Receiving Communion?

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leamar3

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I’m not really sure where to put this question, so I’m going to put it here and hope it’s ok. 😃

If a non-catholic receives communion in a Catholic Church, it’s considered a sin. If a non-catholic receives communion in a non-catholic church it’s not a sin, correct?

Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
Sounds like you’re going in circles here. If you are a Baptist, and go to a Baptist church, then by all means take communion. But if you go to another protestant church, you might want to ask ahead of time so you won’t mess up. I don’t know if it would be considered sinful or not, that might depend on what each church teaches. Oh, and a Catholic can’t take communion in Protestant church.
 
Christy_Beth said:
Sounds like you’re going in circles here.
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I am completely going in circles. I’ve been attending RCIA for several months, and I just don’t know that I can commit to becoming Catholic because of concepts like the question I asked above. How can it be sinful to receive communion at one church and not another?

I’m just so frustrated. 😦
 
Its sinful because of the difference of what the Catholic Church teaches and what the Reformation Church’s teaching, to Protestants its bread and grape juice, its just a symbol , and as Catholics we don’t receive a “Symbol” the Catholic Church teaches that when a priest celebrates Mass he has the power to turn the bread and wine (not bread and grape juice) into the Body and Blood of Christ. John 6: 53 -58

Line 53 starts off by saying. Jesus said to them, Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you,

Summary.

As Catholics we can only receive the Body and Blood of Christ as commandeth to do so by Our Lord, which is called Transubstantiation , to receive anything else is incorrect, and why would you not want to eat the real thing , it would be like asking someone do you want to eat meat, or a plastic version of meat.

Now some of his Disciples found this teaching to hard and walked away, and Our Lord said to his twelve are you going to walk away as well, to which they replied "Master to whom would we go to , you have the words of Eternal Life.

Please read the whole of John Chapter 6 : 51-58.

An interesting book to invest in would be a book called "Catholicism for Dummies- it gives all the Catholic teaching in easy terms good for Converts and Catholics who are weak on there faith.

Hope the above helps.
 
leamar3 said:
I’m not really sure where to put this question, so I’m going to put it here and hope it’s ok. 😃

If a non-catholic receives communion in a Catholic Church, it’s considered a sin. If a non-catholic receives communion in a non-catholic church it’s not a sin, correct?

Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.
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If you are asking from a Catholic position, then yes to both. If you are not a Catholic, the Catholic Church asks you to abstain from receiving the Eucharist. To the Catholic Church, when someone receives in their church, this it is showing that the individual is in full communion with the RCC, meaning you are agreeing to living and believing as the RCC teaches and have been baptized a Christian and received and confirmed in the RCC. They also see it as a protection for people who are not properly disposed to receive according to their teaching.

Coming from a non RCC background, and being a protestant, I can empathize with what you are feeling. I’m one of those protestants that believes in open communion for all professed believers, as we are all of the body of Christ. For me, then, it becomes a matter of respect for the different churches I attend; if they have open communion, fine, if they don’t I respect that and do not receive.
 
leamar3 said:
I’m not really sure where to put this question, so I’m going to put it here and hope it’s ok. 😃

If a non-catholic receives communion in a Catholic Church, it’s considered a sin. If a non-catholic receives communion in a non-catholic church it’s not a sin, correct?

Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily a sin, but it’s not a good thing to do.

But my denomination asks that you be a full member of the denomination AND on the same page theologically before receiving. The exception would be if another conservative Lutheran, a LCMS person for example, were to meet with the pastor before and the pastor allows it.

We teach the real presence in the Eucharist, and therefore all Christians who don’t accept the real presence are barred.
 
Celtic_Maiden said:
Its sinful because of the difference of what the Catholic Church teaches and what the Reformation Church’s teaching, to Protestants its bread and grape juice, its just a symbol , and as Catholics we don’t receive a “Symbol” the Catholic Church teaches that when a priest celebrates Mass he has the power to turn the bread and wine (not bread and grape juice) into the Body and Blood of Christ. John 6: 53 -58

Line 53 starts off by saying. Jesus said to them, Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you,

Summary.

As Catholics we can only receive the Body and Blood of Christ as commandeth to do so by Our Lord, which is called Transubstantiation , to receive anything else is incorrect, and why would you not want to eat the real thing , it would be like asking someone do you want to eat meat, or a plastic version of meat.

Now some of his Disciples found this teaching to hard and walked away, and Our Lord said to his twelve are you going to walk away as well, to which they replied "Master to whom would we go to , you have the words of Eternal Life.

Please read the whole of John Chapter 6 : 51-58.

An interesting book to invest in would be a book called "Catholicism for Dummies- it gives all the Catholic teaching in easy terms good for Converts and Catholics who are weak on there faith.

