Why don't Catholics have Open Communion?

[TriuneUnity]

Because sometimes it’s where I am do to relatives, etc.

I understand. I have extended relatives that are Roman Catholic. However, specifically for the purposes of receiving communion, I am sure that any area is going to have a Lutheran church somewhere at which you can receive.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

I would never go so far to say I am more Catholic than Lutheran. Perhaps I am seeing many Catholics that are even less Catholic than I am. For the record, and no offense is intended.

None taken neighbor. It’s a sad fact that there are many nominal Catholics who are either ignorant of their faith or in open rebellion to it. We are certainly a Church filled with sinners as well as saints.

Lutheranteach:

I can see absolutely no circumstance where I would ever become Catholic but that doesn’t mean I think every bit of it is in error…in fact I would say the majority is not.

I feel the same about Lutheranism. Much of what we believe is held in common, but I don’t foresee my leaving the Catholic faith for it so I can optionally attend open communions at Methodist and Presbyterian services. No offense intended, but I would view that as compromising my beliefs for the sake of a symbolic act of unity that does not reflect the real state of affairs.

Lutheranteach:

I can’t see any reason I would ever become United Methodist or Presbyterian. Yet. I am fully welcome at both those churches and fully capable and welcome to take communion and I would find doing so to be meaningful.

And you are welcome to attend mass at a Catholic Church and share fellowship with Catholics too. But our Eucharist is central to our faith in a way that I think is unique to Catholicism (and perhaps Eastern Orthodoxy) and I believe others should honor the decision to preserve it as such. There are other ways we invite ecumenical dialogue. Certainly, if Methodists and Presbyterians chose to reserve their communion services to members of their communities, respectively, I would not question their decision too do so.

Peace,
Robert

P.S. Come to a Knights of Columbus fish fry during lent at your local Catholic Church. You’re certainly welcome to sit down and break bread with us in this way.

 

[TriuneUnity]

And you are welcome to attend mass at a Catholic Church and share fellowship with Catholics too. But our Eucharist is central to our faith in a way that I think is unique to Catholicism (and perhaps Eastern Orthodoxy) and I believe others should honor the decision to preserve it as such. There are other ways we invite ecumenical dialogue. Certainly, if Methodists and Presbyterians chose to reserve their communion services to members of their communities, respectively, I would not question their decision too do so.

This is an important point because not having visible unity is not the same as saying we have no unity. All Christians truly are unified; but this unity is not, at present, doctrinal or, if you will, institutional. We are unified ontologically in Christ. So I actually DO feel a unity with Catholics and Methodists, and Baptists and Calvinists and others who confess Christ as Lord. This is how I can read First Things. I would never agree with the various people I read there on everything, including extremely important things, and, good Wisconsin Synod Lutheran that I am, I would never have Communion with any of them. But I consider that we have a bond in the mystical union between Christ and His church.

P.S. Come to a Knights of Columbus fish fry during lent at your local Catholic Church. You’re certainly welcome to sit down and break bread with us in this way.

Yum. Can’t go wrong with beer and fish fry. Makes me long for Lent again.

 

[jmcrae]

Yum. Can’t go wrong with beer and fish fry. Makes me long for Lent again.

Our Filipino priest puts on the best fellowship suppers ever, with whole pigs, and Karaoke. :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing:

 

[TriuneUnity]

Our Filipino priest puts on the best fellowship suppers ever, with whole pigs, and Karaoke. :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing:

How much are tickets to Calgary?

 

[choy]

Our Filipino priest puts on the best fellowship suppers ever, with whole pigs, and Karaoke. :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing: :clapping: :dancing:

you mean he serves Lechon?

man, my mouth is watering, someone grab me a bib!

 

[jmcrae]

you mean he serves Lechon?

Is that what it’s called? I’ve always wondered.

man, my mouth is watering, someone grab me a bib!

 

[Nicea325]

The question was posed to me by a friend of mine. I know the answer from a Catholic perspective–it is a sign of unity of Faith and if you don’t believe what all the Catholic Church teaches then you should not partake, because “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” --1 Cor. 11:29

This friend in a Lutheran, and he believes in the True Presence, yet they have open communion at his church. He believes that if someone were to go to Communion and believe, Jesus would be present, but if they didn’t believe, He would not be.

