Tom Lackey Supporter Born again, semi-retired, short term missionary to Scotland

I don't know if this will happen at every Catholic church, but at my step sister's funeral service, the priest said that only Catholics should come forward to partake of communion. It is my opinion that this is a perversion of scripture. Christ said, "Do this in remembrance of me." I believe that anyone who has accepted Christ as their personal savior and has asked God to forgive them of their sins (partaking of communion in a proper spirit) is welcome to partake. Jesus never asked that we celebrate His birth, be He did ask that we remember his death and resurrection.

Personally, I would not come forward for Communion at a Catholic church because they believe the elements become the actual body and blood of Christ. The holy union of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit does not allow it to be taken apart in pieces as the elements would suggest.

November 05 2017 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mike Thompson Supporter Saved by Grace

My experience has been that Catholic churches here where I live in Central Texas are ok with anyone taking communion, both at funeral Mass and at general Mass. My concern is that, as a Christian, by partaking of communion with the R.C. church, one is saying they agree with the belief of transubstantiation, which Catholics adhere to without wavering. Paul warned against those who "preach a gospel other than what we have preached" Gal 1:8. Could Catholics be teaching another gospel via their belief and promotion of transubstantiation? It is because of this concern, I choose to no longer participate in a Catholic Mass. I have attended a funeral Mass, however, but chose not to participate in communion for these reasons.

November 06 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

David Huffman Supporter

This question is fairly simple. As a non-Catholic you are not invited to participate in Holy Communion. Conversion to Catholicism is required and confession of your sins to a priest must precede participation. 
There is probably a number of steps to complete to become Catholic. 

Of course, one could simply ignore all the prerequisites, but as a Baptist or Protestant in general, why would you want to? Since the Reformation, the R.C. church has considered all of Protestantism to be anathema (cursed). 

Roman Catholic doctrine regarding communion is very different from that of most evangelical protestants.The Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation teaches that the bread and wine are changed during the consecration of the mass by the priest, into the literal and actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.

Since the Catholic church considers non-Catholics unworthy to participate in communion and because their doctrine is in tension with protestant doctrine I would say no to the question as presented. 

If I am at someone's home at mealtime and I am not invited to dinner, I don't sit at the table expecting to be fed.

November 05 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Paul Gerardi Supporter Engineer, Student of the Word - living and written

If you are a Baptist, then you ascribe to the Bible as your source of doctrine and faith. From it you learn that you are saved by faith (reliance on) the Lord Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, as payment for your sin. You learn that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ as symbolic to both remember His finished work and the new covenant it brought (Luke 22:14-20) and to 'proclaim His death until He comes again' (1 Cor 11:26)

Catholics do not believe that the bread and cup are symbolic remembrances nor that the taking of the same are a proclamation of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. Instead, The Catholic church teaches, and catholics believe, that the bread and the cup become the body and blood of Jesus Christ in essence and reality while still maintaining their bread and "wine" physical forms (the Catholic Church calls this the "real presence" of Christ in the eucharist).

The Catholic church teaches that taking the eucharist and cup causes them to share in Christ's divinity as shown by the priest's prayer over the cup: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity."

Further, the Catholic church teaches that communion/eucharist is a continuing sacrifice (a repeated sacrifice) of Christ to God, by the priest's hand, for remission of our sins, as seen by the petition/response of the priest and congregants:
(Priest) Lord God, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts.
(Priest) (Washing of the hands) Lord wash away my iniquities, cleanse me from my sins.
(Priest) Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
(All) May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his Church.

Not only do these teachings of the Catholic church have no biblical/scriptural support, but they are contrary to Scripture. For example, Hebrews 10 clearly states that the constant sacrifices by priests in the Old Testament Law were done because of the insufficiency of the blood of the sacrifices to remit sins, while Christ's blood remitted sins in a once-for-all sacrifice that is "sufficient for all time " (Heb 10:14) and is not repeated.

If you believe that the duty of a Christian is:
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10:31-33)"
Then Scripture has answered your question for you. How can it bring glory to God for you to participate in a ritual that you do not, can not, believe in as they do? And why give offense to those who, knowing you are not catholic, believe you are eating to your condemnation - committing a sin - since you do not believe in the eucharist the way they do?

November 06 2017 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

The Catholic Church believes:
"When the priest pronounces the tremendous words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the Victim for the sins of man. It is a power greater than that of monarchs and emperors: it is greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of Seraphim and Cherubim. Indeed it is greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary. While the Blessed Virgin was the human agency by which Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven, and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal Victim for the sins of man - not once but a thousand times! The priest speaks and lo! Christ, the eternal and omnipotent God, bows His head in humble obedience to the priest’s command." 

Faith of Millions - John Anthony O'Brien printed December 3rd 2005 by Our Sunday Visitor Press.

If you agree that the priest have such powers, then I do not see a reason to abstain. However, if you think this doctrine is not Biblical you should respectfully decline to partake.

November 06 2017 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Joe Troncale Supporter

The Catholic Canon Law states that only Catholics or Orthodox Christians are allowed to participate in Roman Catholic communion. So if you are allowed to participate, which some local Catholic Churches do, it is actually against their church law. I was born into Catholicism, but subsequently attend an evangelical church. I️ participate in communion at the evangelical church, but refrain from partaking at Catholic Churches if I am in a Catholic Church sometimes because there is an announcement stating that non-Catholics are not invited but mostly because I am not interested in offending my Catholic friends. I believe I have been saved by God’s Grace and these matters have been settled in heaven.

November 08 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

frances Keene Supporter

I am of the Methodist faith. I have been in Catholic churches many times, and I have taken communion in them too. The priest has never asked me if I am a Catholic. I have taken communion in Baptist & Lutheran churches, too. 

Jesus did not say, "Take and eat and drink if you are a certain faith." NO! He said, "Do this in remembrance of ME."

It is also so sad to me that if we say we are serving Jesus the Christ, why are so many doctrines on so many different pages? Aren't we to be under the ONE LORD, ONE SPIRIT AND ONE BAPTISM?

November 05 2017 • 6 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Anonymous Person Supporter Coptic Orthodox Christian and loving my LORD <3

Since you are not in Communion with the Catholic Church, you would not be permitted to receive the Holy Eucharist. Some churches practice "open communion" but these are typically the churches that do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. For most of those that do, one must belong to the denomination and hold to the same doctrine to partake with them. This is because receiving together is a statement of unity, unity comes from the mutual belief. Since you are in theological disagreement with this church, it would not be right or honest for you to partake with them, even if they would allow it. The same is true for the Orthodox Church, in fact only in dire circumstances may an Orthodox person share in Catholic Communion and vice versa because while we have similar doctrine, and both believe in the True Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our theological differences are enough that we are not in official communion.

November 05 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

RUFUS DOZIER Supporter LOVER OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST

My answer is not from the Bible, but from my own thoughts: How can it be wrong? You are accepting the blood and flesh of Jesus, who is the head of the church. I am not saying the Catholic church, Baptist church, Pentecostal church, etc... I am talking about the church of salvation in Jesus' name, the church that will be Jesus' bride.

November 05 2017 • 19 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report