Non-Catholics taking Communion?

[luckyirishguy14]

SPOKENWORD:

Yes, my empoyee is catholic.periodically his wife goes to mass with him,and she does recieve communion. He refuses to tell her that it is wrong even though he knows the RCC rules. He says who am I to say that she should not recieve the Eucharist. Ive told him but he is in denial. If your going to be a practicing catholic you cannot sit on the fence.

Anyone who purposely denies canon law will have to answer at the Final Judgment. This man and his wife are both committing mortal sins.

 

[Anglo-catholic]

You are correct in that we often get too “excited” on the board. If we could see the reaction we are getting - face to face - our tone would change immediately.

You apparently deal with a non-Catholic on a daily basis so you have great insight on this matter. Religion is hard to discuss because feelings run so strong. We need to direct these strong feelings to pull us together rather than battle one another - or else the devils laugh themselves silly. My peeve is that we agree on 90% and somehow cannot celebrate that. One great exception is how the Right-to-Life issue pulls us together.

One of the nicest things that I learned from Episcopalians and Anglicans is that they recognize mystery and just admit that there are some things we don’t understand.

 

[PXseeker]

Anglo-catholic:

You are correct in that we often get too “excited” on the board. If we could see the reaction we are getting - face to face - our tone would change immediately.

You apparently deal with a non-Catholic on a daily basis so you have great insight on this matter. Religion is hard to discuss because feelings run so strong. We need to direct these strong feelings to pull us together rather than battle one another - or else the devils laugh themselves silly. My peeve is that we agree on 90% and somehow cannot celebrate that. One great exception is how the Right-to-Life issue pulls us together.

One of the nicest things that I learned from Episcopalians and Anglicans is that they recognize mystery and just admit that there are some things we don’t understand.

Bravo A-C!

I couldn’t have said it any better. It is my considered opinion that folks who frequent these boards are not representative of the greater Christian community;* i.e.,* many here are looking to “debate” and champion their understanding of doctrime and dogma.

On another board, I tried to get folks to post about shared mission efforts where Catholics and other Christians join together to share God’s grace with the needy. It died in about 7 posts. Like in the news media, sensationalism sells and the good works get unnoticed.

In such circumstances, I often ask folks to consider what kind of witness they give when they attack fellow Christians. We have an opportunity to celebrate our wonderful gift of grace and how we share it or we can focus on the mean, the petty and the inconsequential.

Good witness Anglo-Catholic! :clapping:

Peace,
John

 

[notbrainwashed]

mean_owen:

Zski- I believe that is a big no-no (having a Prot deliver the homily, let alone receive the Eucharist). Sounds like a good opportunity for everybody to end up in Hell.

Ohhhh yeah, if they haven’t been properly brainwashed prior to spreading cultic teachings, they might ruin the house of cards…

 

[montanaman]

Great discussion…

Arguing over at Protest Warrior, (a political forum), I discovered that many of the fundies there have either taken communion, or know some non-Catholics who have. But one of my nemeses over there said he wouldn’t do it again. (I told him we’d love it if he would–as a Catholic…)

 

[elgom]

Bravo A-C!

I couldn’t have said it any better. It is my considered opinion that folks who frequent these boards are not representative of the greater Christian community;* i.e.,* many here are looking to “debate” and champion their understanding of doctrime and dogma.

On another board, I tried to get folks to post about shared mission efforts where Catholics and other Christians join together to share God’s grace with the needy. It died in about 7 posts. Like in the news media, sensationalism sells and the good works get unnoticed.

Good witness Anglo-Catholic! :clapping:

Peace,
John

I only wanted to point out that this is Catholic Answers Forum, Catholics are here to help others understand and clear up misunderstandings of the Church and our Faith. We welcome others from different Faith Communities, but we are here to answer and defend the Truth we believe.

I do not believe we attack other Christians here. We came here because we are attacked everywhere else and what we believe is so distorted out there. We welcome everyone, yet we ask for respect here and we ask that if you come here you will at least show us the decency to hear us out. We are not provided that opportunity in other forums without mocking and name calling.

