Noncatholic Communion

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Converting to Catholicism, and I know not to partake in Catholic Communion until I am properly initiated into the church.
My parents are both Methodist (but generally nondenominational).

My mother and I have in the past gone to Mass on special occasions (Jesuit college orientation), and I told my mother NOT to take communion as she is not Catholic.

She told me that we are all in the spiritual body of Christ so it’s nonsense to not take it. I told her it is a sacrament and is the climax of Catholic mass, and as she is not Catholic, is not in full communion with the full body of Christ as recognized by the Catholic Church. She just goes back to her initial point that as a believer of Christ, she has every right to take it…
I also said to respect Catholicism’s Eucharistic beliefs that technically she shouldn’t take it, but she still persists that as a believer in Christ, it doesn’t matter…
She also believes in transubstantiation.

So here are my questions
  1. Is partaking in communion for a noncatholic technically sacrilege from Catholic Church’s point of view? (so hopefully this would convince my mother).
  2. What is the best argument as to why she shouldn’t partake in it…
 
To receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass you are saying that you believe everything that the Catholic Church teaches.

And, if one did believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches, then they would want to get further instruction, and when that was complete and they were fully Catholic…then they could receive the Eucharist.
 
To take Catholic Communion one is in essence proclaiming they believe all of the Catholic Dogmas and tenets of faith. They are also saying that they are in a state of Grace (no unconfessed, unabsolved mortal sins on their soul).
If one isn’t Catholic, they cannot receive as there is no way possible (unless your mom is very saintly, not saying she isn’t :)) they’ve confessed and been absolved of their sins.
Well, some denominations can take part in Catholic Communion, but not Methodist, nor non-denominational.

God bless, and I hope your mom makes the journey home. 🙂
 
Yes, it is sacrilege, but perhaps you can explain it in earthly terms that are relatable. Consider that you are a guest in someone’s home for a wedding reception. The wedding party is partaking in champagne and caviar and offering gifts to the bride and groom, while the rest of the guests are offered a modest meal and a no-host bar. While she is an honored guest, she is not the bride or groom, or a member of the wedding party. She is not entitled to enjoy all the perks of membership, only what is offered to her. And it is a rich treasury that is offered to all of us. The Grace of God, the remission of venial sins, the nourishment of the Word of God, prayers and supplications for the whole world and community, a sacrificial offering to God, and a final prayer and blessing to send us out into the world.

If she yearns for receiving the Eucharist, then good. Tell her that all she needs to do is become a member of the wedding party (baptized Catholic). Read the Book of Revelation with her, it is a beautiful narrative rich in symbolism of liturgy, the wedding feast, and the Heavenly Jerusalem. These graces we receive through the Eucharist are available only to baptized Catholics for good reason. I would invite you to continue your study with John 6, and then seek out the voluminous Church documents which are written about the Eucharist, which themselves contain a rich treasury of thought and teaching regarding the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Good responses, but the question also has to be, is she doing this just to irritate you? If so, you need, as a Catholic, to tell her that it is only common courtesy to follow the “rules of the house,” as it were, and, if she is unwilling to do so, do not attend Mass with her. Ever. It is a terrible insult to your faith and your Church for her to receive unless she is in full communion with the church, as it would be for you to do so in hers. It is certainly a matter which can be debated on theological or philosophical terms (she is not alone in her opinion), but it is not something upon which you can compromise in practice.
 
If the church you attend has missals in the pews you can look in the front where it kindly asks those who are not Roman Catholic to not partake.
 
Kmon23 said:
Converting to Catholicism, and I know not to partake in Catholic Communion until I am properly initiated into the church.
My parents are both Methodist (but generally nondenominational).

My mother and I have in the past gone to Mass on special occasions (Jesuit college orientation), and I told my mother NOT to take communion as she is not Catholic.

She told me that we are all in the spiritual body of Christ so it’s nonsense to not take it. I told her it is a sacrament and is the climax of Catholic mass, and as she is not Catholic, is not in full communion with the full body of Christ as recognized by the Catholic Church. She just goes back to her initial point that as a believer of Christ, she has every right to take it…
I also said to respect Catholicism’s Eucharistic beliefs that technically she shouldn’t take it, but she still persists that as a believer in Christ, it doesn’t matter…
She also believes in transubstantiation.

So here are my questions
  1. Is partaking in communion for a noncatholic technically sacrilege from Catholic Church’s point of view? (so hopefully this would convince my mother).
  2. What is the best argument as to why she shouldn’t partake in it…
Click to expand...
To be in communion with the Catholic Church you must accept all their beliefs ESPECIALLY that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. You must also have allegiance to the pope. Ask her if she can meet all these criteria.
 
