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Quoted Text

Let non-Catholics take Communion, too

    I recently was at a funeral at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Rotterdam. After receiving communion, the woman next to me asked me if I was Catholic. I said no. The priest asked if she and her grandson were Catholic; she said no. He would not allow them to take Communion. I was upset.
    Jesus was not Catholic, and I never read in the Holy Bible that only Catholics can receive Communion. Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. He didn’t say all Catholics do this in remembrance of me. Maybe the priest should start reading the Bible and have a relationship with Jesus, instead of religion.
    ALANA LAVIGNE
    Amsterdam

As my wife would say, "What the hellllll?"

Why would a non-catholic want to receive communion? Peer pressure?  What significance could it possibly have?

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to insult another religion - but do you consider it "valid" communion if you go to a Catholic church?

I know that if I went to a Episcopalian church - I wouldn't think anything more of their "communion" than just a piece of bread - it has no meaning for me as a Catholic Priest needs to validate / bless it for my religion.  The same way a skull cap doesn't do anything for me in a jewish temple ...

I remember as an altarboy - after mass sometimes I would go in the cabinet where the big box /bag of communion waffers were kept and fill my pockets- to eat as a snack on the way home-

Quoted from 147

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to insult another religion - but do you consider it "valid" communion if you go to a Catholic church?

I know that if I went to a Episcopalian church - I wouldn't think anything more of their "communion" than just a piece of bread - it has no meaning for me as a Catholic Priest needs to validate / bless it for my religion.  The same way a skull cap doesn't do anything for me in a jewish temple ...

No need to apologize and it was never taken as an insult.   And again, communion is not just a Catholic thing. And also to answer your question, no I don't need a priest or any other religiously ordained wo/man to validate what Christ already did.

IIRC, and my memory may be off here, but Lutherans and Episcopals can receive communion in a Catholic church, and vice versa in some circumstances with no problem (in theory).  Generally speaking, it has to be that there isn't a church of your denomination with in 75 miles (it may be 50 or 100 I forget), to receive communion on a "normal" Sunday.  There is also an exception for certain rites (funerals, weddings, baptisms), as well as "high Holy days."  

IMO, and under Church canon if I remember correctly, the Priest was wrong in what he did.  First off, he shouldn't have asked (that's just rude, and outside his perview).  Secondly, he should have asked what denomination she and her grandson were, as he already pooched the first part.  

I agree that the priest was totally wrong by asking. That was beyond rude and tacky. That will win ya some new members, huh?

And if I remember correctly, Jesus was a Jew....not a Catholic. So the way I see it, is that the Catholics don't own 'communion'.

So, the church promotes gambling, but won't give "outsiders" communion.  Gee, I wonder how well things are going on in the Catholic Church other places...or maybe this is one reason WHY they're having the issues that they are.

Non Catholic Christians cannot take Communion in the Catholic church because they do not believe the same as Catholics do.

Catholics believe that the communion wafer is truly the Body of Christ and that the wine is truly the Blood of Christ.  We Catholics believe in transubstantiation (ok, the official technical term), in simple words it means that during the Consecration part of the Mass, the bread actually becomes the Body of Christ and the wine actually becomes the Blood of Christ.

Non-Catholics, but Christians, do not believe that, the merely believe Communion is just a symbol, they do not believe in the transubstantiation.

Likewise, Catholics may not receive Communion in other than the Catholic church (or churches in union with Rome, i.e., Lutherans, Episcopalians, Protestant, Methodist, etc are not in union with Rome).  

If I remember correctly, exceptions can be made such as when someone is gravely ill and there is no Catholic priest nor Eucharistic Minister available, but perhaps there is a Lutheran priest/minister.  And the reverse I believe is true also if only a Catholic priest or EM is available, they may give Communion to other non-Catholic Christians.

I was raised Catholic but changed to protestant as an adult. But I remember when I went to sunday school as a kid and was being told by a nun to NOT bit down on the communion host cause it was suppose to be the REAL body of Christ. Well, you can just imagine how that makes a little kid think and feel. One time my tooth went through the communion host by mistake. I thought I'd die!!!! I could not process it all. I thought I was going to go to hell and had committed a huge unforgivable mortal sin. So MC1 is correct on the teachings of catholicism.

I think there is a little confusion here - due to the fact that by definition the Catholic church ( not Roman Catholic ) is the universal christian church  but it  is not the Roman Catholic church- you know the one with headquaters in Rome- with its own particular doctrine  that includes praying to Mary- Mortal vs Venial sin- etc- and which the original poster is refering to

Being fundamentaly Christian centers around being " saved by grace through faith ". There is no good thing that you can do that will get to heaven-

Catholic VS Roman Catholic church------are both VERY different.......

Quoted Text

Main Entry: cath·o·lic  
Pronunciation: \ˈkath-lik, ˈka-thə-\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English catholik, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French catholique, from Late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos universal, general, from katholou in general, from kata by + holos whole — more at cata-, safe
Date: 14th century
1 aoften capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the church universal boften capitalized : of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it ccapitalized : roman catholic
2: comprehensive , universal ; especially : broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests

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Quoted Text

Priest was right to deny Communion to non-Catholic

    Re Sept. 25 letter, “Let non-Catholics take Communion, too”: It’s a question of understanding what they are receiving. The priest was correct in asking and refusing. Knowing the Roman Catholic faith is important when receiving the sacraments of the Church.
    If you claim you are not Catholic, then it can be presumed you have not been educated in the faith. A very important part of our belief as Roman Catholics is the Eucharist. We believe that the bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Christ through the act of the consecration by the priest. By receiving this Communion we believe we are receiving the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
In order to receive this sacrament you must be prepared: Your soul must be in a state worthy to receive.
Not all Christian religions believe in the transformation of the bread and wine. To some religions it is symbolic — and that’s OK if that is what you choose to believe, but it is also what makes our Communion different.
Communion (Holy Eucharist) is only one of the seven beautiful sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. With respect to the Roman Catholic faith and this holy sacrament of the church, the priest did the right thing. I am sure he has read the Bible.
Don’t get upset, get educated!
TONI LAFOND
Schenectady