What would happen if a Protestant accepted the Eucharist?

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Say a new time protestant walks into a Catholic Church, the priest didn’t know he or she was a protestant. The Protestant though that the Eucharist, or Body of Christ, was just a regular piece of bread remembered like in his or her church.

Would that protestant have his or her venial sins removed? Would that protestant become one with the Lord? Etc.
 
they would be drinking judgment upon themselves for bearing false witness, blasphemy, and disrespect.
 
The simple fact is we don’t know what would happen, because we don’t know if they even realize what they are doing. Are they aware of the Presence of God? Have they thought carefully about it? Only God knows if it would forgive their sins. However, Sacred Scripture warns us that we must be careful not to take the Eucharist lightly. He warns us “whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord…” 1 Corinthians 11:27

Not only does it have the potential to forgive their sins, but it also has the potential of making them guilty of murder. We don’t know how God will judge them, but it’s no light matter.
 
Unfortuneately, many Catholics fail to appreciate the True Presence in the Eucharist. Many fall away, and never embrace the importance of what is celebrated at each Mass.
 
JD27076 said:
Would that protestant have his or her venial sins removed? Would that protestant become one with the Lord? Etc.
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But what you are asking is if the efficacious part of receiving the Body of Christ would still “work,” if I am understanding your question. I’d say the answer is that we don’t know, but also that it’s up to God. The Eucharist isn’t like an aspirin that has certain effects no matter who takes it, it’s the Lord Jesus Christ. I think He’s going to decide that. Sure can’t do 'em any harm if they are not purposely acting in contempt, though, IMO.
 
The answer is not as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when it comes to the question of whether Protestants are permitted to share in the Eucharist. Anglicans and Lutherans both believe in the ‘Real Presence’ of Christ in the Eucharist. Some Anglicans go so far as to believe in Transubstantiation. Clearly, it is not ‘just a piece of bread’ or a ‘memorial’ in either case. Furthermore, the Anglican and Catholic International Dialogue Commission, in a 1981 document entitled ‘The Final Report’, claimed in the sections relating to the Eucharist “to have attained a substantial agreement on eucharistic faith.”

Although members of neither denomination can regularly receive Communion in Catholic Churches, there are circumstances where they are permitted to do so, if they are otherwise properly disposed. In some circumstances, they may also receive in other pastoral situations, such as hospital visitations.

While I was still an Episcopalian, I did once mistakenly receive in a Catholic Church. A friend of mine, who is a Catholic, asked the celebrant about the situation, and was told that I should continue to follow my conscience on the subject, and that my receiving did not constitute a ‘great evil’ in the eyes of the Church.

On the other hand, the Church considers Anglican Holy Orders invalid, thus Catholics may not receive in Anglican churches.
 
He/She would turn into a goblin!
No, really…I’ve seen it happen.
 
Well I do know that protestants consider themselves “saved” once they accept Jesus into their hearts…

But I don’t know the Catholic perspective on that…

I for one will not speculate on the fate of that poor protestant… That’s God’s job… Not ours :cool:
 
JD27076 said:
Say a new time protestant walks into a Catholic Church, the priest didn’t know he or she was a protestant. **The Protestant thought **that the Eucharist, or Body of Christ, was just a regular piece of bread remembered like in his or her church.

Would that protestant have his or her venial sins removed? Would that protestant become one with the Lord? Etc.
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Bold mine. That’s the key.
I think it would be the beginning of something. Of a drawing home.
🙂
 
ESMDHokie77 said:
they would be drinking judgment upon themselves for bearing false witness, blasphemy, and disrespect.
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MissBorgia said:
indeedy .
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This is how Orthodox tend to see it when Roman Catholics or Protestants attempt to take the Eucharist in Orthodox churches.

Maybe there is another way of looking at this …

Perhaps after all, if there is no malintention, it will be good for them.
 
Hesychios said:
This is how Orthodox tend to see it when Roman Catholics or Protestants attempt to take the Eucharist in Orthodox churches.

Maybe there is another way of looking at this …

Perhaps after all, if there is no malintention, it will be good for them.
Click to expand...
The Catholic stance is that we can admit Orthodox and even Anglicans and in some cases Lutherans to Communion. I think the theology behind the Real Presence is pretty much the same amongst these Churches. Of course the issue with Anglicans and Lutherans from a Catholic perspective is not the lack of belief in the Real Presence, but the lack of a true priest to actually consecrate the bread and wine during their Liturgies.
 
