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

[paperwight66]

You know very well that this has no legal authority. Bishops have the authority to decide if blessings are permitted locally, and this practice continues pending further guidance from Rome. In England and Wales, blessings are not only permitted, they are encouraged.

Exactly,. In England and Wales, they are most definitely encouraged. Someone some time back quoted from a document put out by Westminster, saying that the Communion line is not a time to be divisve, by leaving some family members behind in the pew.

And if it is encouraged by the Bishops of a whole country, you can be assured that they do not see anything inherently wrong with it, or anything that Rome would rap their knuckles over.

 

[thistle]

You know very well that this has no legal authority. Bishops have the authority to decide if blessings are permitted locally, and this practice continues pending further guidance from Rome. In England and Wales, blessings are not only permitted, they are encouraged.

Why is it that people can’t see the wood for the trees. Whether this letter has legal authority or not is irrelevant. It is pointing out that** " the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."** Do you see the words “already made clear”? In other words prior to this letter existing Church discipline does not permit such blessings.

By the way its called a Communion line for a reason. Its not called a Communion and Blessing line!!

 

[Allegra]

Why is it that people can’t see the wood for the trees. Whether this letter has legal authority or not is irrelevant. It is pointing out that** " the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."** Do you see the words “already made clear”? In other words prior to this letter existing Church discipline does not permit such blessings.

By the way its called a Communion line for a reason. Its not called a Communion and Blessing line!!

Then I would think your beef should be with the bishops and priests that not only allow this practice, but actively encourage it, not the individuals that go up to recieve the blessing under obedience to their priest.

 

[englishredrose]

so much easier in the anglican church so much easier to understand all the rules

few, this year I don’t think I would have ever made it to a blessing even in the Catholic church from what I read here if one is denied blessings if not in a state of grace… and probably would have stopped going to Catholic Church by now after how I been feeling this year unless that is the priest of the Church is far more understanding than what gets said here - which is what I usually find the case to be. Luckily am not in the Catholic Church but Anglican Church and know by my own private discussions with a priest we are far more easier. He not once suggested I shouldn’t receive communion. Sorry and I don’t mean this in any derrogatory way at all but I don’t think I could ever be Roman Catholic from what gets said here as I’d be always in a state of sin etc the rules are far too hard.

To all those who posted about their priest encouraged them - that is fine. The priest will know whats what far better than most of us do. And yeh you’ll wave the anglican flag at me but some times I really think that some posts come over rather strict on here.

 

[liturgyluver]

Why is it that people can’t see the wood for the trees. Whether this letter has legal authority or not is irrelevant. It is pointing out that** " the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."** Do you see the words “already made clear”? In other words prior to this letter existing Church discipline does not permit such blessings.

By the way its called a Communion line for a reason. Its not called a Communion and Blessing line!!

Please point out exactly where it is made clear. What I find fascinating is Catholics like you who think you know better than our Bishops, and Archbishop because of personal interpretation!

 

[liturgyluver]

Then I would think your beef should be with the bishops and priests that not only allow this practice, but actively encourage it, not the individuals that go up to recieve the blessing under obedience to their priest.

Oh, and incidently we don’t use the term communion line in England.

 

[Allegra]

Oh, and incidently we don’t use the term communion line in England.

I didn’t use the term “communion line” but whether or not you call it the communion line, I’m sure have one. I mean, the congregation doesn’t rise en masse and attack the priest as a wild mob, do they? No, of course not, they get in a line and approach one at a time.

 

[Elizabeth502]

I see that the conversation has not surprisingly moved to the usual controversy about blessings in the communion line.

If I may return for a second to the subject at hand:

It may surprise some of you (but not all of you) that one of the most common signs of a desire to convert is for the aspiring member to partake of Eucharist. Mind you, before you jump down my throat, I am not endorsing the practice; I am merely reporting on it. It is actually quite common. Often people have come to an epiphany about the core Catholic beliefs, and are convinced of those prior even to making the first formal step to join. I have only seen it among other believing Christians (not non-Christian traditions or among ex-agnostics or ex-atheists).

I have a few friends who have done this, and they also report that it is rather widespread among the pre-converted. Those people already believe. They feel passionately drawn and feel they are already “there.” Again, I understand that they’re doing it “backwards,” but for many of them this is just, for want of a better word, “inevitable.”

I have no information about the situation being described by the OP. However, knowing what I now know, I personally would probably not “correct” such a person directly. If I had a chance, and it were not awkward, I would probably say something like, "I had no idea you were (or had become) Catholic; that’s fantastic; welcome! " Hopefully that would prompt a correction or explanation.

