I am an Episcopalian who was born and raised Catholic. I only officially switched churches about 6 months ago. My parents, who are still die-hard Roman Catholics, have accepted my decision. The problem comes with my future visits with them. I told my mother that if they go to church when I am visiting, that I am perfectly willing to attend Mass at a Catholic church. But I said that I didn't feel that I should receive communion, as I am no longer a Roman Catholic. My mother disagreed and said that "once CAtholic, always Catholic". She wants me to go to communion with them in their church because she thinks I am still Catholic by result of my baptism in that church.
Now, I do believe in the real presence of Christ (albeit in a more Lutheran way---not transubstantiation) and I am happy to take communion with Catholics as I have nothing against them. But I feel in my heart that it would be a sin for me to do so because it violates the rules of the church, which I know so well. I don't want to offend my mother who would feel that not going to communion is a "slap in the face to Christ", like I am sayng to Jesus "I don't believe in you and don't want to receive you". And it isn't like I am in a state of sin, I would be perfectly disposed to receive in the Episcopal church. But I don't want to commit a sin by failing to respect the mandates of the Roman Catholic church by receiving as a non-Catholic.
I guess the problem is I see it as a sin and my mother (who still thinks of me as the little girl who went in the white dress and veil to her first communion), doesn't think so. What should I do?
Now, I do believe in the real presence of Christ (albeit in a more Lutheran way---not transubstantiation) and I am happy to take communion with Catholics as I have nothing against them. But I feel in my heart that it would be a sin for me to do so because it violates the rules of the church, which I know so well. I don't want to offend my mother who would feel that not going to communion is a "slap in the face to Christ", like I am sayng to Jesus "I don't believe in you and don't want to receive you". And it isn't like I am in a state of sin, I would be perfectly disposed to receive in the Episcopal church. But I don't want to commit a sin by failing to respect the mandates of the Roman Catholic church by receiving as a non-Catholic.
I guess the problem is I see it as a sin and my mother (who still thinks of me as the little girl who went in the white dress and veil to her first communion), doesn't think so. What should I do?
I don't see how the Anglican Church can purport to be the original Church established by Christ. They were started by a king who wanted to divorce, and split his nation's Catholic Churches from communion with Rome... (I know you have surely read all about it, so I'm not gonna go into it much... if you're an Anglican, you probably know far more about it than me)...
