Non-Catholic receiving Communion--should I say something?

[JillianRose]

How do you know he was not going up because he was refusing to go to confession because he was not remorseful to ask for forgiveness? I know of a time my husband and I got into an argument before mass. He said something below the belt. Then he went up to communion. Which I felt was wrong. You just never know. I would MYOB. As Catholic we can’t even be assured of our own salvation, let alone someone Else’s state of grace before taking communion.

 

[504Katrin]

As this post reveals…I’m still not over it. What happened to me was, that maybe half a year ago I went to Church after work like every Wednesday evening, and didn’t know that they started ecumenical services on Wednesdays. They were rotating like one Wednesday they’d celebrate at the Evangelical church, and the next Wednesday celebrate at our Catholic church and so on. To make a long story short, what happened was that a Protestant Priestess was reading from the scripures and joined the Priest behind the altar at all times that night. Then, when we were celebrating the Eucharist, I never expected the Priestess to participate and this is why I couldn’t react. We used to (I don’t go there anymore) be a group of maybe ten people, and when receiving the Eucharist we all stood around the altar forming a circle receiving His body and drinking from the cup. Now, the Priest distributed the Eucharist and also the blood of Christ to each one of us, and then received last. What I then saw left me breathless. He distributed the host to the Priestess who received and consumed it, and she also drank His blood.

Till present day - and I went to confession after that, but still can’t forgive myself - I’m going through this situation over and over again. I should have prevented the Priestess from receiving. It all happened within seconds though and while I watched this happening I was shocked so some reaction time was already taken away. I had only one more second or so to keep her from drinking His blood also, yet I didn’t try as I felt pertified from this scene that seemed totally unreal, that could’t be true.

Needless to say, I went to confession asking my Priest about the situation, and for three nights I was scared that my Priest might tell me something along these lines “I can’t give you absolution, because I will have to ask the Bishop first. Come back in a week or two!”
However, he said that I wasn’t sinning. He said that I have to respect authority of the Priesthood, so I wasn’t to interrupt him, and that I am not supposed and at no times to interrupt the liturgy.

I still feel guilty before God; it feels as if my confession did happen, but isn’t valid. Hard to explain.
I had to talk about this sooner or later. Now it’s all out there.

 

[JillianRose]

As this post reveals…I’m still not over it. What happened to me was, that maybe half a year ago I went to Church after work like every Wednesday evening, and didn’t know that they started ecumenical services on Wednesdays. They were rotating like one Wednesday they’d celebrate at the Evangelical church, and the next Wednesday celebrate at our Catholic church and so on. To make a long story short, what happened was that a Protestant Priestess was reading from the scripures and joined the Priest behind the altar at all times that night. Then, when we were celebrating the Eucharist, I never expected the Priestess to participate and this is why I couldn’t react. We used to (I don’t go there anymore) be a group of maybe ten people, and when receiving the Eucharist we all stood around the altar forming a circle receiving His body and drinking from the cup. Now, the Priest distributed the Eucharist and also the blood of Christ to each one of us, and then received last. What I then saw left me breathless. He distributed the host to the Priestess who received and consumed it, and she also drank His blood.

Till present day - and I went to confession after that, but still can’t forgive myself - I’m going through this situation over and over again. I should have prevented the Priestess from receiving. It all happened within seconds though and while I watched this happening I was shocked so some reaction time was already taken away. I had only one more second or so to keep her from drinking His blood also, yet I didn’t try as I felt pertified from this scene that seemed totally unreal, that could’t be true.

Needless to say, I went to confession asking my Priest about the situation, and for three nights I was scared that my Priest might tell me something along these lines “I can’t give you absolution, because I will have to ask the Bishop first. Come back in a week or two!”
However, he said that I wasn’t sinning. He said that I have to respect authority of the Priesthood, so I wasn’t to interrupt him, and that I am not supposed and at no times to interrupt the liturgy.

I still feel guilty before God; it feels as if my confession did happen, but isn’t valid. Hard to explain.
I had to talk about this sooner or later. Now it’s all out there.

I will pray for you!! We need to stick together sister!!

 

[ABEACHGIRL]

Sigh. I was waiting for someone to throw the “judgmental” card. I’m not looking through the communion line wondering about the state of people’s souls. Nor am I trying to “police” who should receive Communion.

I was not throwing any cards! That is what you are doing! You are judging whether or not he is Catholic AND whether or not he is fit to receive!!! I simply asked why you feel it necessary to ask about others’ fitness to receive. In doing that, you are indeed policing others. If the person is not a Catholic he should not receive, but you are not even certain about his religion but you take it upon yourself to sit in a pew and monitor him! Maybe someone heard you swear and thinks you should go to confession for it before receiving. Should that person then start asking around to be certain you did? Personally, I know many people have said God’s name in vain and received. I do not know whether or not they have confessed their sins beforehand, but I do not sit in my pew observing who is in line to receive and who is in the pew not receiving.
The rules for receiving Communion are listed in The Liturgy of the Word and in parish bulletins in my area so that people of other religions are aware of the rules. Other Christian religions invite all to share in the full celebration of the Mass, so it is understandable that these people would assume the Catholic religion does the same. Any concerns should be taken care of through the priest, not other members of the parish. I cannot imagine what would happen if every member of my parish took it upon himself to approach others about their worthiness or fitness to receive based on rumors.