Roman Catholic Taking Communion at Other Christian (Non-Catholic) Churches?

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veilofveronica

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Hi everyone,
I’m going to be attending a couple of Christian Baptisms soon that are Non-Catholic. One is in an Anglican (Episcopal) Church, the other is in a United Church. I know that the United Church one is part of a Sunday morning service. The beliefs of both of these churches is that any baptized Christian can take part in their communion, but I was always taught that Roman Catholics can only receive communion within our own church. Is this the case, and if so, how do I pass up taking communion if it is offered (I’m not sure if it’s a communion service) without looking rude?
God Bless!
 
You look rude and let the chips fall. When I was Protestant I didn’t go up for Communion sometimes because I felt I had to live better. Whether that’s good or not, it definitely goes against the grain and takes courage not too. I’d just look rude. Otherwise you imply that you condone the Protestant understanding of things. And that does all parties a disservice.
 
Here is what I do when I attend services at my wife’s Protestant church. Ushers pass bread and grape juice to the people in the pews. I simply take the plate and pass it to the next person down the pew. This is in a respectful manner and always with some reverence.

Like veilofveronica said, to take part in their communion service would be claiming that you are in “common union” with them. Unfortunately, we are not yet there. So, as non-Catholics are asked to abstain from taking the Eucharist, we should also respect their beliefs and likewise decline. This can be awkward, especially when the speaker strongly encourages EVERYONE to take part. But it is more important to be true to yourself than to publicly represent something which you are not.

If they go forward for communion, simply remain in your seat. If they pass communion to all, just act like it’s a collection basket at a Catholic church and quickly pass it on! 😃
 
I don’t think most Protestants see it as rude, just like most Catholics don’t think it’s rude not to go up and receive the Eucharist. They might assume you just aren’t ‘right with God’ that particular morning, or that you’re abstaining because you haven’t been baptized yet, or what have you. Most of them will just assume there’s a good reason, and leave it alone.

I wouldn’t worry about it. The worst that will happen is that someone will ask you why you’re not taking communion and you might get into a conversation about being Catholic. Most people won’t, though, because taking or not taking communion is a personal thing.

Hope this helped some!
Nicki
 
If they invite communicants to the rail…simply stay seated in a prayerful manner…if they pass the small communion cups with wine/grape juice and bread…just pass it on and remain respectful.

I have been in meetings for worship where I have not shared in the bread and wine…one need not be rude or disrespecful…nor intend to be simply to show one’s disdain for the traditions respective ordinance/sacrament…not that I’m implying you would be…being respecful is the key.
 
I cannot imagine protestants being insulted, angry, or anything about not recieving communion there. Simply say, “Gonna hang back here for a bit” and bow your head in prayer.

It always works for me. I’ve gone to several non catholic churches where this situation comes up. No one cares who doesn’t go up and accept communion.
 
Rascalking said:
I cannot imagine protestants being insulted, angry, or anything about not recieving communion there. Simply say, “Gonna hang back here for a bit” and bow your head in prayer.

It always works for me. I’ve gone to several non catholic churches where this situation comes up. No one cares who doesn’t go up and accept communion.
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I’ve even attended “Sacrament meetings” at the local LDS chapel with some friends…just passed the tray to my neighbor…I wasn’t the only one not partaking.

The key is what Ms. Franklin espoused…R-E-S-P-E-C-T…simple respect we would want showed to us.
 
Publisher said:
I’ve even attended “Sacrament meetings” at the local LDS chapel with some friends…just passed the tray to my neighbor…I wasn’t the only one not partaking.

The key is what Ms. Franklin espoused…R-E-S-P-E-C-T…simple respect we would want showed to us.
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👍

Totally agree with you you.
 
veilofveronica said:
how do I pass up taking communion if it is offered (I’m not sure if it’s a communion service) without looking rude?
God Bless!
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Be very gentle, polite and say, “No thank you”.
Or still, don’t get in the line if they have one.
 