ConstantineTG said:
The Catholic stance is that we can admit Orthodox and even Anglicans and in some cases Lutherans to Communion. I think the theology behind the Real Presence is pretty much the same amongst these Churches. Of course the issue with Anglicans and Lutherans from a Catholic perspective is not the lack of belief in the Real Presence, but the lack of a true priest to actually consecrate the bread and wine during their Liturgies.
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There’s really two issues with Anglicans. As you pointed out they lack valid orders so can’t confect the Eucharist. The other issue is that (certainly in the CofE) there’s no official doctrine of the Real Presence. High Church Anglicans believe in the Real Presence and their respect for what they believe is the Real Presence is admirable. Low Church Anglicans have beliefs similar to many Protestants: that there’s no Real Presence.
 
The same thing would apply to a non-Lutheran receiving communion in a LC-MS church they might receive it to their harm because it is still the Body and Blood of Christ whether they believe it or not.
 
martininthefiel said:
The answer is not as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when it comes to the question of whether Protestants are permitted to share in the Eucharist. Anglicans and Lutherans both believe in the ‘Real Presence’ of Christ in the Eucharist. Some Anglicans go so far as to believe in Transubstantiation. Clearly, it is not ‘just a piece of bread’ or a ‘memorial’ in either case. Furthermore, the Anglican and Catholic International Dialogue Commission, in a 1981 document entitled ‘The Final Report’, claimed in the sections relating to the Eucharist “to have attained a substantial agreement on eucharistic faith.”

Although members of neither denomination can regularly receive Communion in Catholic Churches, there are circumstances where they are permitted to do so, if they are otherwise properly disposed. In some circumstances, they may also receive in other pastoral situations, such as hospital visitations.

While I was still an Episcopalian, I did once mistakenly receive in a Catholic Church. A friend of mine, who is a Catholic, asked the celebrant about the situation, and was told that I should continue to follow my conscience on the subject, and that my receiving did not constitute a ‘great evil’ in the eyes of the Church.

On the other hand, the Church considers Anglican Holy Orders invalid, thus Catholics may not receive in Anglican churches.
Click to expand...
ConstantineTG said:
The Catholic stance is that we can admit Orthodox and even Anglicans and in some cases Lutherans to Communion. I think the theology behind the Real Presence is pretty much the same amongst these Churches. Of course the issue with Anglicans and Lutherans from a Catholic perspective is not the lack of belief in the Real Presence, but the lack of a true priest to actually consecrate the bread and wine during their Liturgies.
Click to expand...
These posts are interesting. I was raised as a Lutheran and attended Mass with my cradle Catholic wife for a couple of years before swimming the Tiber. The parish priest told me according to canon law, non-Catholics were not supposed to receive, but since I believed in the Real Presence and my receiving would not cause scandal I could receive.

Later I came to believe what the priest had told me was incorrect and confessed to receiving unworthily at my first confession, and the priest (a different one) tried to talk me out of confessing it as sin because I hadn’t meant any harm. Is it possible it really was ok for me to receive as a Lutheran because I believed in the Real Presence?
 
Matthew_Holford said:
There’s really two issues with Anglicans. As you pointed out they lack valid orders so can’t confect the Eucharist. The other issue is that (certainly in the CofE) there’s no official doctrine of the Real Presence. High Church Anglicans believe in the Real Presence and their respect for what they believe is the Real Presence is admirable. Low Church Anglicans have beliefs similar to many Protestants: that there’s no Real Presence.
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Well, I guess how Anglicanism has developed over the centuries really made things complicated. Yes, Anglicans can range from more Catholic than Catholics themselves, to more liberal than non-Christians. I guess one reason the TAC was able to achieve reunification because of being very Catholic in their beliefs.
 
smh1978 said:
These posts are interesting. I was raised as a Lutheran and attended Mass with my cradle Catholic wife for a couple of years before swimming the Tiber. The parish priest told me according to canon law, non-Catholics were not supposed to receive, but since I believed in the Real Presence and my receiving would not cause scandal I could receive.

Later I came to believe what the priest had told me was incorrect and confessed to receiving unworthily at my first confession, and the priest (a different one) tried to talk me out of confessing it as sin because I hadn’t meant any harm. Is it possible it really was ok for me to receive as a Lutheran because I believed in the Real Presence?
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That is why I said “in some cases”. Its not common, although I’ve seen/heard it happen. Although don’t count on everyday, average Lutherans from receiving.
 
JD27076 said:
Say a new time protestant walks into a Catholic Church, the priest didn’t know he or she was a protestant. The Protestant though that the Eucharist, or Body of Christ, was just a regular piece of bread remembered like in his or her church.

Would that protestant have his or her venial sins removed? Would that protestant become one with the Lord? Etc.
Click to expand...
Have you seen anything happen? 🙂

All of the graces said to come from taking the Eucharist assumes one is a believer of the Real Pressence.
 
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