The Catholic View of what Protestants's receive

[SMHW]

First off, let me make it very clear that I understand that only the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have a valid Eucharist.

What I want to know is if the Catholic Church teaches that Protestants who receive communion in their own parishes are receiving Jesus in any kind of special way.

Since there are presumably "two or three"and then some people in a typical Protestant church gathered in Jesus’ name, I assume Jesus is there in their midst. But is there any special merit in a Protestant communion service for a Protestant? My personal interpretation would be that Protestants are likely receiving Jesus in some sort of spiritual way. But I’d say that Protestants who believe in consubstantiation (or something similar) are NOT receiving Jesus in as full a way as they think they are receiving Him.

 

[JacktheCatholic]

Symbolically just as most Protestants believe anyhow.

Catholics believe the Eucharist to be the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. So it is not symbolic to us.

For Protestant churches like the Anglicans who believe the Eucharist to be real and not symbolic, Catholics see that as symbolic only because they lack valid orders. Of course an Anglican will argue that they have valid orders.

 

[David_Zampino]

No, the Protestant communion service does not have the fullness of grace as seen in a valid Eucharist.

BUT, by the same token, I would not suggest that the Protestant communion service is completely graceless either.

Surely, a commemoration of the Last Supper – even among those who don’t believe in the Real Presence or the Eucharistic Sacrifice – would bring someone, in a certain sense, closer to God. I certainly would not rule it out!

 

[SMHW]

Thank you. You’ve pretty much summed up what I understand. I realize that this is not a topic that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and/or typical Catholic theologians are likely to have any reason to take up. But it is an issue that sometimes comes up in discussions with non-Catholic family members.