Catholics receiving Communion at Protestant Services?

HisLamb · May 22, 2002

I tried searching this topic, but didn't find anything, so I'm hoping that I'm not repeating something that's been "done to death" here.

I may be attending a service at a non-denominational church in about 6 weeks. I'm not sure if they will have communion or not. It's a renewal of marriage vows for a relative.

My question is...what do I do if they do serve communion? I know that non-Catholics cannot receive in our church, but can Catholics receive in a Protestant church? I kind of think the answer is no, but I'm not sure.

And if the answer is no, does anyone know how to go about this in the "right" way? I know some churches pass a tray around while the people are sitting in pews. Do I just pass it on to the next person without taking anything? I don't want to hurt my relatives' feelings, but I do not want to go against what our Church teaches. I thought of talking to the priest, and that's still an option, but I thought there may be others who also have this question, so it might be a good thing to ask it here.

VOW · May 22, 2002

To Lamb:

Sorry, but you shouldn't receive Communion at a Protestant Church which doesn't believe in the Real Presence.

I really don't know if Emily Post has an answer for etiquette on an occasion such as this, but I'd just pass the tray onto the next person. And then if it were me, personally, I'd fold my hands, close my eyes, and bow my head in prayer.

If your relatives press you for an answer later (I would sincerely hope nobody would make a scene in Church!), I'd say something like, "I communed with My Lord in prayer."

Hope this helps.

Peace be with you,
~VOW

HisLamb · May 22, 2002

Originally posted by VOW
To Lamb:

I'd just pass the tray onto the next person. And then if it were me, personally, I'd fold my hands, close my eyes, and bow my head in prayer.

If your relatives press you for an answer later (I would sincerely hope nobody would make a scene in Church!), I'd say something like, "I communed with My Lord in prayer."

I do love your advice about what to say, VOW! I hope they wouldn't make a scene in Church either! Or after....

I kind of thought I couldn't receive, but wanted to ask. I appreciate your reply.

I just love that!

"I communed with My Lord in prayer." I really love that! You have such a way with words, VOW! Short and to the point.

KC Catholic · May 22, 2002

Yeah, cause to me..if you take communion in a non-Catholic church, your saying that you accept or agree with the teachings and beliefs of said church.

That's just MHO.

I was sponsoring someone for RCIA a couple of years ago and I planted this question in class to see what the priest would say.

I was shocked, but not surprised that his answer was "As a representative of the Catholic Church I cannot condone or encourage you to take communion in a non-Catholic church. But as an everyday person - I don't think I'd have a problem with it."

Needless to say, after I pulled myself out of the fetal position I asked the priest how this could be "ok" since most non-Catholic churches do not believe in the real presence?!?

He stumbled around for an answer and finally said "I guess your right, its probably not the right thing to do." And he quickly changed the subject.

Needless to say after RCIA was over, we changed parishes.

Vows idea was superb.

Avila · May 22, 2002

My DH said, technically, on one occasion such as this, you can receive their communion - as long as you remember it is just that, communion, but personally, he has a problem with that and wouldn't. I didn't agree when I first converted, but now I do. I personally wouldn't, since it is just communion and not the Eucharist.

AngelAmidala · May 22, 2002

Can I ask a question.

Let's say we have a person, who might not be very devout (I hope that's the right word!) in their Catholic heritage as some of you are. They go to a protestant church where communion is served, and because they don't want to feel out of place or be left alone in the pew (if communion is done at a rail or something) they take communion.

Is this something that would be considered a sin? Meaning, would this person (or should this person) say this to a priest during their confession?

At least in my church it's not a huge deal to anyone if someone chooses not to participate in communion. The first Sunday of this month we had a baptism where most of the friends and family of the baby were Catholic. And during communion, they did not participate. And no one bugged them afterwards about it or anything.

VOW · May 23, 2002

To Angel:

This not-very-devout person would have to answer to God. I'd say it's in the same category as a mistaken Catholic who "prays to Mary." There is no malice, but ignorance is not a valid defense.

(and I didn't mean that to sound as snotty as it seemed, but I didn't know quite how to put it.)

Peace be with you,
~VOW

AngelAmidala · May 23, 2002

It didn't seem snotty to me.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Didaskomenos · May 23, 2002

I've never seen an instance of communion in Protestant churches where it was obligatory. If they pass it down the pew like most churches, you can discreetly pass the elements to the next person. Anyways, most non-denominational churches are less traditional, so they probably won't have communion at a wedding.

Catchup · May 23, 2002

Not wishing to start a debate. Just trying to understand. You believe there is something wrong and evil about communion that is offered in a Protestant Church? I have heard it referred to as a sin to partake of the communion offered. If this is truly the teaching of your Church...then I see it as an act to increase division. I can only speak for myself, but I would never pass on Jesus. So much for that all in the Family...Christian brother and sister thing.