I attended a seventh day adventist service with a neighbor/friend.Since I wasn’t a practicing catholic at the time,I went up for the distribution of the bread and grapejuice.Hopefully,I didn’t commit a sin,because I was a lapsed catholic at the time.
As christians,I see no reason why we can’t share in communion with some of our christian brothers and sisters.What about taking communion at a Lutheran or Episcopalian service?
 
franny50 said:
I attended a seventh day adventist service with a neighbor/friend.Since I wasn’t a practicing catholic at the time,I went up for the distribution of the bread and grapejuice.Hopefully,I didn’t commit a sin,because I was a lapsed catholic at the time.
As christians,I see no reason why we can’t share in communion with some of our christian brothers and sisters.What about taking communion at a Lutheran or Episcopalian service?
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Well, the lapsed part wouldn’t make it not sinful, Franny, but if you didn’t know it was sinful, that would excuse you. You could have been a real ‘participating’ Catholic and still not known it was wrong. However, now you know it’s wrong so now if you deliberately did it, it WOULD be sinful.

However, NO to Lutheran or Episcopalians. You are NOT in full union with them, they are not in full union with you. Also canon law requires you, as a Catholic, to only receive from a CATHOLIC minister (i.e. priest, deacon, EHMC) in a Catholic Church or in any church which is deemed to have a valid communion/valid orders. In the Catholic understanding that would include the Orthodox but NOT Lutherans or Episcopalians. I’m sure somebody with more time (I have to head out) will show you the relevant paragraphs from the catechism and the code of Canon Law.

God bless.
 
franny50 said:
I attended a seventh day adventist service with a neighbor/friend.Since I wasn’t a practicing catholic at the time,I went up for the distribution of the bread and grapejuice.Hopefully,I didn’t commit a sin,because I was a lapsed catholic at the time.
As christians,I see no reason why we can’t share in communion with some of our christian brothers and sisters.What about taking communion at a Lutheran or Episcopalian service?
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I have attended meetings for worship with other traditions that asked me to participate in their communion service. I let them know I have not been baptized in water as I am a Friend…but if they’re good with that…I would have no problem sharing the “sacred meal” with them…we worship the same God and acknolwege the same Lord.

I know however that Catholics are forbidden to share in communion outside of the Catholic church…Orthodox being the exception…but the Orthodox usually deny communion to any NOT Orthodox for the same reasons Catholics deny those not Catholic…I believe some Lutherans are closed communionists as well.
 
Publisher said:
I have attended meetings for worship with other traditions that asked me to participate in their communion service. I let them know I have not been baptized in water as I am a Friend…but if they’re good with that…I would have no problem sharing the “sacred meal” with them…we worship the same God and acknolwege the same Lord.
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That’s fine for you, Publisher, but if you as a Friend had a teaching that said you should not share with someone, even someone who worshipped the ‘same Lord’, I’m sure you’d adhere to that. I do not believe it would be Christian behavior for somebody who knew somebody else was not ‘supposed to’ do something (even if the first person had no problems with it), for them to encourage the second person to disobey their spiritual leader/teachings just because the first person didn’t have a problem with it. . .
 
Tantum_ergo said:
That’s fine for you, Publisher, but if you as a Friend had a teaching that said you should not share with someone, even someone who worshipped the ‘same Lord’, I’m sure you’d adhere to that. I do not believe it would be Christian behavior for somebody who knew somebody else was not ‘supposed to’ do something (even if the first person had no problems with it), for them to encourage the second person to disobey their spiritual leader/teachings just because the first person didn’t have a problem with it. . .
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Friend…I agree with you…I don’t believe I indicated anything other wise…if I did so please let me know.
 
veilofveronica said:
Hi everyone,
I’m going to be attending a couple of Christian Baptisms soon that are Non-Catholic. One is in an Anglican (Episcopal) Church, the other is in a United Church. I know that the United Church one is part of a Sunday morning service. The beliefs of both of these churches is that any baptized Christian can take part in their communion, but I was always taught that Roman Catholics can only receive communion within our own church. Is this the case, and if so, how do I pass up taking communion if it is offered (I’m not sure if it’s a communion service) without looking rude?
God Bless!
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Hi V.
Look at it in reverse. If I came to mass at your parish, and knowing I was Lutheran, you saw me 1) stay kneeling in the pew, or 2) went up to receive a blessing with my arms crossed, would you consider me as rude? I would think not, as you would probably think I was being respectful of your tradition, as well as mine.
I would see it the same way were you in my Lutheran Church. Simply staying in the pew - we have guests do it all the time, being in a tourist area -is not rude or disrespectful.
In fact, it is the respectful thing to do, for your tradition and mine.