Quote from John:
“In such circumstances, I often ask folks to consider what kind of witness they give when they attack fellow Christians. We have an opportunity to celebrate our wonderful gift of grace and how we share it or we can focus on the mean, the petty and the inconsequential.”

My comment: I just wanted to say I agree with you, except for the part of the petty and the inconsequential. We believe the Eucharist is not petty and inconsequential, it is Jesus Christ the Son of God trully present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

And I do feel that Anglo-Catholic is a good witness and I pray we can all learn more Ecumenism on all sides.

God Bless!

 

[PXseeker]

elgom:

I
***…My comment: I just wanted to say I agree with you, except for the part of the petty and the inconsequential. We believe the Eucharist is not petty and inconsequential, it is Jesus Christ the Son of God trully present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

And I do feel that Anglo-Catholic is a good witness and I pray we can all learn more Ecumenism on all sides.

God Bless!

Elgom,

So do all Lutherans and Anglicans. We hold to the Real Presence. So now what weighty matter holds us back from sharing the Eucharist?

I suggest that where fellow Christians confess the same belief, the reasons for not communing them are petty.

Peace,
John

 

[jmm08]

One problem I will have if I bring my family to mass (I’m waiting for RCIA to begin this fall): if she felt like taking communion she would go ahead and do it. Even if I told her not to (she gets stubborn sometimes).

And I think somebody in her family must have been Catholic. Because when we went to a “healing service” at the Catholic Church one time, she sure seemed to know how to show adoration to a statue of St. Mary.

---

When I was in my public high school Choir, we practiced and learned the Beethoven Mass in C. We were invited by a nearby RC Church to sing the Mass on a Sunday. The choir director made it very plain that nobody was obligated to go (separation of church and state), but his smile and twinkle in his eye meant that we all should really be there. I know I didn’t walk up to receive communion, but it almost seems as if I had received communion somehow when I think back at this time. But the RC priest knew that many in the choir weren’t Catholic and he wouldn’t have made any error like that. And Holy Communion wouldn’t have been handed out by ushers the way I was accustomed to in the Methodist Church back then. So I’m fairly sure I didn’t. Perhaps it only seems that way to me because I put a lot of feeling into singing the words. Even though it was Latin, our director had explained the meaning of each phrase.

 

[SusanL]

PXseeker:

Elgom,

So do all Lutherans and Anglicans. We hold to the Real Presence. So now what weighty matter holds us back from sharing the Eucharist?

I suggest that where fellow Christians confess the same belief, the reasons for not communing them are petty.

Peace,
John

John. I realize that the Lutherans and the Anglicans and Episcopalians all believe that Jesus is the present in their Eucharist however we disagree. With the exception of a few Anglican/Episcopalain priests, we don’t believe that Jesus is physically present in any other church. Not in the same sense. This is not meant as any kind of criticism, believe me. This just explains why it is such a major issue with us.

 

[elgom]

PXseeker:

Elgom,

So do all Lutherans and Anglicans. We hold to the Real Presence. So now what weighty matter holds us back from sharing the Eucharist?

I suggest that where fellow Christians confess the same belief, the reasons for not communing them are petty.

Peace,
John

Well, I guess we need to delve into this issue further. Let’s examine the teachings of each of these churches as to what they believe is actually happening in the Eucharist, and validity of the persons performing to actually institute change.

Please understand that I am extremely cognisant of the feelings of others of different faiths here there is no desire to offend, but in order to get to the crux of the matter we need to discuss our differences. I would rather offend you than to offend Our Lord in the Eucharist. The analogy I tell here was told to me by a very Holy Priest.

"Someone comes up to you and shows you a piece of coal and says “Isn’t this diamond beautiful”. At that point you look at them strangely and say, but it is a piece of coal. They then say “I believe it is a diamond so it is one.”

John said:
I suggest that where fellow Christians confess the same belief, the reasons for not communing them are petty.

My comment:
Unfortunately, our belief that Jesus is in the Eucharist doesn’t confect the change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. No matter what others believe, their ministers do not have the power to confect the change necessary through a valid priesthood.

