Why can't a Catholic receive "open communion"?

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I know this has been debated to death. If a non-denominational church offers “open communion” to anyone who is a Christian, what prevents a Catholic from receiving? If he considers himself a Christian, doesn’t that meet the requirement for him to “commune” with other Christians?

I’m aware that it doesn’t meet his Sunday obligation, nor is it a substitute for the sacrement. It’s just a matter of “communing” with Christians.
 
Because Catholics aren’t in full communion with Protestants.
 
And it’s not the Body and Blood of Christ - hence blasphemy (at least in a Protestant church).
 
The pastor of the non-denom, ELCA, Methodist, Episcopalian, UCC, or other Church would certainly welcome any Catholic who approached for communion. Whether you do so will be up to you, your conscience, and whether or not you choose to follow the laws of the Catholic Church.
 
Right. To the majority of Protestants for whom communion is a ‘symbol’ it is open to all Christians.

But to Catholics, for whom communion is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, to take any non-Catholic communion (which is not a valid communion according to the Church with certain specific exemptions such as for the Orthodox) would be to imply that this Protestant communion is a perfectly viable, valid and interchangeable substitute for the Catholic communion, and by taking it, they imply that they are in agreement with the teachings of the Protestant group who offer it.

Of course it is a sad fact that some Catholics either were never properly taught, or themselves never properly learned, authentic Catholic teaching. It is a sadder fact that some Catholics despite knowing and understanding the teaching choose to defy the Church thinking that they ‘know better’.

In doing this, instead of bringing ‘down’ barriers they create them. They may be well intentioned but you know that the road to hell is PAVED with ‘good intentions.’
 
The way I understand the matter, there are two basic reasons why the Catholic Church does not permit Catholics to receive communion at a Protestant service. One has to do with a fundamental difference in Catholic and Protestant beliefs about the relationship of Eucharist to Christian unity, viz., Protestants see eucharistic sharing as a means of achieving Christian unity, while the Catholic Church believes that visible, ecclesial unity is a prerequisite of eucharistic sharing. Then, there is the matter of beliefs about what takes place in Holy Communion–the Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, while Protestants generally do not, and those that might lack valid Holy Orders.
 
And once again there are many protestant churches that believe in a real presence. They may define a bit differently than Catholics do, but they do believe in a real presence.
 
Lutheranteach said:
And once again there are many protestant churches that believe in a real presence. They may define a bit differently than Catholics do, but they do believe in a real presence.
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And from a Catholic perspective, even those Protestants that may have a belief in the Real Presence do not have a valid ministerial priesthood to consecrate the Eucharist.
 
Lutheranteach said:
And once again there are many protestant churches that believe in a real presence. They may define a bit differently than Catholics do, but they do believe in a real presence.
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Right. That’s why I stressed both “Majority” and “symbolic”. Personally I feel that most Anglicans and Lutherans will be united with Catholics (and possibly Orthodox as well) within the next 20 years. There are too many Anglicans and Lutherans who have far more in common with Catholic teachings historically than with some of the teachings that are beginning to come out in portions of their denominations currently. (For example, MOST Anglicans are not wildly in favor of women’s ordination, or gay marriage. Only a very small but vocal portion have ‘come out’ so to speak and gone wild with it). And as for the Catholic and Lutheran teachings regarding the Real Presence, again they are extremely close and I certainly feel that the average Lutheran has a much closer understanding of the nature of the Eucharist (Catholic and Lutheran) than many other Protestants.
 
bsaucer said:
I know this has been debated to death. If a non-denominational church offers “open communion” to anyone who is a Christian, what prevents a Catholic from receiving? If he considers himself a Christian, doesn’t that meet the requirement for him to “commune” with other Christians?

I’m aware that it doesn’t meet his Sunday obligation, nor is it a substitute for the sacrement. It’s just a matter of “communing” with Christians.
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First of all, it isn’t Communion. If it’s not consecrated by a validly ordained priest, it isn’t Communion at all, so there’s nothing to receive. It makes it even worse when we treat that which we know not-to-be-Communion as if it were Communion.

Secondly, Communion is a Sacrament of unity–we can’t have communion in the sacramental senese unless we also have ecclesial communion. We can’t “be” one thing, but “do” something contrary.