Jon
 
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS) practices closed Communion. My church has in it’s bulletin the following:
Guest and Holy Communion… Communing together presupposes agreement in the doctrines of the Church 1 Cor. 1:10 ] And, according to St. Paul 1 Cor. 11:27-39, ]Holy Communion without due instruction can be taken to one’s harm. Therefore, love requires that the Body and Blood of Christ be administrated to only those guest who have spoken with one of our pastors prior to the Divine Service and have been invited by them to partake in the Eucharist. To inquire about becoming a communicant, please speak with a pastor after the service. Thanks for honoring our convictions.
 
veilofveronica said:
Hi everyone,
I’but I was always taught that Roman Catholics can only receive communion within our own church.
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To be more accurate, we can receive in any Catholic Rite (Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Armenian, West Syriac, East Syriac). On certain circumstances, we can also receive from the Orthodox, and if they would allow us to.
 
I am a newly confirmed Catholic and this morning I went to an Episcopal church with a friend of mine. (I had gone to a Catholic mass earlier in the morning and received the Eucharist, so no problem there.) I didn’t think I should receive communion but was a little unclear because I didn’t know why their holy orders are not valid but the Orthodox are. But anyway, I abstained and am glad because I now know it was the correct thing to do, because for historic reasons that I’m still not entirely clear on, they lost apostolic succession while the Orthodox did not.
But I was quite uncomfortable there. Because I did not believe this was really the body and blood of Christ, I did not kneel or bow to the altar or anything like that. It was very strange. With respect to Episcopalians, it felt sacrilegious, treating something like the body and blood of Christ when it in fact isn’t. So in a big way I feel much better going to an Evangelical service where communion is viewed as simply symbolic. But because Anglicans/Episcopalians (as I understand it) believe in transubstantiation of some kind, isn’t there a kind of sacrilege here that Catholics should be very careful about?
On another note, in my diocese, the Episcopal priests from their diocsean cathedral are given communion at our diocsean cathedral. When I saw this at the mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (a doctrine they accept), I asked the rector of the cathedral about it. He said our bishop has given them permission to receive while in our cathedral. Does this seem unusual or scandalous to anyone? I’m not really sure what to think about it. They do believe it to be the true body and blood so I’m not particularly bothered by it, but I wonder what everyone else thinks.
 
de_Tocqueville said:
But I was quite uncomfortable there. Because I did not believe this was really the body and blood of Christ, I did not kneel or bow to the altar or anything like that. It was very strange. With respect to Episcopalians, it felt sacrilegious, treating something like the body and blood of Christ when it in fact isn’t. So in a big way I feel much better going to an Evangelical service where communion is viewed as simply symbolic. But because Anglicans/Episcopalians (as I understand it) believe in transubstantiation of some kind, isn’t there a kind of sacrilege here that Catholics should be very careful about?
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Consubstantiation, if I’m correct meaning that Christ is present with the bread and the wine, but not actually the bread and the wine.
TrueLight said:
On another note, in my diocese, the Episcopal priests from their diocsean cathedral are given communion at our diocsean cathedral. When I saw this at the mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (a doctrine they accept), I asked the rector of the cathedral about it. He said our bishop has given them permission to receive while in our cathedral. Does this seem unusual or scandalous to anyone? I’m not really sure what to think about it. They do believe it to be the true body and blood so I’m not particularly bothered by it, but I wonder what everyone else thinks.
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Is this an Anglo-Catholic community? I’m confused myself.

I’m also confused by your post; if you don’t believe the Eucharist is literal, why did you join the Church?
 
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