Eucharist and communion...?

Question

I am a strong believing catholic, but I must go out of state for a month. There I will be living with my grandmother who is protestant. At her church communion is given. I was wondering if it is right for me to take the bread and wine if I do believe it is the real blood and body. I do not wnat to starve my soul by not taking eucharist which is basically the reason why the sabbath is holy and I must go. Which would be the greater sin, me not taking the bread and body or me taking it at a protestant church. Remember that this is the only church for miles and that I can't go to any catholic churches because they are to far away and I can not drive. Please give me honest advice on what to do and if you can give me a source or something from the catholic church that says if it's right or wrong. Thank you!

When I say Sabbath I meant that, would going this church be breaking a commandment?

Also the Protestant church is the United Church of Christ

Answer 1

No, Protestants do not have valid orders, therefore their Eucharist is not valid. Here are the Canon laws on the matter (emphasis is mine):

Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and ⇒ can. 861, §2.

§2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are VALID.

Answer 2

I agree you should ask a good priest who knows his catechism well. Maybe you should ask him what to do . He may tell you how to get in touch with a catholic priest in the area or any masses being said in the area. Or you may shorten your visit to your grandmother. Or get advice on what to do. The protestants don't share our beliefs on the eucharist and attending their services is forbidden by our catholic church (I think) so get some advice from a good priest. Maybe he will tell you to read the bible or say the rosary or something but He would tell you what is best. I think some people are allowed not to go to church if there is no mass in the area but you have to get permission from the priest or something. Are you sure there are no catholic churches or chapels there? Make sure, there may be one somewhere. Or maybe you can view a mass from the TV or something like in EWTN or other TV mass.

Answer 3

No, it is not permissible for a Catholic to take "communion" in a Protestant church. If you do believe it is the real body and blood, you are mistaken. Protestant churches do not have a valid priesthood, and their "communion" (in those which have "communion") is not the real presence of Christ, nor do they claim it is. But it is a symbol of the unity of their particular church, a unity you are not part of, which is another reason to refrain from receiving. In addition, doing so could give the impression that you view their manmade little service as equivalent to the actual body and blood of our Lord and Savior, a sacrilegious view.

You asked for a source, so here is the statement from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (section 1400): "Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders. It is for this reason that Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible for the Catholic Church".

Answer 4

Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, is far from taking the place of Passover. Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the 10th plague against Egypt (the deaths of the firstborn), during which the Holy Spirit passed over the houses of the Jews. It was this event that finally convinced Pharoe to set the Israelites free. The Last Supper was a Passover seder at which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist when he told His apostles to take the bread and eat of it, for it is his body, and to take the cup and drink of it, for it is His blood, and to do this in memory of Him. The timing of the yearly observence of Passover is determined according to the Jewish calendar. The timing of Easter generally falls near Passover. It is a celebration of Christ's resurrection. The two holidays are completely different, and the Eucharist is not a holiday at all, but a sacrament, which we take part in every time we take part in the Holy Mass. No Christian Church changes the yearly observance of Passover. In fact, on the Jewish calendar, it is not changed at all, only in the Gregorian calendar, which is a solar calendar, as opposed to the lunar calendar that the Jews use. As for the Church with authority, it is the Church that Christ founded, the Catholic Church. We do nothing with Passover other than respect it and remember it as the reason for the Last Supper. We certainly do not move it around!

Answer 5

If you can talk to a priest at your church before you go out of state, that would be the best and most reliable source, and he can counsel you on what to do for that month. It's not an uncommon situation. Some of the answers you're getting here are accurate, some are not, and it's best not to try to sort out which is which if you have another option. You could probably even get his advice by phone.

However, if you're not able to speak with a priest before you travel, try the Catholic Q&A forums at EWTN. Link is below.

Answer 6

Take Holy Communion. Jesus said "do this in remeberance of me". Transubstantiation is not based on who is serving Eucharist, it is based on the Holiness of God. Read some of St Augustine against the Donatists in the 4th Century with a debate on whether the sacraments require the "proper" ministrant (they don't).

"the principle already laid down by St. Optatus, that the effect of the sacrament is independent of the holiness of the minister," NewAdvent.org Catholic Encyclopedia " Donatist-St. Augustine's objection to.

I am however a little concerned with the "starve my soul, makes the sabbath holy" sentence that followed. Without diministing the importance of Holy Eucharist, I must say missing our for a bit will not starve you soul-you'll be fine. If your really, honestly and truely concerned, talk to your priest before you go, and once you get back, maybe say an extra rosery or something. Sabbath is Saturday-and is holy because God rested from Creation (also because his people were slaves and needed a day off to reflect upon that).

Answer 7

If this Protestant church does not fence the table and does not allow those who do not understand the presence of Christ in the supper (from their perspective), you should still abstain because you would be eating and drinking judgment on yourself (check out 1st Corinthians on the matter).

Being a Protestant, I can tell you from our perspective, it would be better for you not to have been born than to improperly take the sacrament in a Protestant church if you believe in the Roman Catholic doctrine on the matter.

In other words, better to avoid judgment than to wait a week.

Ath

Answer 8

Communion is made to be in fellowship with the body of Christ--regardless of Catholic or Protestant. Taking "The Lord's Supper" in a protestant Church is not a sin. Believe according to your convictions. This is one of those things Catholics and Protestants have to agree to disagree on.

Answer 9

I'm also looking for the answer in the bible where the priest turns the bread and wine into "the real body and blood" also....maybe I'm just naive... I always remembered the "do this in rememberance of me" scripture though...Not the do this in remeberance of me if your really a christian or a catholic or a protestant

Answer 10

Is the essence of the real presence at communion your faith or some magic peformed by a clergy person? There is your answer.

The Sabbath is Saturday not Sunday. Regardless of the day on which you celebrate, it is a day of rest. According to Jesus himself the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. The reason for the sabbath is a day of rest. The sabbath was instituted about 4,000 years BEFORE holy commuion/eucharist.

You can figure this out. Jesus came to take away your sins not to steal your brain.