Why Can’t Protestants Take Communion in a Catholic Church?
Q. Why can’t Protestants receive communion at the Catholic Church?
A. To protect them from Judgment.
1 Corinthians 11: 27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Since, Protestants do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as we do, they do not discern or recognize that Jesus’ body is present under the appearance of bread and wine. We would be allowing them to eat and drink judgment upon themselves. The prohibtion is actually very charitable but, unfortunately, it is usually seen as a rejection.
Evidence of this interpretation of this passage is supported by St. Justin the Martyr :
“We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true…”
-Justin Martyr -FIRST APOLOGY, 66,20–(150 A.D.)
Q. Why do we call the bread “The Host”?
A. Our use of this term, to refer to the consecrated bread, comes from the Latin word hostia, which means ‘victim’. We believe that Jesus Christ is really present in the consecrated bread and wine on our altars. The mass is a re-presentation of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, Jesus is the victim of sacrifice and we call the bread the host/victim to help us remember that it is no longer bread but the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ given to us to strengthen and keep us on the journey to Heaven.
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May 8, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Even though I hear Protestants get upset about not being able to receive communion at Catholic Church (the most ironic thing is that many of these people complaining about it are virulent anti-Catholics who would never go to Mass anyway, and certainly would not receive the “blasphemous” host if the did), few Protestants have a truly open communion. Most restrict it to those who are baptized, some restrict it to those who are baptized in a recognized denomination, others restrict it to those baptized in that specific church (i.e. you can receive if you were baptized as a member of Beacon Street Baptist but not Park Street Baptist).
PS-I made up the names of the churches.
May 8, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Cody-It sounds like quite a few people restrict communion, including Catholic and it’s interesting to see that many can justify why.
Communion should have no restrictions. It is not up to us, whether Catholic, Prostestant, Penecostal, Baptist, etc. to decide who should receive communion and who shouldn’t. If a man has sin in his life that he has not repented of or if a man believes something different than anyone else believes, that is between him and God.
In Corinthians 11:26, as in the above post, it states……
“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”
A man ought to examine himself. So perhaps we should allow the man to examine himself and the church should stop attempting to intervene. I don’t believe Jesus’ offer to receive communion was exclusive as it seems to be in so many churches.
I have been to Mass and have often wondered why communion is only offered to those who are Catholic. This seems to be no different than what the churches that Cody has mentioned do. Are we not the same body of believers? We may have some difference of opinions, but we are of the same body-Christ.
I wonder how many we keep away from the table or how many we keep from receiving Christ by our human rules, whether it be by error or arrogance.
May 8, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Freedom,
Difference of teaching is a lot more serious than a mere difference of opinion.
One need only look to the early church to find bishops limiting communion to those who followed the orthodox teaching of the church. Communion was sometimes sent from bishop to another to show that they were in communion with each other. In other words, to be in communion with a church means to have the same teaching and therefore the same faith as that church. We now live in an age when the fragmentation begun in the 16th Century is rapidly multiplying. Christians are less and less in communion with each others teaching now than before. So, there should be actually less sharing of communion with one another if we are to take the practices of the early church seriously, which Catholics do.
May 8, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I understand that Catholics take the early church practices seriously, as they should. However, they are not the only ones to take early church practices and the teachings of Jesus seriously.
Perhaps if one was to look at events prior to the first church and prior to bishops or denominations, they would find Jesus offering communion to the disciples, not just Catholics or between bishops, but to his disciples.
Just Jesus and his disciples, his followers. Nothing more or less than.
If one says they are a disciple of Christ than who are we to say any differently? I consider myself a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ and I do not consider myself to be Catholic. According to you, I’m not allowed to take communion.
You said…”to be in communion with a church….”. Perhaps this is where the true disagreement lies. I believe we are to be in communion with Jesus, not the church. Perhaps are ideas of communion are completely different.
Yours with the church and mine to be with Jesus, as it is written.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Peace be with you.
May 8, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Wait a second. Jesus did not offer communion to his disciples who numbered in the thousands. He offered communion to his apostles. This is a huge difference. Bishops are the successors of the apostles, not just any disciples, but of the apostles. So, to be in communion with Christ in his singular act at the Last Supper requires us to be in communion with the bishops who are in line with the apostles. Catholic theology, you see, is all interwoven. It isn’t a collection of random ideas thrown together. It is a systematic understanding of who Christ is, who the Church is and who we Christian are in relation to both. That is, sacramental theology, ecclesiology, christology, the Trinity all form a single whole.
