Can non catholics receive the eucharist at catholic church?

Question

My friend wants to receive communion when she attends church with me sometiems. I told her I didnt think she could, you have to be a baptized catholic. SHe says she beleives in christ so why cant she? What should I tell her?

Answer 1

To receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, you do not have to be baptized in the Catholic Church. However, you must be a member of the Church. So, if you were baptized in any Christian Church and give a profession of faith to the Catholic Church (like you see people do at Easter Vigil), then you become a member of the Church and are allowed to receive the Eucharist. The reason for this is you need to understand that you are ACTUALLY receiving the Body and Blood of Christ and its not just a symbol like other Christian churches think. Your friend can go up for communion with her arms crossed over her chest in an X and receive a blessing from the priest but she cannot receive communion.

See http://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php?id=2 for more information.

Answer 2

No, only Catholics who have received the sacrements of Baptism and First Communion should be receiving communion at a Catholic Church, according to Church doctrine.

Of course, the Priest isn't going to ask every single person if they are "qualified" or not. It's kind of like the honour system.

And frankly, if they haven't I don't really see how it can hurt, they just simply haven't learned the Church doctrine and meaning behind receiving the eucharist.

Answer 3

No. In many Protestant churches communion is an act of unity - even though we may disagree about finer points of the faith, we can join together and share a commemorative meal.

It's different with Catholics. For Catholics, unity is presumed BEFORE the Eucharist; it is assumed that all partakers of the body and blood of Christ are practicing Catholics in good standing with the church. It is also presumed that all partakers hold orthodox Catholic views of the Eucharist, which your friend is unlikely to hold. Catholics believe in transsubstantiation - the literal, actual transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. Most Protestants do not hold to this teaching, which was one of the major points of disagreement during Reformation times.

Answer 4

Generally no non Catholics can't receive communion with us. There are certain Masses though where the Priest with permission from the Bishop will allow non Catholics who genuinely believe the Eucharist is the body and the blood to receive Communion with us.

Answer 5

It is true that she must be a baptized Catholic to recieve Holy Communiion, as the Eucharist is another rite of initiation into the Catholic church.

There is more to the sacrament of communion than believing in Christ- all Christians share that. But partaking in Communion is one of the things that separate Catholic churches (including Eastern tradition churches) from other strains of Christianity.

Ask her to talk to the pastor or DRE of the parish for more information. Perhaps you can help foster an interest in her. :)

God bless.

Answer 6

Ask her why does she want to receive communion first, She doesn't have to be closer to God by receiving communion by a Catholic church. I believe it's just a Catholics religion tradition.
Every religion is made by man not by God. I'm not saying religion is bad. Religion is a tool that man made to get closer to God, but what gives any priest or any man to deny your friend to receive Eucharist?
How do they know what God wants for your friend? I don't think it's right. I'm a self tough Christian. I was born a Catholic, and their are allot of things that I disagree with the Catholic Churches ways, but I might not agree with their ways; but I still have great respect towards the Catholic church.

Answer 7

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take this bread. It is my body.” The he said, “Take this and drink. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”

Catholics believe this was the First Eucharist, that through some miracle the bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Catholic reenact the Last Supper during every Mass, where the priest, acting in place of Christ, changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is a great sacrament of thanksgiving and unity of Catholics.

Anyone who does not believe in the actual presence of Christ and is not united with the Catholic faith is asked, out of respect, not to receive the Eucharist.

Catholics, out of respect for other Christian faiths, do not receive Communion in non-Catholic churches.

We pray that one day Christian unity will succeed and we will all be called to the same table.

With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 8

NO! It is not allowed under the Canon law.

In order to receive communion a person has to go through all the proper training and such (i.e. catecism classes). Any priest will tell you that it is not allowed. Most churches will make a statement before Communion explaining when someone can receive, or there will be a sheet in the pew that will describe everything.

Answer 9

Kudos to Julia, Angelheart, law guy and Kalman! The Roman Catholic Church has full communion with the Eastern Orthodox and Melchite Rite churches and is working on the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox to be in communion with them also.
Since whatsoever is not off faith, is sin, it would be wrong for your friend to partake of something she does not understand. She should go through the training in the faith under a priests direction in order to understand what she is partaking in. We Catholics take John chapter 6 literally when Jesus says: my flesh is real flesh and my blood is real blood; we have faith that the Eucharist is the most manifest presence of God on this planet. and it is VERY Holy.

Answer 10

Non Catholics cannot recieve the eucharist at a Catholic Mass. Catholics are one of the very few Christian churches that discriminate. In other churches, any Baptized Christian can recieve, but Catholics only let their own. You can tell her that the Catholic Church is not interested in her unless she gives them money every week.