Should non-catholics receive the Eucharist?

[Soccerant19]

i apologize if this is posted somewhere else; i tried looking but i couldnt find this topic anywhere.

i had this discussion in one of my theology classes today and we never got a straight answer. should a non-catholic receive the Eucharist in a catholic church?

 

[Pixie_Dust]

No, they should not.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

i apologize if this is posted somewhere else; i tried looking but i couldnt find this topic anywhere.

i had this discussion in one of my theology classes today and we never got a straight answer. should a non-catholic receive the Eucharist in a catholic church?

Only in certain very limited circumstances, in danger of death and if possible with the Bishops permission.

 

[Soccerant19]

does anyone know where it says this? or is this just a matter of opinion?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

i had this discussion in one of my theology classes today and we never got a straight answer. should a non-catholic receive the Eucharist in a catholic church?

Is your theology class in a Catholic school? If so, your teacher should have been able to answer it definitively. Share the following with him or her (bold emphasis added). The exceptions noted are rather stringent: grave necessity (e.g., danger of death), AND no minister of their own faith is available, AND believe what Catholics do about the Eucharist, AND properly disposed (to me this would mean no serious sin that has not been absolved in the Sacrament of Reconciliation). How many non-Catholics would meet ALL these conditions?

From Redemptionis Sacramentum (March 2004):

[84.] Furthermore when Holy Mass is celebrated for a large crowd — for example, in large cities — care should be taken lest out of ignorance non-Catholics or even non-Christians come forward for Holy Communion, without taking into account the Church’s Magisterium in matters pertaining to doctrine and discipline. It is the duty of Pastors at an opportune moment to inform those present of the authenticity and the discipline that are strictly to be observed.

[85.] Catholic ministers licitly administer the Sacraments only to the Catholic faithful, who likewise receive them licitly only from Catholic ministers, except for those situations for which provision is made in Can. 844 §§ 2, 3, and 4, and Can. 861 § 2.166 In addition, the conditions comprising Can. 844 § 4, from which no dispensation can be given,167 cannot be separated; thus, it is necessary that all of these conditions be present together.

From the Code of Canon Law (1983):

Can. 844 §1 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to catholic members of Christ’s faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from catholic ministers, except as provided in §2, 3 and 4 of this canon and in can. 861 §2.

§2 Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage commends it, and provided the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, Christ’s faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a catholic minister, may lawfully receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.

§3 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the eastern Churches not in full communion with the catholic Church, if they spontaneously ask for them and are properly disposed. The same applies to members of other Churches which the Apostolic See judges to be in the same position as the aforesaid eastern Churches so far as the sacraments are concerned.

§4 If there is a danger of death or if, in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop or of the Episcopal Conference, there is some other grave and pressing need, catholic ministers may lawfully administer these same sacraments to other Christians not in full communion with the catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who spontaneously ask for them, provided that they demonstrate the catholic faith in respect of these sacraments and are properly disposed.

 

[Nechasin]

The inside front cover of every missal I have looked in says the requirements and the reasons for who should and should not receive the Eucharist.

 

[Mannyfit75]

i apologize if this is posted somewhere else; i tried looking but i couldnt find this topic anywhere.

i had this discussion in one of my theology classes today and we never got a straight answer. should a non-catholic receive the Eucharist in a catholic church?

No because they are not in full communion with the Bishop of Rome.

 

[Jennifer_G]

Only in certain very limited circumstances, in danger of death and if possible with the Bishops permission.

On the Bishop permission thing, there’s 5 criteria that have to be met.

1 - The person must believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist (basically, they’re close to becoming Catholic anyway).
2 - It has to be an important occasion (family member’s wedding, etc.)
3 - There’s not a church where they could take communion (i.e., they are visiting from out of town, and there’s no protestant church within a reasonable area)
4 - Permission from the local bishop.

I don’t remember the other one.

In our archdiocese, it’s only happened once.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

Only in certain very limited circumstances, in danger of death and if possible with the Bishops permission.

How often would a non-Catholic who is in danger of death find themselves in a Catholic Church? That doesn’t seem like a very likely scenario to me. I do understand what you and Canon Law are saying, but I understood the question as “During a regular Sunday Mass, can a non-Catholic receive the Eucharist” and the answer to that is “No, because Catholics don’t believe it’s permissible to have sex outside of marriage.”

As Christ slept the sleep of death, his side was pierced and from his side poured water and blood. The ECFs saw in this the waters of baptism and the blood of the Eucharist. It is through baptism that we become members of the Body of Christ, and through the blood of Christ in the Eucharist we receive the life of Christ. It is through the Eucharist that the two become one. The Eucharist is the Body of Christ, and in the Mass His sacrifice is re-presented to the Father.