So, how Catholics understand “being in communion with” fits into all areas of theology from scripture to Aquinas to the present. And the Catholic thinking on this topic is perfectly in line with the thinking of the early church back to the apostles and yes, back to Christ at the last supper.
May 9, 2008 at 12:47 am
Fr. J-
I understand what you are saying when you speak about the difference between apostles and disciples. I agree, Jesus offered communion to a select few that we call apostles, not the thousands that followed Jesus. You can clearly see there is a difference when they use the word disciple in the scripture I copied above in regard to the last supper.
However, all this is really far from the point I’m attempting to make. As I said before, it sounds like unless I am Catholic, I should not be receiving communion.
In your eyes, is that correct?
May 9, 2008 at 3:26 am
To be in union with Jesus is to be in union with HIS CHURCH. Non Catholics should not receive communion!
May 9, 2008 at 3:29 am
Funny how people demand what they don’t believe in!
To receive communion in the Catholic Church means to be in union with it. Do you accept that Jesus left us apostles and their successors to guide us? Do you accept that Peter had primacy over the Apostles and that his successors do to this day? Do you accept that the Blessed Sacrament is body and blood of the Lord? Do accept the Immaculate Conception of Mary? ETC ETC…..
Why demand something that you don’t belive in?
May 9, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Wow. Well hello Diane.
I’m not sure why you are yelling or why you are assuming that I’m demanding something. I was under the impression that I was having dialogue with Fr. J.
Yes Diane, I do believe in all of those things that you mentioned above except that the Catholic church is Jesus’ ONLY church and you are the ONLY apostles.
According to you Diane, until I convert and conform to the Catholic way, I can not partake in commuion with Jesus or His church. I can understand if one was to make a requirement to be a Christian before partaking in commuion, however what you are saying sounds very arrogant Diane.
What it sounds like you are saying to the world is the only people that are real Chrsitians are Catholics. By no means am saying that you actually said this, I’m just saying, by your words, this is how it sounds.
Just because I completely disagree with this, does not mean I am demanding anything. I have placed no demands on you, you are more than welcome to come to my church and partake in communion with Christ. As your sister in Christ, I would stand by your side and take communion with you.
I personally believe that many people are getting hurt and kept from Christ because of the limitations our belief systems are placing on God’s people. Much like the days when Jesus walked the earth with Pharisees.
Thank you Diane, you answered my questions more than thoroughly.
Peace be with you.
May 9, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Stephanie,
The issue of whether the last supper was with apostles and disciples does answer your question. In order to receive communion in Christ’s Church, one must be in communion with that Church which is founded on the apostles and passed down to the present through the bishops. If you are not in communion with the bishops, you cannot receive the Eucharist from them. So, no it is not possible for a Protestant to receive Communion in the Catholic Church.
This is not to say that only Catholics are Christians, but that Christians are not in communion with each other on fundamental issues. It is not that we just refuse communion to other Christians, we also should not receive in other churches because we are not in communion. In other words, for Catholics it is not about ones thoughts or feelings about the sacrament that opens one to communion, but the totality of teaching and practice. When one receives communion, one is say “I believe and hold all that the Catholic Church teaches and holds.”
May 9, 2008 at 4:22 pm
A question that comes to mind about seeking Communion in the Catholic Church when one is not from a true particular Church (i.e. a church with 7 saccraments rather than a Protestant ecclesial community) is the difficulty of proper preparation.
Affirming Who the Eucharist is, is a begining. Sharing in our faith of HOW to receive is another thing to consider.
Not to be snarky, but those who are concearned about open communion never seem to be clamoring for an open confessional. So much as missing one Sunday Mass for non-hardship reasons (health, blizzard, being stuck at an airport in Timbuktu) makes it necessary for a Catholic to confess these sins properly and receive absolution.
There were years that I believed in Who the Eucharist is, but could not receive because due to my recalcitrance in seeking the confessional, I was never prepared.
May 9, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Fr. J-
Thank you. I do understand what you are saying although I don’t really agree. As I said to Dianne, I just think many people are getting hurt by the belief systems WE have created and perhaps we should all be reviewing those systems we have put in place again.
Simplesinner-
Snarky? LOL.
Personally, I’m good with confessing my sins to others openly. It seems a bit much though that one would have to confess if they were stuck in a Timbuktu airport. (Did I understand that correctly?)
May 9, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Catholics confess to priests.
You may have misunderstood the Timbuktu airport; if you failed to attend Mass because you were stuck in the Timbuktu airport, it is a hardship so no sin. If you failed to attend Mass for a reason other than hardship (examples include stuck in airport), you have sinned and must also confess that.
May 9, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Clarification: Catholic beliefs. I don’t know your beliefs.
