Non-Catholic Receiving the Eucharist

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Chrismasfetus

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This is a question that has a pretty straight forward answer, but…

How do you go about telling someone who is a non-Catholic that they cannot receive the Eucharist? I know of someone who has been receiving the Eucharist for years now and because of my ignorance and lack of knowledge about the Eucharist, I said nothing :nope: . I regret not doing anything about it now that I know more about the Eucharist and how special it is for us Catholics… How can I politely tell this person that they aren’t supposed to receive the Eucharist? I know I’m in sin i permit it to go on longer :-\ …
 
Here’s how I answered one of my Protestant friends in an e-mail (minus the confidential portions of the discussion, of course)

Just as a small child must profess the faith with regard to the presence of the Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist and fidelity to Church teaching before his or her first communion, so must an adult receiving first Communion make a profession before dining with us at the Paschal Banquet. One’s first communion is to be a time of celebration, a time when the individual publicly proclaims faith in the Real Presence in the sacrament. AND (this is an important “and”) a joyous time when the recipient proclaims fidelity to the teachings of the church. The Eucharistic feast is the Catholic equivalent of “publicly accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior” AND exuberantly proclaiming “and he has made us his bride! In His generous love, He has given the Church the fullness of truth! All glory, praise and thanks be to God!”

Granted, surely many protestants are more worthy to receive Communion than many of my fellow Catholics. (Frances Kissling, president of Catholics For a Free Choice, comes to mind.)

Please don’t presume that being Catholic involves a renouncing of other Christian faiths, but rather an affirmation the aspects of the faith that have been rejected. I have heard many Jewish-to-Catholic converts describe their conversions not as a rejection of the Jewish faith, but rather a realization of the fulfillment of its promises. We do not seek further division. (when I say we, I mean the Catholic Church, not its dissident few who find comfort in saying that Protestants are damned. On the last day, the Lord God himself will say to those Catholics, “I do not know you”). We seek unity, from within and from without. We do not want our converts to say to their Protestant brothers and sisters to whom they were ministering, “I do not know you” or “you will not enter into the Kingdom.” Such things perpetuate division, and are sins against Christ’s new commandment he gave at the Last Supper: “love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (Jn. 13:34)

As one priest has said: “The Catholic view of Communion is that in the Eucharist we don’t only receive Christ in a personal way. We are also expressing and deepening our commitment to the living Body of Christ, his Church on earth. To receive Communion in the Catholic Church is affirm publicly all that the Catholic Church belies, teaches and does. When we walk to the altar of the Lord in a Catholic Church, we are expressing belief in the Catholic doctrine of the real presence of Christ, in Catholic teaching about the authoritative role of the papacy and the episcopacy, in the Catholic moral tradition - in short, in the whole of Catholicism.”
 
Word it however you want but the simplest explanation is that “Communion” in the Catholic Church is only for those “in communion” with the Catholic Church.

Even Catholics that are not in full communion with the faith (for whatever reason) cannot receive Communion. We are not placing on non Catholics any standard that we do not place on ourselves.
I cannot figure out why some people cannot understand something so obvious, but I understand your dilema because I have been in similar situations.
 
I know I’m in sin i permit it to go on longer :-\
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You are not in sin. You may commit a sin if you approach this person in a uncharitable way.

The Catholic Church does not generally offer Communion to non-Catholics. This practice is based on solid, theologically sound reasons. It is not because it is some sort of grave sacrilidge the the Our Lord, whose Body touched up against all sorts of sinners, tax collectors, and whores while He was on this earth somehow should not touch a sincere non-Catholic Christian.

Your obligations as a Catholic layperson are to be open to any direction your friend asks for.
 
It is a sacrilege for anyone not properly disposed (non Catholic for certain) to receive the Eucharist. And I also believe if you friend is doing this out of ignorance you do have an obligation to correct them in a charitable way.