Matthew 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him `unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him `unclean.' "

Praying :pray:

I am sorry if you feel this an intrusion on your forum territory. But the thread does contain that Protestant word.

LOVE

Kotton · May 23, 2002

Originally posted by Catchup
You believe there is something wrong and evil about communion that is offered in a Protestant Church?

NOT evil, but incomplete and only symbolic as they say it is symbolic. We understand the Euchrist to be the REAL body and blood of Jesus Christ, and wish to accept nothing less.

I have heard it referred to as a sin to partake of the communion offered. If this is truly the teaching of your Church...then I see it as an act to increase division. I can only speak for myself, but I would never pass on Jesus. So much for that all in the Family...Christian brother and sister thing.

LOVE

The 'sin' would be in denying what we believe and saying, "It's the same in all churches, and all are equal." We may join in PRAYER with those who believe in Christ, but do not ever downplay the important issues of our belief. I do not see it as 'passing on Jesus', but as recognizing when it is truly his PRESENCE in the elements.

Kotton

Catchup · May 23, 2002

Hi Kotton... First I would like to thank you for taking my comments in the manner in which they were intended...not to criticize but to promote understanding.

But I am still not agreeable. I find that Life and religion is what you make it. When I take communion it is Christ! For the Holy Spirit is alive within me and that is where my teachings derive. It would be the same for me no matter the surroundings...my Spirit is not contingent on the beliefs of others.

LOVE

VOW · May 23, 2002

To Catchup:

It is wonderful that Communion means so much to you, for it is indeed the Bread of Life. Jesus MEANT Communion to be important in our worship of Him.

To Catholics, though, Communion is a Sacrament. At the moment of Consecration, the bread and wine become the ACTUAL Body and Blood of our Lord. We treat them with the same reverence that we would give to Jesus Himself if He were in the Church with us.

When our Communion is finished, the dishes are carefully rinsed, and the water MUST be consumed by the priest. All wine is consumed, by the priest or the eucharistic minister. All crumbs of bread must be carefully picked up and eaten. And the leftover wafers are reverently stored for another Communion. This is the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord!

In your Communion service, what happens to the leftover crackers, or the leftover glasses of grape juice? If your church is like most, the crackers are dumped in the trash, and the juice is rinsed down the drain.

Your Communion isn't evil, Catchup. By no means are we implying that. I've received Protestant Communion, and it is a very holy, solemn time. But your bread and wine are still only bread and wine. And if I, as a Catholic, sit in on your Communion service, and I receive your Communion, I'm saying that I only believe in a symbolic Communion.

And a symbolic Communion, while very meaningful and precious, and wonderful, simply isn't enough for me. I want the physical and spiritual nourishment I get from the Real Presence.

In my eyes, this single point right here is the MAIN difference between Catholic and Protestant. And it breaks my heart.

Peace be with you,
~VOW

Catchup · May 23, 2002

To Catholics, though, Communion is a Sacrament. At the moment of Consecration, the bread and wine become the ACTUAL Body and Blood of our Lord. We treat them with the same reverence that we would give to Jesus Himself if He were in the Church with us.

Do you not understand that feeling could also be found in the soul of a Protestant?

When our Communion is finished, the dishes are carefully rinsed, and the water MUST be consumed by the priest. All wine is consumed, by the priest or the eucharistic minister. All crumbs of bread must be carefully picked up and eaten. And the leftover wafers are reverently stored for another Communion. This is the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord!

I bet you think if we run out of wafers...we grab a box of Pringles.

And a symbolic Communion, while very meaningful and precious, and wonderful, simply isn't enough for me. I want the physical and spiritual nourishment I get from the Real Presence.

Whether it be symbolic or Real is in the Spirit of the partaker. But I wonder :scratch:

what Spirit would cause a Christian to pass on communion offered in a Christian Church.

In my eyes, this single point right here is the MAIN difference between Catholic and Protestant. And it breaks my heart.

Jesus only knows his sheep as one flock. I am sorry if you do not. That is what breaks my heart.

I do not wish this to turn into an ugly debate.
There are some things that must be kept sacred.
So I will find the door. :wave:

LOVE

VOW · May 23, 2002

To Catchup:

It is the very SACREDNESS of the Catholic Communion I am discussing!

Whether you grab a box of Pringles is beside the point I was trying to make. It is your faith's teaching that Communion is only symbolic that makes the division.

And I have to go back to history to emphasize the point. The Real Presence is something the Early Church recognized, taught, and believed. Luther made his break with the Apostolic Succession, and tried to bridge the gap with "Consubstantiation." But every single branching away from Luther has been a DELIBERATE work to distance the people from the Real Presence.