May 9, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Nan got it right - my point was if you are stuck somewhere where Mass is an impossibility (lost at see, stuck at an airport, car broken down on the side of the road miles from no where, etc) there is no sin in missing your obligation.
When you say “Personally, I am good with confessing my sins to others openly.” You - perhaps unkowingly - underscore my point. Without believing and affirming what Catholics teach about confession as a necessary sacrament with a priest giving absolution, one does not share in beliefs about the Eucharist. In this matter, what seems a step removed from the Eucharist itself is totally related - we believe you need confession and sacramental absolution from a validly ordained priest.
THis is the reason why some non-Catholics (who are not Protestant) have limited permission to recieve communion - because they have priesthood and confession. (Like the Russian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Polish National Catholic Church….)
May 9, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Simplesinner-
Yes, I’m familar with Catholic beliefs and practices. Again, the biggest point I’ve been attempting to make is the one I last commented on to Fr. J.
May 9, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Jesus didn’t start many churches…only one unified church. Jesus didn’t leave us many churches with disagreements….He left one unified church. So, when you look at all of the christian churches with all of their disagreements on doctrine, theology, etc., you have to realize that their whole situation is an ERROR.
Other christian denominations may have some elements of truth, such as belief in the triune God, but none have the FULLNESS of God truth save for the one He started…the Catholic Church. The sooner protestants can see the flaws in their beliefs, the better. As Scripture tells us, false doctrine will lead you away from Christ. Protestant beliefs such as acceptance of remarriage, salvation come via faith alone, etc. are false and will have you living in a way that is at odds with the Lord’s directives.
So, that’s why if you are not in union with Jesus’ church, you should not receive communion in it, because you subscribe to false teachings….in essence, protestantism is a heresy that Satan loves, because it causes divisision, which Jesus and St. Paul explicitly warn against, along with a whole host of other errors.
May 9, 2008 at 9:31 pm
The belief system of the Catholic Church was not put in place by men, but by Jesus…the Catholic Church is simply carrying on what the Lord has started. When He ascended into heaven, He left us a church to guide us (not the Bible). It is the Church that is the pillar and foundation of truth…it was that church that gave you the New Testament almost 350 years later and the only church around today that could be the one that Jesus started is the Catholic Church…it alone has carried on the faith the same way that Jesus gave it to his Apostles to hand down.
If you need more info, email me at dsulpizio@sbcglobal.net.
June 20, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I agree with stephanie. She has every right to recieve communion just as much as the next sinner. I believe the Catholic Church is playing with fire here by putting limitations on salvation. I believe this is the main reason why church life is so segragated today is because of extreme limitations. If one believes the eucharist means one thing and interprets scripture different than the the other and sees it differently isn’t this the relationship between man and God what matters? I think that the church needs a healthy dose of humility. The church definately sets up a wall for the potential new believer.
June 21, 2008 at 1:35 am
If Protestants wish to protest against the restriction of communion to Catholics in a state of grace , they certainly may–protest, that is. They can also rebel and take communion anyway. But, remember, we are not dealing with the opinions of men here but with submission to Christ. So, if a Protestant wishes to willfully take the Eucharist at a Catholic Church, I caution you to reconsider the words of St. Paul:
June 21, 2008 at 4:59 am
This is not just a protestant perspective, this is the perspective of many followers of Christ. I speak on behalf of many authentic seekers and followers of Christ who may have never been raised near or in a Catholic church. I speak based on my experience. I was not affiliated or raised in a church but was called to Christ as a mere sinner and my life was changed. when I accepted Christ into my heart I truly experienced baptism in his holy spirit . This took place in a Baptist church yes, but at the time I was only there for prayer and counsel and opened my heart to Christ in a life changing moment. He surrounded me with love and grace and became touched me spiritually and , and I was right then in there washed clean in his love and born into to a new life and relationship to him. This can take place anywhere anytime. its not about the building, the act of holy communion reaches people anywhere God wills it. It could happen in a moment of honesty with god in a quiet room or in a far a way place where Church life is not available. You can look at scripture in a way the church teaches and you can also prayerfully discern how God speaks to us individually. Sometimes I think we can over look what God may be trying to tell us when we just hold to a set interpretation that only a holy God can communicate to us when we are open to receive from him through his holy spirit. When I read Corinthians 11:27 I see a passage that clearly warns us to partake in communion with a clean heart and authentic contrition recognizing we are desperate for the blood that was shed for us all, confessing our sin before him . Jesus makes a way for us to know the Father. He warns us because it is for the best for us as believers to come to him for forgiveness and not merely go through the motions as if the drink or the bread is the salvation, that it is Christ and what he did for us on the cross. I wont continue with this because I feel I don’t want to be mistaken for a rebellious non-catholic. Just know that you may just be a little too concerned for a sister in Christ here. I am not trying to prove anything to anyone personally as I know there are many faithful Christians who choose to worship in the Catholic Church, Nor anywhere else they choose to seek Gods love in this world. I love my catholic brothers and sisters in Christ as well as my Protestant or methodist, or baptist sisters and brothers. The body of Christ is not a building, it is people in the world who Jesus calls to himself.