My response to this was to say Jesus is present no matter what because it is a real presence, just as a tree in a forest is real whether or not a person goes to see it or even knows its there.

But his frustration remains. The argument is that the Catholic Church claims that we are trying to unify all churches into one, yet we are being divisive by excluding others at our communion. My friends stance is he would never be a part of a church that was so exclusive.

Unfortunately,your friend does not realize there is a lot more involved,then a common belief of the Real Presence. So in other words, someone can believe in the Real Presence(Non-Catholic)but not be in the state of good graces with God,yet still receive? See the problem?

 

[Bbigam]

But his frustration remains. The argument is that the Catholic Church claims that we are trying to unify all churches into one, yet we are being divisive by excluding others at our communion. My friends stance is he would never be a part of a church that was so exclusive.

The reality, often ignored, forgotten, denied, or unknown by Protestants, is that the Protestant groups separated themselves from the Catholic Church. Luther, Calvan, Zwingli, the Church of England, etc… all those folks were Catholic until they chose to leave the Catholic Church. Protestants out there today are still, knowingly or unknowingly, part of groups who have voluntarily separated themselves from the Church.

It’s a little like this. You work for GE, and your family has always worked for GE. You quit, and start your own similar company, GL. A hundred years later your descendants, still working for GL, walk into a GE office and demand a paycheck. They won’t get one because they aren’t part of GE, even though they do a lot of the same things in GL. They have to get hired and trained and start working for GE before they can expect a GE paycheck.

The analogy is far from perfect, of course; the Church is a lot more than a business and the Eucharist infinitely more than a paycheck, and this doesn’t address the issue of receiving while otherwise properly disposed. But it may help some people understand the Catholic perspective, even if they disagree.

 

[Lutheranteach]

I see it as a family reunion where the host says don’t invite Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, or Cousin Dave because they just won’t do what I want them to.

 

[MelanieAnne]

I would never expect to receive the Eucharist in any place but a Catholic Church. I would never presume to attempt to do so, even if I were so inclined, which I would not. I was Episcopalian by upbringing, but were I to ever attend an Episcopal service today I would never dream of receiving the Eucharist there, despite their “open communion” policy, because the Eucharist there is not, according to my belief, valid.

Those that are feeling “excluded” if they are not welcome to receive the Eucharist in a Catholic Church because they are not Catholic and/or not in a state of grace seem to be way out in left-field to me. Why would they presume their eligibility to receive something that they clearly do not understand and/or for which they have not prepared themselves? This makes no sense. The church is not EXCLUDING them, they are just not ready. By restricting the Eucharist to those who are both confirmed in the faith and spiritually prepared, the Catholic Church is doing a protective service to those who are not either confirmed or appropriately prepared, because to receive the Eucharist in any other state is to invite damnation.

As a convert, I attended RCIA for over a year before confirmation. During the first few months of RCIA, I can honestly say I didn’t “get it” despite my background and a life-long study of various religions. Time passed, learning ensued, and by the time of confirmation I did understand, very clearly, what I was entering into. I find it very odd that anyone would seriously think that they could just walk into a Catholic church and presume to receive what the rest of us worked so hard for just because they showed up one day.

 

[diana_leslie]

Even in my Anglican circles (which tend to have very open Communion ), I’ve heard people say that they won’t invite non-Christians to church because they won’t be allowed to receive. There really is this bizzare, me-centered entitlement attitude out there which says “I don’t have to be Catholic [or Christian, in our case], but I still ought to get all the benefits without any of the beliefs or effort.”

It’s truly disturbing. And it speaks volumes about the culture (and our inability to get our teachings out there?) when unbelievers think they “deserve” the thing that cost God the most dearly, or when non-Catholics (who are that way by choice) think that they can/should/ought to receive at a Mass when they reject the very theology that underlies the Mass. It makes no sense to me at all.

I agree with you blazerdave. We, even as Catholics, are not entitled to the Eucharist at Mass; it is a gift, and we should go to communion with the utmost respect and gratitude.