Exceptions are made in very very unusual and extreme circumstances that permit a Catholic to receive Communion but only in Churches (not buildings, but “Churches” in the community sense of the word) who have valid Sacraments–but only if those Churches have valid Sacraments.
 
because the first Christians believed in the sacrifice of the Mass and in eating the actual Body,Blood,Soul, "presence"and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with the appearance of bread and wine.
 
Lutheranteach said:
And once again there are many protestant churches that believe in a real presence. They may define a bit differently than Catholics do, but they do believe in a real presence.
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They may believe in it, but is it is not a valid sacrament by Church teaching, for whatever defect (such as lack of apostolic succession among the clergy, for instance Anglicans).
 
bsaucer said:
I know this has been debated to death. If a non-denominational church offers “open communion” to anyone who is a Christian, what prevents a Catholic from receiving? If he considers himself a Christian, doesn’t that meet the requirement for him to “commune” with other Christians?

I’m aware that it doesn’t meet his Sunday obligation, nor is it a substitute for the sacrement. It’s just a matter of “communing” with Christians.
Click to expand...
You state up front that you’re aware this has been debated to death, which means you must have heard at least once before what our understanding of communion is and how it’s different from yours.

Do you often offer things to people when you KNOW they’re at odds with the core beliefs or practices of those people, and then when they inevitably decline act like those beliefs or practices don’t matter one bit?

Your mommy may say it’s ok, but our mommy has a different set of rules and she’s the one we need to obey 🙂
 
Lutheranteach said:
And once again there are many protestant churches that believe in a real presence. They may define a bit differently than Catholics do, but they do believe in a real presence.
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besides Lutherans and Anglicans, who else?
i’m not even sure all Anglicans believe in the Real Presence
 
What I would like to know is why Catholics are essentially barred from breaking bread with Christians in their last supper re-enactment but Pope JPII could bow before and kiss the Koran???
 
I was taught that Catholic’s don’t receive “open” communion for 2 reasons.
  1. Since only validly ordained priest can concecrate the bread and wine so that they become the true body and blood of Christ. The “open” communion bread and wine is not “valid”, it is still just bread and wine.
  2. You don’t want to give the appearance that you believe (and by extension the entire Catholic Church) that the “open” communion bread and wine is the true body and blood of Christ.
 
snowbee said:
What I would like to know is why Catholics are essentially barred from breaking bread with Christians in their last supper re-enactment but Pope JPII could bow before and kiss the Koran???
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because bowing and kissing something is not a sacrament?

it has already been discussed in this thread the effects of Communion and why its not allowed for Catholics to partake with non-Catholic Communion (refer to Fr. David’s post)

bowing and kissing the Koran could mean a dozen things. and i’m sure Pope John Paul II wasnt to show repect to his hosts
 
bsaucer said:
I know this has been debated to death. If a non-denominational church offers “open communion” to anyone who is a Christian, what prevents a Catholic from receiving? If he considers himself a Christian, doesn’t that meet the requirement for him to “commune” with other Christians?

I’m aware that it doesn’t meet his Sunday obligation, nor is it a substitute for the sacrement. It’s just a matter of “communing” with Christians.
Click to expand...
  1. You are not a member of that church, and you don’t share in a great many of their beliefs. By receiving what they receive as Holy Communion, you would be making a false witness about what it is that you believe in.
  2. You might give the accidental impression that there are no important differences between what Protestants believe, and what Catholics believe, and that in the end, we are “all basically the same.” Again, this would be a false witness.
The eighth commandment teaches us to avoid giving false witness.
 
bsaucer said:
I know this has been debated to death. If a non-denominational church offers “open communion” to anyone who is a Christian, what prevents a Catholic from receiving? If he considers himself a Christian, doesn’t that meet the requirement for him to “commune” with other Christians?

I’m aware that it doesn’t meet his Sunday obligation, nor is it a substitute for the sacrement. It’s just a matter of “communing” with Christians.
Click to expand...
It depends on what you mean by “open communion”. If you mean we all pray that Jesus enter into our hearts and fill us with love for each other, fine. I have “communed” by praying with other Christians many times and enjoy finding the things we have in common.

If however you mean some ritual where we pass around bread and wine (or muffins and grape juice or whatever) then my misguided brother and sister Christians have horribly misunderstood John 6 and the greatest gift Jesus left us. As a Catholic who knows and understands this gift, I cannot lend credence to their mistake by participating. I love them too much to help lead them in error.
 
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