Every time we give ourselves intimately to our spouse, we are re-presenting the total gift of ourselves that we made to one another on our wedding day. The Eucharist is a participation in, or a re-presentation of, a past event that is made present - at the crucifixion Christ totally gave Himself up for us. Whenever husband and wife share physical intimacy, it is a participation in, or a re-presentation of, a past event that is made present; their wedding day. On the wedding day, each spouse totally gave themselves to each other. They first committed themselves to the marriage in the giving of vows, and then later it was consummated. A process of total self-giving which began several hours before is consummated. The two have become one. When Jesus died on the cross, (a process of total self-giving which began hours earlier in the garden) when the self-giving was completed, Jesus said “It is consummated.”

Husband and wife become one through the marital embrace. How do we become one with Christ? Through the Eucharist, the ultimate marital embrace. Every time the bridegroom and the bride embrace, the bridegroom completely and totally gives himself to the bride, and the bride should be open to receiving the bridegroom into her body. In the Eucharist, the bridegroom gives Himself to the Bride, and we, the Bride of Christ, should be completely open to receiving the bridegroom into our bodies.

Receiving the Eucharist is a more personal, intimate act than anything that occurs between husband and wife. As we receive the bridegroom into our bodies, we are receiving love, but more than that, we receive His life.

(From my notes on John Martignoni’s “Marriage and the Eucharist” lecture)

 

[Rolltide]

Here, from the inside cover of the Today’s Missal (the one in the church pews):

Guidelines for the Reception of 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 (Code of Canon Law, 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” (John 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.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

On the Bishop permission thing, there’s 5 criteria that have to be met.

1 - The person must believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist (basically, they’re close to becoming Catholic anyway).
2 - It has to be an important occasion (family member’s wedding, etc.)
3 - There’s not a church where they could take communion (i.e., they are visiting from out of town, and there’s no protestant church within a reasonable area)
4 - Permission from the local bishop.

I don’t remember the other one.

In our archdiocese, it’s only happened once.

The law doesn’t say “important occasion.” It says “grave and pressing need,” and gives “danger of death” as an example. I doubt that a family member’s wedding constitutes a “grave and pressing need.” From the Code of Canon Law, Can. 844:

§4 If there is a danger of death or if, in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop or of the Episcopal Conference, there is some other grave and pressing need, catholic ministers may lawfully administer these same sacraments to other Christians not in full communion with the catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who spontaneously ask for them, provided that they demonstrate the catholic faith in respect of these sacraments and are properly disposed.

I don’t remember the other one.

It’s “properly disposed.”

Without the benefit of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I wonder how many of these persons are “properly disposed” (in the state of grace, not guilty of any serious sin)?

At a wedding or funeral, the minister is in no position to judge the person’s disposition or faith in the Eucharist. This must be done on an individual basis in grave situations.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Only in certain very limited circumstances, in danger of death and if possible with the Bishops permission.

Danger of death and the Bishops permission go together.
Essentially a person asks for viaticum and when possible the pastor of the parish must see the person and take the case to the Bishop, if death is near the pastor can make the decision himself and speak with the Bishop later. There would be No circumstance where a “walking and talking” non-Catholic except possibly a member of the Orthodox Church could be permitted to receive Holy Communion at a Mass.

No EMHC at a hospital may decide this or give Holy communion under any circumstances.

 

[jimcav]

Even though I know what the Catholic Church thinks about this subject, this is a tougher question than many might think.

My wife is Protestent, but she faithfully goes with me to my Church every week, along with my two daughters, who are being raised Catholic. She was raised to believe that the Eucharest was a representation, and not the body and blood of Jesus Christ. She has recieved Communion at my Church in the past, and whether right or wrong, I didn’t object until recently, because I thought it wasn’t right for her to partake any longer and I just knew it was wrong.

My reason for not objecting sooner was because I am subtely and slowly trying to convert her. It’s a slow process, and it’s not an easy one. I thought it might turn her off to the Catholic faith if I told her she was forbiden to take part in Communion. I know, thats no excuse, but it’s a reality.

So the bottom line is, she has decided not to partake in Communion any longer, and while she seems OK with it, I’m not sure I do! I feel we’re missing something that brought us close. We had a “good thing” going for awhile, and now I feel she is missing out on what it is to be Catholic, the very thing I’m trying to convince her to be! My girls are also questioning why mom is not going to Communion any longer. :

So this is not an easy situation, and I’m sure other similar couples are having the same difficulties. Please go easy on me, as I’m doing the best I can to be a good Catholic, father and husband to a wonderful family, and please pray for me that the Holy Spirit gives me the right words at the right time so I might be able to bring my wife to our wonderful faith…

 

[Pixie_Dust]

Even though I know what the Catholic Church thinks about this subject, this is a tougher question than many might think.

My wife is Protestent, but she faithfully goes with me to my Church every week, along with my two daughters, who are being raised Catholic. She was raised to believe that the Eucharest was a representation, and not the body and blood of Jesus Christ. She has recieved Communion at my Church in the past, and whether right or wrong, I didn’t object until recently, because I thought it wasn’t right for her to partake any longer and I just knew it was wrong.