June 21, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Kristen,
Thanks for commenting.
“This is not just a protestant perspective, this is the perspective of many followers of Christ.”
As far as I know, only Protestant Christians ok intercommunion without limits. All non-Protestant Christians, Catholic and Orthodox, forbid it.
“This can take place anywhere anytime. its not about the building, the act of holy communion reaches people anywhere God wills it.”
I think there’s some sort of equivocation going on with “communion” here. Yes, we may commune with God– and God may commune with us– at any time, in any place. But this is not the same as saying that we may receive Holy Communion (that is, the Eucharist) at our own whim. There are restrictions and limits which the Church has always placed on the reception of the Eucharist. One need only look at Paul, or the Didache, and most subsequent Christian documents.
“Sometimes I think we can over look what God may be trying to tell us when we just hold to a set interpretation that only a holy God can communicate to us when we are open to receive from him through his holy spirit.”
Likewise, you too need to beware not to become set in your interpretation of Scripture.
“When I read Corinthians 11:27 I see a passage that clearly warns us to partake in communion with a clean heart and authentic contrition recognizing we are desperate for the blood that was shed for us all, confessing our sin before him . ”
Catholics would not disagree with this, but would also add that discerning the presence of the Lord in the species is necessary for reception.
“Jesus makes a way for us to know the Father. He warns us because it is for the best for us as believers to come to him for forgiveness and not merely go through the motions as if the drink or the bread is the salvation, that it is Christ and what he did for us on the cross.”
Eternal life is in the reception of the Eucharist (cf. Jn 6:51 and other verses thereafter). Hence, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (Jn 6:54). This is precisely because the Eucharist is the flesh and the blood of Jesus which was offered for us on the Cross. Hence, in anticipation of the Cross Jesus offers the chalice saying, “this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
It is a truism that we ought not to go through the motions, but it must be recognized that the efficacy of the Eucharist lies completely in it being a communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord, which was offered for us on the Cross and thus communicates to us eternal life.
“I am not trying to prove anything to anyone personally as I know there are many faithful Christians who choose to worship in the Catholic Church,”
Thank you. I also know there are many faithful Christians– like yourself– in the Protestant denominations. However, I would say this. The reason why we are entering into discussion with you is because you have questioned our belief in the practice of closed communion. Naturally, we’ve come forward to defend it.
“The body of Christ is not a building, it is people in the world who Jesus calls to himself.”
Naturally we also agree with this. The question is just who is in full communion with the Body of Christ.
God bless.
June 21, 2008 at 3:35 pm
As a note, by saying “only Protestant Christians ok intercommunion without limit” I did not imply that “All Protestant Christians” do so. For instance, confessional Lutheranism practices closed communion. Check the websites of the Missouri Synod Lutheran church or the Wisconsin Lutherans regarding closed communion– it is their normative practice. Open communion is an aberration, not the norm, in Christianity regarding the Eucharist.
June 23, 2008 at 11:29 pm
How true. Interesting, this might juxtaposition us into a new conversation elsewhere - namely, the temptation is to view the Catholic Church as “just another” of the thousands upon thousands (and every multiplying) of disparate sects is problematic, even though there may be 500:1 other sects and communities listed in the Yellow Pages™…
Just because something is found among manifold small sects at this particular juncture in time (the same wasn’t true about most of those sects or their forebearers 100 years prior!), doesn’t mean that the Catholic Church is the one that is in the minority here…
July 4, 2008 at 4:08 am
I used to be protestant, then I realized the truth, the pearl of great price. Jesus intended there to be one faith, one baptism, one holy catholic and apostolic church, not 40K churches. Protestantism is such a trainwreck. They love to water down the teachings to mere nothing. Look at the evolutionary watering down of the Eucharist. The protestants are the minority. Check out the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. You are the ones on the out. We have preserved the true Faith while you have taken away from it. Protestants say we follow “man-made” teachings when their whole denom is based on one mans heretical beliefs, not the collective Church’s. American society is also to blame for the division. Its in Americans blood to thumb noses at any sort of authority.