Non-Catholic Exclusion of the Eucharist

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Hey guys. So my boyfriend of one year is a Nondenominational Evangelical Free Christian, and he feels very discriminated against by the Catholic Church because he isn’t allowed to receive Communion. How do I explain to him in a gentle way why he can’t, and convince him he isn’t being “discriminated against”? Nothing I’ve tried has worked. The fact that we believe the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ is irrelevant to him. He thinks that he should be allowed to receive because he’s a Christian. I don’t know what to do or say anymore…
Ask him if he would be willing to talk to Father about it. He could explain it to him. God Bless, Memaw
 
Since the topic is CATHOLIC Communion, isn’t it reasonable for the Catholic church to assume they are correct about THEIR OWN belief system?

If I walked into a Baptist church right now and told them they need to start baptizing babies, how do you think that would work out for me?
 
I’m glad to see faithful Catholics enjoy telling lies about their fellow believers.
Lantheria,

I noticed – with interest! – your description of your religion as ‘anathema’. My, what an interesting statement!

Unless I’m mistaken, you’re labeling yourself by the ‘anathemae’ that Trent pronounced. In other words, you’re (angrily? snarkily?) referring to yourself as “cursed by the Catholic Church.”

If so, then let me put your mind at ease: you’re not accursed. Those anathemae applied to the people of the time of Trent – that is, those who had been Catholics, but who personally left the Catholic Church and went to another faith tradition. These people – who had at one time been willing to be identified as Catholic – are the ones who are being anathematized. Only these people.

These anathemae do not apply to modern-day Protestants who had never been Catholics and had never ‘left the Catholic Church.’ So, you are not ‘anathema’. Therefore, there’s no need to keep that chip on your shoulder. 😉

Glad we could clear that up for you. 👍
 
No you are not.

I don’t buy this argument. I never have. The idea that Jesus intended communion to act as an exclusionist statement of belief makes me ill, and stands against any hope of true Christian unity. You’re telling me that Jesus said “eat this because it totally means that you all believe the same thing, and if anyone else wants in, tell them to nick off until they get all the particulars right”? On the contrary:

Luke 22:19: “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

I’ll stick to the words of Christ on this, thank you very much.

Amen, amen. Couldn’t have hit the mark any closer if I was standing a single metre away.
Only problem is you’ve emphasized the wrong words…actually Christ said…this is my body…do this in memory of me…same with the chalice…read John 6 where Jesus told those who followed him that unless they eat his flesh and drink his blood they don’t have life in them…when some of his follows argued that point he reiterated again to them…many thought it to hard to understand and left him… .same thing as those today…those who deny it or try to change the meaning to suit themselves because they can’t accept the words of Jesus…the early church believed it…nobody’s telling you what Jesus said by the way…you’re telling yourself what those early followers of Jesus told themselves and didn’t believe him…don’t blame the Catholic Church for following what Jesus Christ taught…his disciples believed him
 
Trying to explain how other faiths see this issue, to help the OP see where her boyfriend is coming from (and hence hopefully be able to bridge the gap better)–

This is NOT how protestants view communion, especially Evangelical Free’s. They don’t view a church’s faith statement or anything else to be binding to their beliefs, because the “church” is simply a brick building where people happen to meet. They are NOT converted to that church building, can blatantly disagree with the guy at the pulpit, and have zero ‘consequences’.

Rather, Evangelicals view themselves as converted to Christ directly, members of Invisible Church which bind all Christians (including Catholics). All Christians are the Body of Christ, regardless of the building they meet in, denomination, or particularities of doctrine. Taking of communion is about celebrating joint lives a part of the Body. But for one part of the Body to deny the communion to another… honestly from Evangelical perspective that’s devastating – it’s the hand telling the foot “you’re not good enough. You’re not Christian enough”.

