[NYer]

Ping!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Non-Catholics in the Communion Line

If you are not a member of that faith, (Catholic or otherwise) don't join the line.

People really should learn church visitor manners.

[fwdude]

Staunch rules, which is good. A sharp delineation between Catholic and non-Catholic is critical.

However, how about denying communion to baby-killers and sodomites in your ranks, even though “Catholic?”

[Steve_Seattle]

I am a lapsed Catholic, but respect the church's rules on communion when I attend a mass with my mother; that is, I abstain from communion.

But my sister - also basically a lapsed Catholic - and her husband - a Protestant - ALWAYS receive communion on these occasions. I guess it comes down to who has a sense of entitlement and who doesn't.

[Last Dakotan]

...the less-common announcement that "Communion is reserved to practicing Catholics in a state of grace" also is problematic.

How so?

[PJammers]

Judas was at the last supper.

[RitaOK]

Heck, NYer, non-Catholics are IN the Church, now. Some are cardinals.

Priests consciously accommodate liberality all the time, usually in the form of non-Catholics, by their consistent laxity and failure to shepherd the people present, failing to care who it is that receives our Lord, purposely avoiding their charge of competency to teach, and reinforce Church teachings.

In the Mass, the priest is responsible for those present, to inform them and to be vigilant.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

Praise be to God, I do not follow man made traditions but rather read Gods word and have communion with other followers of Christ in remembrance of Jesus and His sacrifice for us.

[NRx]

This is a question that pops up in the Orthodox Church from time to time since we also restrict Communion. The way it is handled at my old parish was that a note was put in the bulletin “Can I receive Holy Communion?” with an appropriate explanation of the rule. Additionally when the priest stepped through the Royal Doors with the chalice he would always make a short statement to the effect that while we all long for Christian unity, at present that unity does not exist and that only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians, who have prepared themselves through fasting, prayer and recent confession could partake of the Holy Mysteries of the altar.

And lastly anyone not known to the priest who approaches the chalice is likely to get the third degree...

Are you Orthodox?
Have you kept the fast?
When is the last time you went to confession.

The correct answers are yes, yes and within the last 24 hours.

[Sergio]

bkmk

[WayneS]

I am not Catholic and do not want to be.

With that said, I respect their beliefs, and I would never even CONSIDER taking communion while attending a Mass in a Catholic Church as a guest/visitor.

[ealgeone]

Wow....and here I was thinking Communion was open to anyone who professed faith in Christ as it is a remembrance of Him.

[xzins]

I was told years ago in Chaplain Basic Course that non-Catholics are not invited to receive the Eucharist. That was pretty straight forward. I did not find it odd. Catholics aren’t the only ones in the world who limit access to their communion to those they consider appropriate.

I was in a Catholic service this past weekend with my son, D-I-L and grandkids. Communion time came, and I didn’t go forward. It’s as simple as that.

If I visit someone’s house and they tell me please not to walk on the grass, I don’t walk on the grass. They probably have a good reason if they are otherwise friendly people.

[Coleus]

I have a non-catholic protestant friend who is married to a catholic and he receives holy communion when he attends mass with his wife.

[Elsie]

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" (Jn 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).

 

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/guidelines-for-the-reception-of-communion.cfm

 

 

 

[terycarl]

the celebrant at any of these events should make it VERY CLEAR that ONLY Catholics who are worthy should recieve communion...and the rest should respect that admonition.