**1 Cor 11:27 **Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
 
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martino:
Even Catholics that are not in full communion with the faith (for whatever reason) cannot receive Communion. .
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catholic-ew.org.uk/resource/obob/obob03.htm

95 The Directory strongly recommends that each diocesan bishop should establish norms for judging situations of grave and pressing spiritual need when Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church may be admitted to Holy Communion and to the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. These norms should take into account any which may have been established already by the Bishops’ Conference. In the absence of norms established either by the diocesan bishop or by the Bishops’ Conference, Catholic priests are to follow those of the Directory. In order to guide Catholic pastors in our countries, our Bishops’ Conferences now establish norms on this important matter. There are two sets of norms: one concerning Christians from Eastern Churches, the other concerning Christians from Churches and ecclesial communities of the West. Catholic priests are to discern each individual case only in accord with the norms established by their diocesan bishop, or, in the absence of such diocesan norms, those which the Bishops’ Conferences of England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland promulgate in this document, each for its own territory.

96 According to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the doctrine that ‘common worship’ should signify the unity of the Church generally rules out sacramental sharing, but the gaining of grace may sometimes commend it

112 What might be meant by other unique occasions for joy or sorrow in the life of a family or an individual? These are situations in which there may be an objectively grave and pressing spiritual need for a person to receive Holy Communion. We give examples of such circumstances, without in any way intending to suggest categories of situations in which admission to the sacrament would be generally granted. The admission of a particular individual on one such unique occasion does not mean that another individual would necessarily be admitted in a similar situation. Requests to be admitted to Holy Communion may come from the parent of a child to be baptised during Mass, or receiving First Holy Communion or Confirmation; the parent or wife of someone being ordained;210 the intimate family of the deceased at a Funeral Mass; Christians who cannot easily approach a minister of their own community, such as those confined to an institution of some kind, although most hospitals and prisons in our countries have Anglican, Presbyterian, Church of Scotland and Free Church chaplains who minister there on a regular basis. There may be occasions when it is admission to the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick which is the most grave and pressing spiritual need, due in part to the absence of such sacramental rites in some faith communities. Each situation will be judged individually according to the norms.

ctd
 
113 Who is to make the decision in each case? Except when there is a danger of death, it is for the diocesan bishop or those delegated by him to judge whether there is a grave and pressing need. When an individual Christian decides, after prayer and reflection, that he or she should approach the local priest about their circumstances, the latter must also make a discernment about whether this should be brought to the local bishop or his delegate for a decision. A Catholic priest may not make such a decision himself unless duly delegated by his bishop.

114 What conditions must always be fulfilled? The Code of Canon Law lists four conditions which are re-stated in the Directory:211

• that the person be unable to approach a minister of his or her own community for the sacrament desired;

In our countries, occasions when such fellow Christians cannot physically find a minister of their own community will be rare. There may be times, however, such as in the particular circumstances or on the unique occasions exemplified above, when access to one’s own minister is impossible given the very nature of that occasion.

• that the person greatly desire to receive the sacrament, and ask to receive it of his or her own initiative;

The grave and pressing spiritual need should be something discerned by the person concerned, rather than in response to an invitation given by the Catholic priest. Priests and other Catholic ministers should issue neither general nor specific invitations to other Christians to receive Holy Communion. It is important that there be adequate time for the proper process of discernment and judgement, and for appropriate preparation for reception of the sacrament.

• that the person manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament desired; In our countries, occasions when such fellow Christians cannot physically find a minister of their own community will be rare. There may be times, however, such as in the particular circumstances or on the unique occasions exemplified above, when access to one’s own minister is impossible given the very nature of that occasion.

• that the person greatly desire to receive the sacrament, and ask to receive it of his or her own initiative;

The grave and pressing spiritual need should be something discerned by the person concerned, rather than in response to an invitation given by the Catholic priest. Priests and other Catholic ministers should issue neither general nor specific invitations to other Christians to receive Holy Communion. It is important that there be adequate time for the proper process of discernment and judgement, and for appropriate preparation for reception of the sacrament.