Again, I’m just trying to help explain the perspective.
  • Disclaimer: there are a wide variety of beliefs among people, and your boyfriend’s could be different from these. Also, I’m not an Evangelical, just explaining it as I’ve seen it (my husband and in-laws are Evangelical).
When Catholics talk about CHURCH, they are not speaking of a building where we worship. We are talking about the Church that Jesus Christ founded on Peter, our first Pope. (Mt 16:18-19 and Mt 18:17-18) and Her teachings she received from Jesus Christ and has kept faithfully for over 2,000 years. The Church HE said the Holy Spirit would guide it till the End of Time and the Gates of Hell would NOT prevail against it. The Church HE promised would NOT teach error. Catholics believe that Holy Communion is the TRUE Body and Blood of Jesus Christ just as HE said it would be, in John:6. And at the Last Supper. (Learn about some of the Miracles of the Eucharist). Read 1Cor 10:16 and 1 Cor 11:23-29. If you are converted to Christ directly, read what HE actually says about it. We should not make up our own minds about what Jesus means, we should take Him at His word!. Others wouldn’t even have a Bible if it weren’t for the Catholic Church guided by the HOLY SPIRIT.
Catholics receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, MUST be in the State of Grace, (free from serious sin), 1Cor 11:23-29. Our Communion is not just a symbol, it is TRUTH Himself!! Jesus prayed that “all would be ONE in Him”, but we can’t forget that HE is The WAY, The TRUTH, and The LIFE. "God Bless, Memaw
 
even when my brother in law was Lutheran, before he converted, he knew not to receive the Catholic Eucharist. He usually stayed in the pew and then it was easy to find our pew cause he was sitting there.

Ask him what he thinks John 6 is saying…if he says Jesus was not speaking literally, tell him that is why he can’t receive the Eucharist. Depending on the missalette in the pew, there might be an explanation why non Catholics can NOT receive the Eucharist. It would imply a unity that is not there.
 
Lantheria,

I noticed – with interest! – your description of your religion as ‘anathema’. My, what an interesting statement!

Unless I’m mistaken, you’re labeling yourself by the ‘anathemae’ that Trent pronounced. In other words, you’re (angrily? snarkily?) referring to yourself as “cursed by the Catholic Church.”

If so, then let me put your mind at ease: you’re not accursed. Those anathemae applied to the people of the time of Trent – that is, those who had been Catholics, but who personally left the Catholic Church and went to another faith tradition. These people – who had at one time been willing to be identified as Catholic – are the ones who are being anathematized. Only these people.

These anathemae do not apply to modern-day Protestants who had never been Catholics and had never ‘left the Catholic Church.’ So, you are not ‘anathema’. Therefore, there’s no need to keep that chip on your shoulder. 😉

Glad we could clear that up for you. 👍
I am saddened by what I have seen this morning by most posters on both sides. I am coming to the conclusion that there will never be a resolve. To many years have passed with people loving to hate.

I would like clarification on what you have stated here re: anathema. If I hear you right you are saying that the only people that the Anathema applied to back at the time of Trent was the Catholics that left the Catholic Church for another church. You make reference that it does not apply to modern day Christians. So am I right in understanding that it also did not apply to the next generations of those original anathemaized?
 
I really think people genuinely don’t realise that there is an issue with non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist. I saw an old friend last night, haven’t seen her for over 30 years. She has always been a sincere Christian and attends an evangelical community church.

We talked about me becoming a Catholic, and she said “well, we are all Christians”. I agreed, because that’s right, we are. She then went on to say that she had several good friends who were Catholic, and she had been to Mass with them and received Communion (as she of course terms it).

I felt I had to say that we ask non-Catholics not to receive, even if they are confirmed Christians. She was quite surprised and said she certainly wouldn’t do it in the future. So there’s a long-standing, active Christian with Catholic friends, who wasn’t aware of this particular difference between Protestant and Catholic communion.
 
Sorry if this has been asked, but why does he want to receive? What does he believe about the Eucharist?
 
Hey guys. So my boyfriend of one year is a Nondenominational Evangelical Free Christian, and he feels very discriminated against by the Catholic Church because he isn’t allowed to receive Communion. How do I explain to him in a gentle way why he can’t, and convince him he isn’t being “discriminated against”? Nothing I’ve tried has worked. The fact that we believe the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ is irrelevant to him. He thinks that he should be allowed to receive because he’s a Christian. I don’t know what to do or say anymore…
First I would simply tell him that the Eucharist, also known as communion, is just that, an expression of communion with that Church. And in the case of the RCC and many other faiths (including many protestant denominations), they practice closed communion as they do believe receiving communion expresses explicitly that, communion with the RCC and the See of Rome. Your boyfriend believes neither of those things, that he is Catholic or that he submits to the See in Rome. So to receive communion with be to lie about these facts.

Additionally Catholics believe that the bread and wine of communion become the actual body and blood of Jesus. And as someone earlier mentioned when you receive in a Catholic mass you are agreeing that you submit to that belief, that you’re receiving the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Your boyfriend also does not believe that. So that would be yet another lie he’d be guilty of if he received.