 

[liturgyluver]

I didn’t use the term “communion line” but whether or not you call it the communion line, I’m sure have one. I mean, the congregation doesn’t rise en masse and attack the priest as a wild mob, do they? No, of course not, they get in a line and approach one at a time.

I apologise Allegra, I meant to re-select Thistle post and accidently selected yours. Sorry.

 

[Allegra]

I apologise Allegra, I meant to re-select Thistle post and accidently selected yours. Sorry.

It’s cool. I know what they call the communion line in England. They call it a queue. I’ve heard English people say that on TV. Sometimes when you go to see a play, you see a sign that says “Begin queue here”. But that’s only in a theater thats spelled ‘theatre’. (Reversing the last two letters makes it a fancy theater.) I guess if you go to a fancy church you get in the communion queue. (But you have to make sure you raise your pinky when you drink from the Precious Blood.)

 

[liturgyluver]

It’s cool. I know what they call the communion line in England. They call it a queue. I’ve heard English people say that on TV. Sometimes when you go to see a play, you see a sign that says “Begin queue here”. But that’s only in a theater thats spelled ‘theatre’. (Reversing the last two letters makes it a fancy theater.) I guess if you go to a fancy church you get in the communion queue. (But you have to make sure you raise your pinky when you drink from the Precious Blood.)

I know I digress slightly, but you raise an interesting point. We use the word queue all the time here, but in church we don’t even use that word. People tend to say “Are you going up for Communion” or “Are you going to receive?”. Best wishes.

 

[Allegra]

I know I digress slightly, but you raise an interesting point. We use the word queue all the time here, but in church we don’t even use that word. People tend to say “Are you going up for Communion” or “Are you going to receive?”. Best wishes.

See, and here we don’t talk about it at all. We just get up and get in line. (Uhh…queue.)

 

[englishredrose]

next you’ll say line dance to tune of amazing grace…

 

[Allegra]

next you’ll say line dance to tune of amazing grace…

No, that’s song has been banned except in the case of an extremely pushy berieved parishoner planning a funeral for a loved one. We line dance to “One Bread, One Body” usually.

 

[thistle]

Then I would think your beef should be with the bishops and priests that not only allow this practice, but actively encourage it, not the individuals that go up to recieve the blessing under obedience to their priest.

Tell me what you think this means:

" the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."

 

[thistle]

Then I would think your beef should be with the bishops and priests that not only allow this practice, but actively encourage it, not the individuals that go up to recieve the blessing under obedience to their priest.

Tell me what you think this means:

" the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."

Also please tell me if you think the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) is lying when it states that?

 

[GwenL]

Back to the original question.

You state that you have reason to believe that he is not Catholic.

Yes, find out if he is Catholic. You can do that subtly, without bluntly asking “are you Catholic?” You might say: I noticed you recently started coming here for daily Mass, what is your regular parish? Are you a new parishioner here? Where do you go to Sunday Mass? Did you know that we have a Rosary/Adoration/Divine Mercy chaplet, etc. at whatever time? Questions that a Catholic will answer quickly, and a non-Catholic will reply with answer that make it clear he’s not a Catholic. Then, you can gently inform him that Holy Communion is only for those in communion with the Church, and why, and is he interested in RCIA? More focus on the welcome to the Church and RCIA part of the question, but very clear about communion nonetheless.

Remember, if he is from a Protestant background, most of them have open communion and he may assume that we do also.

 

[Inquiringperson]

Tell me what you think this means:

" the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they **should not **approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."

Also please tell me if you think the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) is lying when it states that?

Doesn’t “should not” imply that it’s allowed, but discouraged?

 

[Stylites]

It’s hard to imagine anyone losing their peace over someone else coming forward for a blessing.

 

[Allegra]

Tell me what you think this means:

" the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing."

Also please tell me if you think the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) is lying when it states that?

Are you trying to tell me that you expect the average Catholic to be up in every document that comes from the Church, to the extent that they are to ignore the directions and recomendations of their parish priest and bishop? Clearly the responsibility for this practice and it’s discontinuation lies with the priests and bishops. I’m here to say that I heard a rather conservative priest encourage non-Catholics and non-practicing Catholics to approach him during communion to recieve a blessing not two months ago. This is the same priest who tried to convince me to wear a blue dress to my wedding because white dresses were a protestant tradition and real Catholic like girls get married in blue to represent the Blessed Virgin! To suggest the CDWDS is lying is nonsense. They are offering a recommendation. Aparantly, some of the clergy do not share that opinion as this issue is complained about frequently and thus far, it is a practice that still continues to be encouraged.