Catchup, I have a book called "Creeds of the Churches." It was compiled by a non-Catholic Christian who wanted to know what the different Christian churches REALLY taught. Every mainstream Christian Church is in there.

All NON-CATHOLIC Creeds, save Lutheran, specifically and emphatically state that the concept of Transubstantiation is ABHORRENT. Some Creeds even go so far as to say it is an abomination.

The Real Presence is ABHORRENT?

Catchup, the division we're seeing here is NOT from the Catholic Church!

Peace be with you,
~VOW

HisLamb · May 23, 2002

Originally posted by KC Catholic
Yeah, cause to me..if you take communion in a non-Catholic church, your saying that you accept or agree with the teachings and beliefs of said church.

That's just MHO.

Thanks, KC! That makes the reasons clear to me. The church I'll be attending (IF this thing goes through) does not believe in the Real Presence, and of course, some of their other teachings are different from what ours teaches.

I had questions about other things in the past, but once I found out the reason or the history behind the teaching, it made perfect sense!

Thanks to all who have answered. And Catch-up, I'm sorry if anything in this thread I started offended you. I did not start this to offend anyone. I started it to try to not offend people who are relatives of mine through marriage. But if my church teaches one thing, then I cannot go against that teaching. And I pray that they will all understand and act in a Christian way.

After all...I'm on that Catholic side of the family. They think we're strange anyway.

Catchup · May 23, 2002

Catchup, the division we're seeing here is NOT from the Catholic Church!

Vow: So what ever the cause, we have Christians on both sides of a fence. It is sad. :sigh:

But how can I devote my sympathy to them... when it is I who straddle the fence? For there is not a denomination or Church, that has it all right. So I... because of life circumstance and also the Spirit that I carry within... do not belong to any Church. I remain a visitor until Jesus either calls me home, or comes to Earth to establish his Church.

I do not expect you to understand. I am happy for you that you have found a home in the Catholic Church.
I think it is doing good by you. :hug:

I will get out of your territory now. :wave:

Sorry for the intrusion. :sorry:

LOVE

VOW · May 23, 2002

To Catchup:

You don't have to utter a secret password or show a membership card to visit the Catholic Discussion board. We have wonderful fellowship in Reilly's Pub, a place to cool hot tempers in the Walk-In Freezer, and KC started a permanent thread at the beginning of the board as a reference for common questions about Catholic teachings. That's a good place to visit in the very beginning if you have any other questions about Catholicism.

You are most welcome at any time. And your first drink at the pub is on me!

Peace be with you,
~VOW

kern · May 23, 2002

VOW, I'm going to call you on this one. Can you show some proof for the idea that you cannot receive Protestant communion?

You say that it amounts to a denial of the Real Presence, but I don't see that this necessarily has to be so. For me, if I went with my father to the Presbyterian church and took communion, it would be symbolic (and representative) of the connection I still feel to my former church, and a declaration of fellowship with them. It wouldn't be the Real Presence, but I wouldn't be taking it with the idea in mind that it was equal to or the same as the Eucharist.

-Chris

KC Catholic · May 23, 2002

Originally posted by kern
VOW, I'm going to call you on this one. Can you show some proof for the idea that you cannot receive Protestant communion?

You say that it amounts to a denial of the Real Presence, but I don't see that this necessarily has to be so. For me, if I went with my father to the Presbyterian church and took communion, it would be symbolic (and representative) of the connection I still feel to my former church, and a declaration of fellowship with them. It wouldn't be the Real Presence, but I wouldn't be taking it with the idea in mind that it was equal to or the same as the Eucharist.

-Chris

Well, Chris...that's the way you can look at it.

Here is what the Catholic Bishops in America state:

The guidelines for receiving Communion, which are issued by the U.S. bishops and published in many missalettes, explain, "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 Christs prayer for us that they may all be one (John 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 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. . . . "

Scripture is clear that partaking of the Eucharist is among the highest signs of Christian unity: "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). For this reason, it is normally impossible for non-Catholic Christians to receive Holy Communion, for to do so would be to proclaim a unity to exist that, regrettably, does not.

Another reason that many non-Catholics may not ordinarily receive Communion is for their own protection, since many reject the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Scripture warns that it is very dangerous for one not believing in the Real Presence to receive Communion: "For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died" (1 Cor. 11:2930).

Now...in a roundabout way they affirmed what we've been saying here. If you take communion in a non-Catholic church you are proclaiming a unity exists, when in fact, sadly it does not.

I also think you send mixed signals to those folks at the non-Catholic church that communion is "open" at a Catholic Church.

Look at what Clinton did in Africa - he took the Eucharist when he was definitely in mortal sin, and he is NOT Catholic. He completely ignored what his advisors had told him about the Eucharist and what it means to Catholics.

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