There are many Catholics out there who don’t truly understand what the Eucharist is and sees it as just something to take for granted as a Catholic. It’s saying, “I’m Catholic, I deserve this.”

I have another friend at work who is Catholic but doesn’t go to church on Sundays. Sometimes I bring him to church with me during the week during lunch hour, and he receives, which, technically (though I do not know his heart) he should not until he goes to confession and back to church on Sundays. I have yet to figure out how to talk to him about this.

It’s too bad we are selfish and me-centered about one of the greatest gifts Christ has given us.

 

[diana_leslie]

I see it as a family reunion where the host says don’t invite Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, or Cousin Dave because they just won’t do what I want them to.

I think that Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, and Cousin Dave are invited. They just don’t want to come. They want the meal without being a part of the family.

 

[blazerdave]

I think that Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, and Cousin Dave are invited. They just don’t want to come. They want the meal without being a part of the family.

And sometimes they’re told, “Come back in September when RCIA starts.”

 

[diana_leslie]

And sometimes they’re told, “Come back in September when RCIA starts.”

Ah, our poor human limitations and that thing we call “timing”… I suppose you got me there!

But that doesn’t mean you can’t join RCIA in September!

 

[blazerdave]

Ah, our poor human limitations and that thing we call “timing”… I suppose you got me there!

But that doesn’t mean you can’t join RCIA in September!

haha that’s very true

 

[Reuben_J]

The reality, often ignored, forgotten, denied, or unknown by Protestants, is that the Protestant groups separated themselves from the Catholic Church. Luther, Calvan, Zwingli, the Church of England, etc… all those folks were Catholic until they chose to leave the Catholic Church. Protestants out there today are still, knowingly or unknowingly, part of groups who have voluntarily separated themselves from the Church.

It’s a little like this. You work for GE, and your family has always worked for GE. You quit, and start your own similar company, GL. A hundred years later your descendants, still working for GL, walk into a GE office and demand a paycheck. They won’t get one because they aren’t part of GE, even though they do a lot of the same things in GL. They have to get hired and trained and start working for GE before they can expect a GE paycheck.

The analogy is far from perfect, of course; the Church is a lot more than a business and the Eucharist infinitely more than a paycheck, and this doesn’t address the issue of receiving while otherwise properly disposed. But it may help some people understand the Catholic perspective, even if they disagree.

Love the analogy. The paycheck part is hilarious.

 

[Bbigam]

Love the analogy. The paycheck part is hilarious.

Thanks!

 

[nhylan]

The reality, often ignored, forgotten, denied, or unknown by Protestants, is that the Protestant groups separated themselves from the Catholic Church. Luther, Calvan, Zwingli, the Church of England, etc… all those folks were Catholic until they chose to leave the Catholic Church. Protestants out there today are still, knowingly or unknowingly, part of groups who have voluntarily separated themselves from the Church.

It’s a little like this. You work for GE, and your family has always worked for GE. You quit, and start your own similar company, GL. A hundred years later your descendants, still working for GL, walk into a GE office and demand a paycheck. They won’t get one because they aren’t part of GE, even though they do a lot of the same things in GL. They have to get hired and trained and start working for GE before they can expect a GE paycheck.

The analogy is far from perfect, of course; the Church is a lot more than a business and the Eucharist infinitely more than a paycheck, and this doesn’t address the issue of receiving while otherwise properly disposed. But it may help some people understand the Catholic perspective, even if they disagree.

This is not a fact, its a belief. The Anglican Church considers itself part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. By portraying your belief as fact you are misleading others.

 

[jmcrae]

I see it as a family reunion where the host says don’t invite Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, or Cousin Dave because they just won’t do what I want them to.

Actually, it’s more like, There is not much point inviting Uncle Chuck, Aunt Jackie, or Cousin Dave, because while they sit there eating our food, between mouthfuls they sit there and insult Mom and Dad, boss them around and tell them how they should raise us kids, then try to kidnap us kids and take us back to their place, and we hear from those who’ve been taken that although it’s fun for the first little while to eat nothing but dessert, don’t go to school, and do whatever they want, after a while, they start pining for Mom’s cooking and Dad’s discipline.