Hope the above helps.
Click to expand...
Its sinful because of the difference of what the Catholic Church teaches and what the Reformation Church’s teaching, to Protestants its bread and grape juice, its just a symbol , and as Catholics we don’t receive a “Symbol” the Catholic Church teaches that when a priest celebrates Mass he has the power to turn the bread and wine (not bread and grape juice) into the Body and Blood of Christ. John 6: 53 -58
Click to expand...
Not to this Protestant. This Protestant wholehearted rejects the “symbol” viewpoint.
 
House_Harkonnen said:
Not necessarily a sin, but it’s not a good thing to do.

But my denomination asks that you be a full member of the denomination AND on the same page theologically before receiving. The exception would be if another conservative Lutheran, a LCMS person for example, were to meet with the pastor before and the pastor allows it.

We teach the real presence in the Eucharist, and therefore all Christians who don’t accept the real presence are barred.
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In the ELCA a person doesn’t need to understand the mysteries of the Eucharist to be welcome at the altar. We believe and preach the Real Presence whether or not the communicant fully conceives of the Body of Christ’; forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
 
leamar3 said:
I’m not really sure where to put this question, so I’m going to put it here and hope it’s ok. 😃

If a non-catholic receives communion in a Catholic Church, it’s considered a sin. If a non-catholic receives communion in a non-catholic church it’s not a sin, correct?

Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.
Click to expand...
Think about the word “communion.” It shares the same root as “community.”

As Catholics (regardless of the Rite), we attend churches which are in “communion” with the See of Peter. We are all a “community” of believers. We believe that via our communal prayers and beliefs at Mass, the Priest is able to call upon the Holy Spirit to transubstantiate the Bread and Wine to the Body and Blood of Christ and that there is a Real Presence in the Host and Precious Blood.

Partaking in “communion” means that you believe in the Real Presence and are part of the "community of the Church and also believe in the “communion of Saints.”

Receiving Communion means you believe in all of that. People who receive communion and who do not believe the above are lying each time they receive. Protestants do not believe in the above, so we ask them to refrain from receiving to protect them from commuting sacrilege. Also any Catholic who does not believe what the Church teaches or is in mortal sin must refrain too. Again, this to protect their soul, not to punish them. After all, a Catholic is only required to receive once a year, at Easter.

Finally, think of it this way. Communion is a gift from Christ, delivered by the Church. Recipients of gifts cannot dictate the form of the gift, who it’s given to, or who doesn’t receive one. All of that is up-to the gift giver. We “receive” our gifts humbly.

The Church is the same way, if one doesn’t respect the above and goes up for communion anyway, they are not “receiving” Communion, they “taking it.” That’s why Catholics “receive” communion and do not “take” communion.

I hope this helps and God Bless
 
leamar3 said:
I am completely going in circles. I’ve been attending RCIA for several months, and I just don’t know that I can commit to becoming Catholic because of concepts like the question I asked above. How can it be sinful to receive communion at one church and not another?

I’m just so frustrated. 😦
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You should be taught this in RCIA…so if you have not already covered this, you will.
 
House_Harkonnen said:
Not necessarily a sin, but it’s not a good thing to do.

But my denomination asks that you be a full member of the denomination AND on the same page theologically before receiving. The exception would be if another conservative Lutheran, a LCMS person for example, were to meet with the pastor before and the pastor allows it.

We teach the real presence in the Eucharist, and therefore all Christians who don’t accept the real presence are barred.
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And the reverse. 👍

Jon
 
leamar3 said:
I’m not really sure where to put this question, so I’m going to put it here and hope it’s ok. 😃

If a non-catholic receives communion in a Catholic Church, it’s considered a sin. If a non-catholic receives communion in a non-catholic church it’s not a sin, correct?

Thanks in advance for any (name removed by moderator)ut.
Click to expand...
From the point of view of confessional Lutherans, we see “communion” as more than the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the term communion, we believe it important that one agrees with our doctrine, doctrinal unity. I think the CC holds essentially the same view.
Even though Catholics and Lutherans share the belief of the real presence, we do not share doctrinal unity.

Jon
 
It might also be worth noting that Communion is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church.
 
Kliska said:
Coming from a non RCC background, and being a protestant, I can empathize with what you are feeling. I’m one of those protestants that believes in open communion for all professed believers, as we are all of the body of Christ. For me, then, it becomes a matter of respect for the different churches I attend; if they have open communion, fine, if they don’t I respect that and do not receive.
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This, though I know of others that do not follow through on this belief as you do.
 
House_Harkonnen said:
Not to this Protestant. This Protestant wholehearted rejects the “symbol” viewpoint.
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If I’m not mistaken, while Lutherans believe in the Real Presence, they believe in Consubstantiation.

While Catholics believe in Transubstantiation.

So the theology is different.

God Bless
 
phil19034 said:
If I’m not mistaken, while Lutherans believe in the Real Presence, they believe in Consubstantiation.

While Catholics believe in Transubstantiation.

So the theology is different.

God Bless
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It is possible that you may be corrected on the former point.

Or, you may not be.

GKC
 
I don’t think it’s sinful if you didn’t know.

I might be wrong too.
 
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