• that the person manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament desired;

In this document we have given an outline of the fundamental aspects of Catholic faith in the Eucharist, and to a lesser extent of Catholic faith in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. For a Christian who does not regularly worship at a Catholic church, being a frequent communicant at his or her own church may well indicate a love for the Eucharist. Others may regularly attend a Catholic celebration of the Eucharist, with their Catholic spouse or family for example, and this may speak loudly of a commitment to the Eucharist. It does not necessarily follow, however, that their understanding of the Eucharist and its implications is in harmony with that of the Catholic faith.

• that the person be properly disposed.

The same is asked of a Christian not in full communion with the Catholic Church as is expected of a Catholic wishing to receive the sacraments. There are Catholics who are unable to receive Holy Communion because of their being, for example, in a state of serious sin or in an irregular marital situation; the same may be true of another Christian seeking admission to Holy Communion.

I’m sure the US Bishops position is broadly similar.
 
As our documents state, it is for the diocesan bishop to decide, or priests delegated by him, in accordance with canon law and Bishop’s conference guidelines.

Your own USCCB has a page - usccb.org/liturgy/q%26a/mass/communion.shtml

On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of communion. These guidelines replace the guidelines approved by the Administrative Committee of the NCCB in November 1986. The guidelines, which are to be included in missalettes and other participation aids published in the United States, seek to remind all those who may attend Catholic liturgies of the present discipline of the Church with regard to the sharing of eucharistic communion.

For Catholics
As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.

For our fellow Christians
We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 § 4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 § 3).

For those not receiving Holy Communion
All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.

For non-Christians
We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family.
 
See above but short answer;

If they don’t believe in the real presence, then for their own protection.

If they do believe in the real presence, then they should either be Catholic or Orthodox…

Also, recieving the Eucharist is a sign of Catholic unity.
 
First of all, thanks for the great discussion on this topic! I converted to catholicism in 2001, and I never had to deal with this issue until very recently. I always thought about it and what would my response be to someone who I knew that wasn’t Catholic and asked why they couldn’t receive communion. In fact, I did live with one non-Catholic christian friend for a year, and he attended Mass with me on several occassions but he always respected the Church’s teaching and practice in not receiving communion. Now I have another friend, and she went to Mass the other day and received communion and I wasn’t sure if she was Catholic since she was very familiar with the Mass and all the prayers. So I asked her after Mass, and she confirmed that she wasn’t Catholic, but had attended Catholic Masses for 5 YEARS now! My heart is troubled by this and so we talked a little bit after Mass, but I told her I was not an expert on it. I want to approach her in a loving manner. I came to a practical layperson answer that I believe will be easy to give to a friend. I will summarize to keep this as short as possible. First, I am going to tell her that it is disrespectful of the Church. She may not “believe” in what the Church teaches, but she should respect it. I wouldn’t go disrespect other non-Catholic worship service by doing something that they didn’t practice during the service. As a Christian, she should at least be respectful of the Catholic worship service. And with this friend, I think she respects most things about the Catholic faith, so why would she want to come in and disrespect the church. I don’t think it is her intent to disrespect the church, but that is in fact what she is doing. Second, it offends me. If she is my friend, and loves me, she should not want to offend me. I am a Catholic who understands the true significance of what I am receiving, and it offends me to just have a non-Catholic come in and receive the Catholic Eucharist. It is basically like stealing, which is contrary to God’s law. Finally, if the person enjoys receiving the Eucharist, then it is not an insurmountable feat to become Catholic. I did it in 2000-2001, and it was a beautiful process. You just go through RCIA. It is a non-threatening non-pressuring forum where you can get all your questions answered and you can pray and discern what God’s will is for you. Then I will tell her, “It would mean a lot to me, if you would consider it. Being a product of it, I can assure you it is worth it.” Please keep me in your prayers that I can tell my friend this with all the sincerity of my heart.
 
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