Yet, I do believe Anglicans have some in the unbroken line or Apostolic Succession who can in fact consecrate the Eucharist, but this line is so blurry now we don’t know which ones can and which ones can’t. (Please correct me if I am wrong!)

Yet Anglicans are not in communion with the Church as they do not recognize the Pope. (Correct me again if I am wrong.)

We believe that when the Eucharist is changed the term is Transubstantiation, from mere bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the power of the priesthood as an unbroken “Apostolic Succession” from the time of the Apostles.
This really does not depend upon our belief or not, it is fact, through the power of the priesthood and the words of consecration.

You won’t speak to anyone here who more desires that we do as Our Lord prayed and “be one”, I know that everyone who is outside the Church loves Jesus just as much as I do that is not the issue here. The issue here is that unfortunately at this time we are NOT in communion with each other. Communion would be that we are all ONE. That is obviously not true or we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

It is not a petty issue and I am insulted that anyone would think that an issue such as the defense of Jesus in the Eucharist is a petty issue. Martyrs have died so the Eucharist would not be sacrileged and Eucharistic Miracles have happened all over the world. Why would God allow the miracles of the Eucharist to be present among us if he wasn’t trying to show us his real presence.

The whole purpose of this original line of questioning was to point out that it is inappropriate for others of other faiths to be receiving the Eucharist in the Church as they are not in communion with us.

Perhaps you can correct me now and explain how the Eucharistic change is confected by your ministers, by what power. Please I am trying to learn. Show me an unbroken Apostolic Succession.



God Bless and may we all be one someday!

 

[PXseeker]

Elgom,

You have changed the subject. Validlity of the other eucharists has nothing to do with Catholics allowing Christians who confess the Real Presence to receive. You were the one who set it up as the threshhold requirement.

As to apostolic succession and issues of valid epicopacy, you failed to note that the Scandanavian bishops became Lutheran and in fact, that lineage was tapped by the Anglicans to restore bishops after the Commomweath and Roundheads had wiped so many out.

John

 

[elgom]

PXseeker:

Elgom,

You have changed the subject. Validlity of the other eucharists has nothing to do with Catholics allowing Christians who confess the Real Presence to receive. You were the one who set it up as the threshhold requirement.

As to apostolic succession and issues of valid epicopacy, you failed to note that the Scandanavian bishops became Lutheran and in fact, that lineage was tapped by the Anglicans to restore bishops after the Commomweath and Roundheads had wiped so many out.

John

Well, John, perhaps it is time for a new thread.

Thank you for at least not being insulting any further with your use of the word Petty to describe our desire that we all be in Communion before others receive Eucharist in our Churches.

I also pray that Christians who confess to believe in the Eucharist will one day be in communion with us. I thank all of you that have read this thread for your respect of our beliefs. I also know that during times I was unable to receive the Eucharist how painful it was for me.

God Bless and let’s pray the Holy Spirit unites us all again!

 

[lablover]

Zski01:

Every now and then we would have a Protestant minister as a guest at Church and they would go with the Procession at the beginning and end of mass, and give a “guest homily.” Our Priest would interview them carefully before mass to go over their views of communion and if they were in accordance, would allow them to take communion. I would assume that is ok, but I (and he) could be wrong.

It’s a shame that Protestants feel so left out of mass because, as a general rule, they are excluded from communion. I know my friends have said that is somewhat frustrating, but then again we can’t ignore the warnings St. Paul put forth in 1 Corinthians 11. It’s definitely a dilemma. If only we were all united in thought (cf 1 Cor 1:13)

No, it’s not OK for the priest to decide that someone can take Communion if their views are like ours. A lot of Protestants may sincerely say they are, but I doubt if they really understand our belief. Most people who do what that priest does are simply afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. Even people who attend RCIA classes, and who already know and believe what we teach, aren’t allowed to receive Communion until they’ve been received into the Church.

Incidentally, I always find it interesting that often when a Protestant insists on taking Communion, they refuse to kneel during parts of the Mass. If they believe it’s really Christ, I should think kneeling would be a natural.