IrishAm said:
Good responses, but the question also has to be, is she doing this just to irritate you? If so, you need, as a Catholic, to tell her that it is only common courtesy to follow the “rules of the house,” as it were, and, if she is unwilling to do so, do not attend Mass with her. Ever. It is a terrible insult to your faith and your Church for her to receive unless she is in full communion with the church, as it would be for you to do so in hers. It is certainly a matter which can be debated on theological or philosophical terms (she is not alone in her opinion), but it is not something upon which you can compromise in practice.
Click to expand...
Well stated.
 
The reception of the Eucharist within the Roman Catholic Liturgy is a sign of a unity already present .

The reception of the Eucharist within the Roman Catholic Liturgy is not a means of bringing about a unity not yet achieved .

Having said that , may the day soon be upon us when Christians from various traditions will have attained a degree of unity which makes it possible for them to share the Eucharist together .
 
Dorothy said:
To receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass you are saying that you believe everything that the Catholic Church teaches.

And, if one did believe in everything the Catholic Church teaches, then they would want to get further instruction, and when that was complete and they were fully Catholic…then they could receive the Eucharist.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree with this.

Receiving communion means that there IS communion already present. When we pray in the Eucharistic Prayer with Francis our Pope and N our bishop, it means we are in union with them and with the Church.

If your mother does, in fact, believe what the Church teaches then she should take the steps needed to come into communion.
 
Kmon23 said:
So here are my questions
  1. Is partaking in communion for a noncatholic technically sacrilege from Catholic Church’s point of view? (so hopefully this would convince my mother).
  2. What is the best argument as to why she shouldn’t partake in it…
Click to expand...
  1. Yes, it’s sacrilege.
  2. Honestly, I’m not sure. This is just baffling. I’ve taken non-Catholic friends to mass before and told them not to receive. They always were fine with it and had a spirit of wanting to not offend the Church.
I’m not sure why your mother is being so stubbornly obstinate about it. I’ve never had to deal with someone that would just defiantly decide to receive after being explained that they weren’t Catholic and they shouldn’t.

Maybe try talking to the priest about it?
 
I suppose you could ask her if she thinks sex outside of marriage is ok.

From this link:
…In the Catholic Church, we believe the reception of Communion is the sign and symbol of union - union between Christ and those who receive Him, and union between all those who receive Christ in this sacrament.

In a marriage, the physical joining of husband and wife is the sign and the symbol of union between the two. If there is no union - no lifelong commitment - then the sign of union should not take place. Which means sex outside of marriage is a lie - you are saying with your bodies that a union exists, that a commitment has been made, when no such union actually exists.

Just so, it is a lie for someone who is not Catholic to receive Communion in the Catholic Church, when there is first no union with the Catholic Church. When you receive Communion in the Catholic Church, you are saying with your body that you are in union with the Church and that you believe as we believe. And not just in regard to the Real Presence, but also in regard to the Pope, to Mary, to the other Sacraments, to the Communion of Saints, the priesthood, salvation, and so on. If there is no union, there should be no Communion.

The same holds when you receive communion in a non-Catholic faith tradition. You are saying, with your body, that you believe as they believe. You are telling everyone present that there is essentially no difference between what they believe about communion and what you, as a Catholic, believe about Communion. You are telling a lie with your body. That is why Catholics should not receive communion, or the Lord’s Supper, outside the bounds of the Catholic Church.

And, if she disagrees strongly with any (or many) teachings of the Catholic church, isn’t it understandable that she would be excluded from certain parts of our corporate worship? If she doesn’t believe what Catholics believe, then why would she want comm-union in the Church if she is not in union with the Church? That has never made any sense to me.
 
smichhertz said:
  1. Yes, it’s sacrilege.
  2. Honestly, I’m not sure. This is just baffling. I’ve taken non-Catholic friends to mass before and told them not to receive. They always were fine with it and had a spirit of wanting to not offend the Church.
I’m not sure why your mother is being so stubbornly obstinate about it. I’ve never had to deal with someone that would just defiantly decide to receive after being explained that they weren’t Catholic and they shouldn’t.

Maybe try talking to the priest about it?
Click to expand...
A Pentecostal girl once wanted to go to my Good Friday service. When it came to communion, I told her that she could not go up. She huffed up and walked out of the church. After the service I went out to meet her and she was extremely annoyed. She asked me if I thought that Christ died for Catholics only. I told her that he died for everyone - Catholics, Protestants, atheists, etc. However, she was not a Catholic and could not receive communion in a Catholic church. For a start, she was not in communion with the Catholic Church. She did not believe in our doctrines and had no allegiances with the pope. I would not receive communion in an Anglican Church as I am not in allegiance with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I spoke to another Pentecostal friend who told me that communion was just receiving the bread and wine or red cordial to commemorate the last supper. If Protestants only knew that the Catholic Church had the actual body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation they would all be lining up to become Catholics.
 
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