Additionally too your boyfriend is not Catholic, so he has presumably not been to confession. Catholics believe it to be a grave sin to receive the Eucharist without having confessed your sins before hand that you’re aware of. By the Catholic view I’m sure your boyfriend is aware of some mortal sin he’s committed, and by extension is not in a position to receive even if he were Catholic.

Essentially I’d frame it that by receiving Catholic communion your boyfriend would be acting as a liar and a sinner. He should respect the beliefs of the Catholic Church and not receive, just as many Catholics don’t receive if they’ve not been to confession (like my Dad, hasn’t received Eucharist in well over 30 years). And if he objects just let him know that if you went to his church you, as a Catholic, would not receive communion at his church even if invited to do so for much the same reason even if his church has open communion.
 
I really think people genuinely don’t realise that there is an issue with non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist. I saw an old friend last night, haven’t seen her for over 30 years. She has always been a sincere Christian and attends an evangelical community church.

We talked about me becoming a Catholic, and she said “well, we are all Christians”. I agreed, because that’s right, we are. She then went on to say that she had several good friends who were Catholic, and she had been to Mass with them and received Communion (as she of course terms it).

I felt I had to say that we ask non-Catholics not to receive, even if they are confirmed Christians. She was quite surprised and said she certainly wouldn’t do it in the future. So there’s a long-standing, active Christian with Catholic friends, who wasn’t aware of this particular difference between Protestant and Catholic communion.
Which I find odd. My church of course practices open communion with any baptized Christian, but even so, our Dean will go to the effort to invite everyone to the altar rail every week during announcements without fail because it’s presumed that people will NOT come up to receive the Eucharist/communion unless they’re invited to do so. That the default is to NOT receive unless you are a member of the church/faith. If more people are like your friend my dean may be wasting her time every week. 🤷

With regard to the RCC specifically, seems more people need to read the first page of the missal. 👍
 
I am saddened by what I have seen this morning by most posters on both sides. I am coming to the conclusion that there will never be a resolve. To many years have passed with people loving to hate.

I would like clarification on what you have stated here re: anathema. If I hear you right you are saying that the only people that the Anathema applied to back at the time of Trent was the Catholics that left the Catholic Church for another church. You make reference that it does not apply to modern day Christians. So am I right in understanding that it also did not apply to the next generations of those original anathemaized?
Here is a quick answer from this web site.

The use of the word anathema has evolved during the history of the Church, and today it means the same thing as excommunication. (The word anathema is no longer officially used.) Because a person must be a Catholic to be anathema (excommunicated) the term does not apply to Protestants.

From this I would conclude if the next generation were not Baptized Catholic the term would not apply to them.
 
Hi always,

I’ll try to do this shorthand from a non-denom’s point of view.

Have you ever asked your boyfriend why he feels this way, and how communion is different in his church (open vs. closed)? To most non-denominationals (and some other Protestants), communion represents the last supper. To us (them), it is a time where ALL baptized Christians are invited to the Lord’s table in Christian unity and in remembrance. To someone born and raised in that faith, it can be kind of a shock and a “you’re not good enough” when they experience denial at communion for the first time.

I too felt (and in some ways still do) discriminated against at time of communion when I go to Mass with my wife, kids, and extended family. It’s tough for some people to sit by themselves in the pew and have others look at them while they walk by, and the strange looks when you get up to let someone out and they wonder why you let them walk by.

A bit of “that’s nice you’re Christian, but not quite close enough”, if you will. A feeling of that others would prefer you weren’t there and in the way.

This in no means qualifies his actions where he demands the Eucharist, there is no excuse for that. He needs to respect the Catholic beliefs, but I can see where he is coming from. I waited 19 years before I was baptized and allowed to the Lord’s table, and now I’m able to receive communion like 4 times a year. It’s a tough pill to swallow for some people.
 
I really think people genuinely don’t realise that there is an issue with non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist. I saw an old friend last night, haven’t seen her for over 30 years. She has always been a sincere Christian and attends an evangelical community church.

We talked about me becoming a Catholic, and she said “well, we are all Christians”. I agreed, because that’s right, we are. She then went on to say that she had several good friends who were Catholic, and she had been to Mass with them and received Communion (as she of course terms it).

I felt I had to say that we ask non-Catholics not to receive, even if they are confirmed Christians. She was quite surprised and said she certainly wouldn’t do it in the future. So there’s a long-standing, active Christian with Catholic friends, who wasn’t aware of this particular difference between Protestant and Catholic communion.
This is quite true. This came up 2 summers ago at the time of my youngest niece’s baptism. So, both of my niece’s parent’s families are Catholics. My SIL’s husband has two other brothers, one of whom doesn’t practice Catholicism anymore.

