Quick question for "serious" Catholics

[Steve]

Can a member of a non-Catholic Christian denomination take communion during a Catholic rite?  I mean, is it OK with Catholic dogma to do so?

You can PM me with the answer if you don't want to reply publicly.

TIA.

[Coriolis]

I think so. I grew up Anglican and was confirmed in the Anglican church, but would sometimes go to church with a Catholic friend. I always took communion and no one said boo. I'm sure someone would have said something if it was a big no-no.

[IamZed]

I believe you can stevent. I think the church see it as a potential conversion tool.

[Domh]

Nope. It is not.

Catholics receive first communion and then 'receive confirmation', becoming an Apostle and choosing a patron saint. You also must attend Confession before receiving Communion at any time.

Thats the way it is in the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

Many churchs calling themselves 'Catholic' will, Im sure, ignore the rules, but - those ARE the rules. A strict Catholic Church would require you to convert, be baptised Catholic, attend Catholic School (Catechism), become an apostle through confirmation and choosing a saint, confess and then and only then would you be allowed to receive First Communion.

Wild stuff - and thats just the beginning.

;)

[Techie2000]

Yeah. I went through all that crap. Although one now traditionally recieves first communion after the first confession but before confirmation. First communion usually happens at the age of 7 now as part of Catechism class.

[mikepd]

Ah, the good old days when Mass was in Latin, the Nuns whacked the snot out of you with a ruler for even looking cross-eyed, and don't ask what happened if you looked at a girl's shoes during outside gym to see if black patent leather shoes really reflect up. ;) My confirmation name is Francis, BTW.

Dom does not do justice to the preparation involved for the First Holy Communion or Confirmation and meeting the Bishop. Sort of like prepping to learn the military SIOP, pass the GSAT, and getting married all rolled up in one. Big commitment. Going to Catholic school, the studying started from the first day of first grade and never really stopped just changed direction after Confirmation and explored new directions.

[Domh]

Its really seriously wild stuff. If your not Catholic, the flock just sorta knows it and gives you the eye to sit still when it comes time to receive Communion. If you get up to the priest and he doesnt know you, he'll just deny the wafer and wine without a word.

Fascinating religion. Id choose it if I were to ever decide to join up wtih Jesus. As my girlfriend just said, and I almost spat out my drink when she said it - "If its good enough for the mob...".

Mike - no disrespect meant at all and sorry for the omission... though I do understand the full weight and furor of 'becoming Catholic'. I live with one who is in recovery. Long and scary process, probably even worse than the installation.

;)

[Coriolis]

Originally posted by Domhain
Nope. It is not.
Oops, yet another thing I'll burn in hell for. ;)

[ShinyTop]

When I was a youngster in the Anglican church we had classes to pass before confimation. The unconfirmed could not take communion. But visitors were not questioned.

I was head of the acolytes and got high on more than one occasion. The wine, once blessed, has to be consumed. If the minister was not looking to get soused he would spread the extra among the alter boys. And do you know who gave him the count?

[Coriolis]

But the wine, as I recall, was so horrible that who in their right mind would want to drink it all. I'm sure I've had cooking sherry that tasted better! Blahhh

[melpomene]

Sacre Bleur!

;)

All non Catholics, who have not been baptised and received communion and then been confirmed, must sit there quietly and be quiet. rofl

And, yes, Dom, is right, we all know who you are ;) and as the chosen assemble down the aisle to receive communion, all the non Catholics sit back in the pews with their tails between the legs rofl

Yep, you guessed it, i went to a Catholic boarding school for girls...................and look what it did to me.

In fact, i have a keyring, which says
"Recovering Catholic" ............rofl ......................too funny

[ShinyTop]

I don't remember the wine being that bad but my experience was limited to sacramental wine when I began at age 14. Got to relate one story. One spring three alter boys and the minister were going to the beach for the blessing of the fleet. We rode over in a convertible so we could carry the cross and, of course, we were dressed in our white robes with the hoods. 64 or 65 if I remember correctly.

[IamZed]

I was an alter boy. Nobody got abused. It went down the way it was supposed to. Waste of time as I had no faith though, but everyone was safe and we had a good time at it. Then they kicked me out. I got kicked out of three catholic schools. They would make up reasons that made me feel bad at the time, but obviously weren't true. In the end it just turns out that’s what they do with unbelievers.

[mikepd]

Dom, what's with the disrespect bit, none taken to be sure. Actually, when I got married, I became a confirmed Lutheran as that was my wife's religion and I had come to dislike a number of the methods and teachings of the Catholic Church since about when I was 14. (ELCA Synod-there are three of them in Lutheranism and the ELCA happens to be the least restrictive)
Throughout, however, my Faith has sustained me in my life and enables me to face whatever lies down the road I walk.

[Steve]

Ah, thanks for the feedback, folks. My wife is Catholic; I'm UCC. What prompted the question was reading that the Pope recently reiterated that Catholics are prohibited from taking communion in during a non-Catholic rite of service. He also pointed out that Catholics need to go to confession before receiving communion, so I probably should have connected the dots and realized if you don't go to confession (non-Catholic), you can't take communion during Catholic services, even if you're a practicing Christian of another denomination.

All of which boggles my mind, considering the words Jesus spoke during the Last Supper. I don't recall any restrictions being placed on anyone, merely an invitation to remember Christ when eating the bread and drinking the wine.

[Advocat]

I had an interesting experience along these lines. As godfather to the son of Catholic friends, I attended a Comfirmation Mass; the priest, realizing that there were non-Catholics in the church, asked that parents and godparents come forward for a blessing and communion, but asked that non-Catholics approach with their arms crossed on their chests. Thus they wouldn't be offered communion

A nice way to separate the sheep from the goats. ;)

[melpomene]

yep, the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church................

[mikeky]

Actually there are other non-Catholic denominations that will refuse communion to non-members. It varies by denomination and sometimes even by church. But most of the traditional Protestant churches do allow visitors to receive communion.

[Domh]

Originally posted by mikeky
But most of the traditional Protestant churches do allow visitors to receive communion.

Well theyre bloody Protestants arent they! Theyll let you do just about anything you like in there!

 :nut:

[Steve]

By doctrine, sure. By culture, no. I can freely wear blue jeans to my wife's church. You would not believe the disapproval that would engender at my church!

Oh, and lighting a cigarette from one of the altar candles is strictly verboten! ;

[mikeky]

Originally posted by stevent
...Oh, and lighting a cigarette from one of the altar candles is strictly verboten! ;
Yes, that probably wouldn't go over so well.

[mikepd]

Lighting a cigarette wouldn't go over very well in our Church, period, forget about trying to light one with an altar candle.

I find the Lutheran service more relaxed, they have two versions, the earlier mass is contemporary with popular/guitar music while the later service is more traditional with choir/organ music. Either one gets a lot of attendance and the Church is growing and just came off development status as it was comprised of an older congregation that had lost a lot of members. So we now have an influx of new members of all ages and it is really nice. I attend as much as I am able and am on the Fellowship committee as that allows me to show off my cooking skills.

Formal religion may not be needed, imo, to live a decent, good life that would be worthy of consideration by an Almighty Being for admittance into an afterlife that is significantly better than this earthly one. I do believe an afterlife will be like nothing quite like that which has ever been yet explained for how can the limited mind of man truly know the unfathomable vastness of the universe and all that is beyond?

That said, formal religion can be a great boon to those who need its structure and while like anything that involves humans, it can be misused, , it is still at its core, imo, positive.

[Steve]

I was joking about the cigarette, btw, everyone. :)

[Domh]

You could always go to a friends meeting house and light up a special cigarette...

:nut: