question about communion

[Didymus]

i heard the Pope say tonight on the news that catholics are forbidden to take communion at a non-catholic church . why ? I feel that communion is between you and the LORD and that if you have prepared you soul for the sacrement anyone should be allowed to participate in any church.

 

[VOW]

To Didymus:

To a Catholic, Communion is the partaking of the actual Body and Blood of our Lord. In a non-Catholic church, Communion is symbolic.

To me, receiving Communion in a non-Catholic church would be accepting of the symbolic nature. And as a Catholic, I don't BELIEVE in the symbolic nature. I want, I NEED the Real Thing.

I won't drink diet Coke. I want "real Coke." I'd rather have butter than any margarine made. I prefer Charmin bathroom tissue to any cheap store brand.

And when it comes to the Lord's Supper, I'll take the Real Presence.



Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[Hoonbaba]

Diet Coke is real!! LOL It's just different from Coke =P

Actually I have to admit, I like diet coke!! LOL I was lenting soda and fast food, so I've been drinking diet sodas, since I didn't want to consume tons of sugar =P

LOL

-Jason

 

[isshinwhat]

why ? I feel that communion is between you and the LORD and that if you have prepared you soul for the sacrement anyone should be allowed to participate in any church.

As VOW said, for a Catholic, Communion is not just symbolic, we believe that at the Consecration, the Holy Spirit, through the priest, changes the bread and wine substantially into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is the very cornerstone of the Mass, and we feel it is the most perfect way to worship God. Through Holy Communion, we sacramentally feed the Divine life within us through the Bread of Life. We unite ourselves to God, and therefore with our brothers and sisters who partake, too. Communion... The Church coming together into a common union, literally, as One Body in Christ. Communion in the Catholic Church is much more than a mere rememberance of Christ's death and resurrection, it is a participation in it. The question you have asked is very spiritually involved, and I could hardly do it justice. What it all boils down to is for a Catholic, the entire faith is wrapped up in the Eucharist. For him to partake of communion in a Protestant Church, he would be claiming a faith he cannot profess. The Eucharist is much more than a symbol of faith, it is the very source of our faith, Jesus Christ, Himself.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[artnalex]

I echo the other comments.

If we were to partake in another church's communion, then what would we be implying? We would be implying that the other church's communion is no different than our's. We would also be implying that although Christ wanted the communion to be thought of as a literal and Real presence, that it is OK to partake in communion where the pastor in the non-Catholic church has no apostolic succession, and believes the bread to remain bread, and the wine to remain wine. We are even forbidden to receive communion in those churches that believe in consubstantiation (Orthodox and Lutherans), and not transubstantiation.

 

[isshinwhat]

We are even forbidden to receive communion in those churches that believe in consubstantiation (Orthodox and Lutherans), and not transubstantiation.

Technically, the Orthodox profess a valid belief in the Eucharist and a Catholic has permission from the Catholic Church to take Holy Communion in an Orthodox Church, with their permission, of course, if there is no way possible for them to fulfill their Sunday Obligation in a Catholic Church. They don't like to define things like we do, but if pressed, will admit to a Transubstantial theology.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[artnalex]

Technically, yes we can rec'v communion at an Orthodox Church, but not a Lutheran Church. And only if we rec'v a special dispensation from a Bishop (I think). But in general we cannot.

And Orthodox, if pressed, will not admit to a transubstantiation concept. Or at least that is what my brother-in-laws brother says (he is a Greek Orthodox priest).

I asked him a question on that subject before.

 

[isshinwhat]

"In the celebration of this we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is present, not figuratively, or in an image, or by superabundant grace, as in the other mysteries, nor by a simple presence, as some of the Fathers have said concerning Baptism, nor by conjunction, as that the Deity of the Word is personally united to the bread of the Eucharist which is set forth, as the LUTHERANS MOST IGNORANTLY AND MISERABLY THINK; but really and actually, so that after the consecration of the bread and the wine the bread is changed, TRANSUBSTANTIATED, transmade, and reordered, into the real body of the Lord itself, which was born in Bethlehem of the Ever-Virgin, was baptized in Jordan, suffered, was buried, rose, ascended, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, and will come on the clouds of heaven; and the wine is transmade and TRANSUBSTANTIATED into the real blood of the Lord itself, which was poured forth for the life of the world when He hung on the cross.

This passage is taken from the Council of Jerusalem, 1672, and is an authorized statement of the Greek Orthodox Church.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[CopticOrthodox]

The difference between Orthodox and Lutherans is that Orthodox, like Catholics, have succession of the priesthood going back right to the apostles, and through them to Christ. The Lutherans on the other hand are not ordained in this succession, and do not have the priesthood, so regarless of what they believe, their Communion is just bread and wine. We (Orthodox) do not accept the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantion, but that doesn't mean we don't believe that the bread and wine literally becomes the Body and Blood, it just means that we don't accept the details of the Catholic doctrine, such as that every cell, bone, neuron, etc, of Christ's Body is present in every host. We just believe that it becomes the Body and Blood and leave it at that without going into details. The Catholics Church recognizes this belief as correct, but says that their belief includes more details that ours does not. This would have to be the case since we believe what Catholics used to believe about Communion, and Catholics believe that their doctrine has progressed and they understand better, so if Catholics said that we are wrong it would mean that they used to be wrong, which would not be a good argument to make. By the laws of the Catholic Church a Catholic may receive Communion at an Orthodox Church if there is no Catholic Church that they can receive at, there are no other requirements. Orthodox law does not allow this.

 

[Malachi383]

As an Eucharistic Minister, when I hold up the body or blood of Christ, and I say "The body of Christ" or The blood of Christ," and the person says "Amen" - they are saying 'I believe.' They are agreeing with what I said, and what the Church believes and professes. Someone who doesnt believe this should not receive at a Catholic mass. And it works the same at a Protestant service. We do not profess the same faith. We have some similarities, but on the quintiessential, we do not. And out of respect for their beliefs, and even more so your own, you should not receive.

If you had before you a counterfit million dollar bill and a real one, which would you want? They may appear the same, but are radically different. One is the real thing, one looks like, or symbolizes it. GO FOR THE REAL THING! Also, why would you want to attend a protestant service when you can go to a Catholic mass and receive the Body and Blood of Christ!?