About a week out from the baptism, the one brother told SIL’s husband that he wasn’t going to attend the Church service, but would meet the family for the reception. I guess SIL’s husband got pretty mad.

So…this is the story my SIL was telling my wife (Catholic) and they couldn’t understand why the one brother wouldn’t go to the Church service. SIL to my wife “TC goes to Church with us” My wife “Yes, he goes but…let’s be honest…we’re not the most welcoming to non-Catholics.”

Long story short to get to one line…

My SIL’s reply “TC can go receive the Body and Blood, nobody is going to notice”.
 
For those of you still struggling on understanding why this is a stumbling block for non- Catholics–

Say hypothetically you were traveling and thus attended Mass at a new parish. When it came time to recieve the Eucharist, you were told that you were not allowed, because you didn’t belong to this parish of “true Catholics”.

That is what it is like as an Evangelical to go to a Catholic Church and be denied the Lord’s Supper.
 
To me there is no such thing as a “non denominational” Christian. If there were they would all believe in different things separately. As for "just Christian"y, they do not exist either.

I was raised in such a denomination myself. They called themselves
Just "christians’, and al others the "non-Christians’. I think this is the height of arrogance.
 
To me there is no such thing as a “non denominational” Christian. If there were they would all believe in different things separately. As for "just Christian"y, they do not exist either.

I was raised in such a denomination myself. They called themselves
Just "christians’, and al others the "non-Christians’. I think this is the height of arrogance.
Doesn’t mean they don’t exist. My cousin is non-denominational, and describes himself as nondenominational or Christian interchangeably depending on the context.
For those of you still struggling on understanding why this is a stumbling block for non- Catholics–

Say hypothetically you were traveling and thus attended Mass at a new parish. When it came time to recieve the Eucharist, you were told that you were not allowed, because you didn’t belong to this parish of “true Catholics”.

That is what it is like as an Evangelical to go to a Catholic Church and be denied the Lord’s Supper.
As a more likely to happen hypothetical, lets say you’re a Catholic or Anglican such as myself, and you travel to visit a Lutheran Church in the Missouri Synod. You would be told you would be unable to receive their communion there (regardless of any restrictions your own faith might have on the matter). And it makes sense when you think about it, you’re not in communion with that church.

That’s why I don’t understand why anyone has an issue with this. It’s not like this is a unique trait of the Catholic Church. Many Christian denominations do not allow anyone but professed members in communion with their church to partake in communion, even among a single faith family. For example a member of the ELCA can’t receive at a LCMS church even though they’re both Lutheran.

To look at it in a more basic way. You don’t walk into someone else’s house you’re visiting and assume you’re going to be invited to stay for dinner. Many faiths will allow you to stay for dinner, or even invite you to specifically to dinner… but not all. You have to respect their wishes in that even if you don’t agree with it. And I’m saying this as a member of a faith with an open communion policy (to any baptized Christian) who much prefers this model. I may not particularly like the closed communion model, but I absolutely understand the reasons behind it and at the very least can respect and abide by it.
 
Doesn’t mean they don’t exist. My cousin is non-denominational, and describes himself as nondenominational or Christian interchangeably depending on the context.

Just because they chose to call themselves by a particular name does not reflect in he truth. They really think they are the only Christians to exist. You may know of them they nhave a university at Malibu.
As a more likely to happen hypothetical, lets say you’re a Catholic or Anglican such as myself, and you travel to visit a Lutheran Church in the Missouri Synod. You would be told you would be unable to receive their communion there (regardless of any restrictions your own faith might have on the matter). And it makes sense when you think about it, you’re not in communion with that church.

That’s why I don’t understand why anyone has an issue with this. It’s not like this is a unique trait of the Catholic Church. Many Christian denominations do not allow anyone but professed members in communion with their church to partake in communion, even among a single faith family. For example a member of the ELCA can’t receive at a LCMS church even though they’re both Lutheran.

To look at it in a more basic way. You don’t walk into someone else’s house you’re visiting and assume you’re going to be invited to stay for dinner. Many faiths will allow you to stay for dinner, or even invite you to specifically to dinner… but not all. You have to respect their wishes in that even if you don’t agree with it. And I’m saying this as a member of a faith with an open communion policy (to any baptized Christian) who much prefers this model. I may not particularly like the closed communion model, but I absolutely understand the reasons behind it and at the very least can respect and abide by it.
 
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