My reason for not objecting sooner was because I am subtely and slowly trying to convert her. It’s a slow process, and it’s not an easy one. I thought it might turn her off to the Catholic faith if I told her she was forbiden to take part in Communion. I know, thats no excuse, but it’s a reality.

So the bottom line is, she has decided not to partake in Communion any longer, and while she seems OK with it, I’m not sure I do! I feel we’re missing something that brought us close. We had a “good thing” going for awhile, and now I feel she is missing out on what it is to be Catholic, the very thing I’m trying to convince her to be! My girls are also questioning why mom is not going to Communion any longer. :

So this is not an easy situation, and I’m sure other similar couples are having the same difficulties. Please go easy on me, as I’m doing the best I can to be a good Catholic, father and husband to a wonderful family, and please pray for me that the Holy Spirit gives me the right words at the right time so I might be able to bring my wife to our wonderful faith…

First of all, conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t have to be a slow, subtle process on your part, as you certainly don’t want your wife making a decision to become Catholic JUST because you urged her to do so. My RCIA director is emphatic that they DO NOT want people joining the Church just because their spouse/significant other is Catholic.

Not sure how old your daughters are, but something along the lines of, “I know Mom(my) was receiving Communion before, but the truth is, she really shouldn’t have done so because she isn’t (yet) Catholic.”

I would even ask her to think about going through RCIA to learn more about our Most Holy Faith. I know of someone who went through the RCIA program twice before deciding to convert, and they shouldn’t exert any pressure on her to convert before she’s led to do so. It’s a good place to learn about the faith, and I recommend that you attend the sessions with her if possible.

I also recommend the CDs from the Bible Christian Society, if you think she’d give them a listen. (You can also download each one for free, if you get the CDs it’s just a dollar each for shipping costs.)
Recommended listening order:
One Church
Apostolic Authority and the Pope
The Bible and the Sacraments
and (to get this post somewhat back on topic) Marriage and the Eucharist - this will explain exactly why she as a non-Catholic should not be receiving Holy Communion in a Catholic Church.

HTH! I’ll be praying. My husband is in RCIA right now, and it’s totally a work of the Spirit!

 

[jimcav]

First of all, conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t have to be a slow, subtle process on your part, as you certainly don’t want your wife making a decision to become Catholic JUST because you urged her to do so. My RCIA director is emphatic that they DO NOT want people joining the Church just because their spouse/significant other is Catholic.

Not sure how old your daughters are, but something along the lines of, “I know Mom(my) was receiving Communion before, but the truth is, she really shouldn’t have done so because she isn’t (yet) Catholic.”

I would even ask her to think about going through RCIA to learn more about our Most Holy Faith. I know of someone who went through the RCIA program twice before deciding to convert, and they shouldn’t exert any pressure on her to convert before she’s led to do so. It’s a good place to learn about the faith, and I recommend that you attend the sessions with her if possible.

I also recommend the CDs from the Bible Christian Society, if you think she’d give them a listen. (You can also download each one for free, if you get the CDs it’s just a dollar each for shipping costs.)
Recommended listening order:
One Church
Apostolic Authority and the Pope
The Bible and the Sacraments
and (to get this post somewhat back on topic) Marriage and the Eucharist - this will explain exactly why she as a non-Catholic should not be receiving Holy Communion in a Catholic Church.

HTH! I’ll be praying. My husband is in RCIA right now, and it’s totally a work of the Spirit!

Thanks for your thoughful response.

I certainly wouldn’t try to force my wife to convert just to please me. I want her to want to convert herself, and I want her to feel the Holy Spirit persuading her, not me. But I’m sure you had discussions on the subject with your husband, didn’t you? And I’m sure you really wanted him to convert to. Thats just natural IMO, and actually I believe it’s the Holy Spirit telling me that the time is right to approach her on the matter. .

My wife is currently going for her Masters Degree, so for now RCIA is out. But she will soon be done, and after alittle down time, I’ll approach that subject. For now though, those CD’s sound like something she might be interested in and could fit into her schedule, so thanks for that.

In the end, I just want to be right in the eyes of the Church and our Lord, and to finally share the joy of recieving Communion together.

 

[LilyM]

How often would a non-Catholic who is in danger of death find themselves in a Catholic Church?

[/INDENT]

They may not be in a church, but there may be a Catholic priest called to their sickbed or accident scene or what have you for various reasons.

I imagine priests will usually, if called to such scenes, bring the Host with them in a pyx so that they can give Viaticum if desired.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

They may not be in a church, but there may be a Catholic priest called to their sickbed or accident scene or what have you for various reasons.

I imagine priests will usually, if called to such scenes, bring the Host with them in a pyx so that they can give Viaticum if desired.

Absolutely! I used to pray fervently (prior to my confirmation) that if I had been in a life-threatening accident that I would have time and opportunity to receive Viaticum. (I mean, I do still pray that, but now that I am Catholic I know without a doubt that I can receive Viaticum) I was Catholic in my heart for about 6 months before I was received into the Church.