the Eucharist? Receiving Holy Communion is a public declaration that you believe all that the Church teaches. Not to mention, it is also dangerous to your soul to receive the Eucharist if not Catholic and/or not properly disposed (see I Corinthians 11:29).
Aggie Catholic has a good article on why non-Catholics may not receive Communion. You can read it in full here, but here is a clip from it:
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Cassandra_Lyn
Guest
This leads me to ask a question I’ve often wondered about… One must be baptized before one can take communion, and one should go through the RCIA first…
Who would know any different? If someone new began to attend your church and just went through the motions and took communion, would anyone ever question whether they were baptized Catholic, and is there any way they could find out if someone was not?
I would think obviously not. I wonder if this often happens?
Who would know any different? If someone new began to attend your church and just went through the motions and took communion, would anyone ever question whether they were baptized Catholic, and is there any way they could find out if someone was not?
I would think obviously not. I wonder if this often happens?
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Phemie
Guest
I think it happens quite often. My husband used to sing in our choir and was repeatedly invited to join the KofC. If he had presented himself to receive Communion nobody would have questioned it and unless we told it would probably never have come to light. We knew better, but someone not well catechized might not. In fact, in one of the parishes where we lived in the 80s the priest told me that DH could receive when he came to Mass with the kids and me. He chose not to because he didn’t feel it was right.
I know there are non-Catholic spouses who receive Communion now in my parish now and nobody questions it.
It may be happening less often in Canada than it was several years ago when a non-Catholic politician received Communion at a Catholic politician’s funeral. The thing blew up in the newspapers and if non-Catholics didn’t know they weren’t supposed to receive before that they certainly were well acquainted with the rule at the end of the debacle.
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Reuben_J
Guest
Since you shared … . The Holy Communion is not about how you feel or think. Being a non-Catholic, Catholic Communion rule forbids you from receiving it. Even for Catholics, they have to be in a state of grace to receive. You knew that that being an ex-Catholic.
Anyway, nobody can stop you if you want to receive because the mass is not being strictly policed. Anybody who comes up to receive Holy Communion would be given one; very rare that anyone would be refused. This is on the basis that if one goes up to receive, he/she knows what it is all about. In reality, not all know especially non-Catholics.
To purposely receiving Holy Communion when you know that you shouldn’t is disrespecting the institution itself. At least the OP did it out of not wanting to be disrespectful, which in his case was a mistake.
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Memaw
Guest
The priest was wrong and so were you and I think you knew it or you wouldn’t be posting this. Doing this doesn’t benefit anyone. Prayers for your return to the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC Church and your ability to recieve Our Lord in FULL communion with HIS Holy Church. God Bless, Memaw
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