Catholics? Would I be denied communion?

Question

I was "baptized" (spinkled) when I was 4 after a sledding accident by my grandmother because she thought I was going to die.

I grew up in a theist-friendly yet non-religious house, eventually became an atheist.

I was baptized (emmersed) according to the Scriptures as an adult believer later in life when I realized the whole Jesus thing.

Currently, Im a member of Church of Christ. I consider myself a Christian and nothing else. I disagree with many of the catholic church's doctrines for instance pertaining to Mary, the saints, communion, baptism, the authority of church tradition, original sin, etc.

Would I be denied communion? Or am I considered a catholic still? Do you believe Im not saved because I dont attend a catholic church?

Everyone better realize that if you exclude someone from communion, you are making the statement that they are not a believer, and therefore not saved.

Spider>Its purely hypothetical. I heard my professor say that they would deny her communion.

I'm also trying to ascertain how many on here are exclusivists. <(if youre not a part of my church youre not saved)

mememe>Where does it say in the Bible that if I dont follow an ideology of men I should be excluded from fellowship and treated like an unbeliever?

Crist>Because I dont believe your opinion of communion doesnt make me unfit for it or my church to serve it. That is the type of elitism I was hoping I was going to see less of. When you make the statement that someone is unfit for communion, you are denying their faith. I believe Jesus is the son of the living God and died for my sins. We are supposed to be united on the Gospel, not your or my opinion of Scripture. You are an exclusivist and everything JEsus preached against when he talked about the unity and love of believers.

Fen>As a near Bible college grad, I know the issues and beliefs in communion. Your church doesnt have the only opinion about it. Because I dont agree with it doesnt mean I dont understand it.

Carp>I dont deny the fullness of revelation that Jesus gave to the Apostles, I deny your opinion of it.

Cub>Please show me in Scripture where the apostles went through an RC program so they could take communion?

Spark>It was purely hypothetical. I have no desire to be a member of that church. I believe its the furthest thing teaching Christ that he intended. You dont know the history of your own church, read up. Yes Im familiar with Catholic doctrines, Ive studied them at the college level.

Born>Wrong. Communion is for believers meaning A MEAL SHARED (between believers) if you exclude someone from it, you are making thee statement they are not one. In all your catholic "wisdom" you do not understand basically what communion is. ITs believers together proclaiming the Lords death and resurrection over a meal. If you tell someone theyre not fit to eat with you, you are making the statement they are not a believer. Read up.

Answer 1

It doesn't sound like you were EVER a Roman Catholic, so no, you would not be "allowed" to take communion if you asked. If you didn't ask, no one would be wiser. The only ones allowed to take communion in the RC church are Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.

EDIT: Donna's wrong. The only thing you have to be is baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That's good enough for the Roman Catholics. However, you haven't gone through the training for first communion, and if you convert as an adult, you have to go through a converts class.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 2

you would be denied communion as you are nott in "union" with the teachings and practices of the church, the church jesus established. do you believe that the eucharist(communion) is the blood soul and divinity of jesus? or do you believe it is a symbol?

as you are not well instructed in catholicism and its teachings i offer this website so you can read up on it, not to convert you or anything, just for understanding, god bless.
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/

as it seems the eucharist interests you the site has a link on the left hand side that explains the catholic understanding.

the catholic church teaches that salvation is not held restrictly to the catholic church, whilst we believe we have the fullness of truth we also maintain that salvation can be found outside of the church, our seperated brothers and sisters in christ can be saved. we also bleive that those who have not heard the gospel or those that have a reason for not knowing the gospel can be saved.

"Fen>As a near Bible college grad, I know the issues and beliefs in communion. Your church doesnt have the only opinion about it. Because I dont agree with it doesnt mean I dont understand it". if you understood it you wouldn't ask the question, the catholic church does not exclude anyone from the eucharist, the individuals excludes themselves as they are not in full union. as free will they can take the appropriate measures to be in union or they can choose not to, don't blame the church for the matter, as a near college bible grad you may want to do more study.

furthermore the eucharist is the pinnacle of christianity, to make it simply a symbol is an insult to christ. others can have communion but why are you attacking catholics for professing their belief when you asked specifically about the catholic understanding and practice? don't associate other church communion to the catholic churchs communion to make a claim that really stands no ground when analyzed.

and pray tell what is the college you attend,would they perhaps be against catholicism in any way,maybe an agenda where you are not getting the full story, and lastly this question and your retorts disrespect your own grandmother not to mention your savior.

Answer 3

I'm guessing that you mean that your Grandmother was Catholic. First of all, the Church has consistently taught that there is one baptism. However, baptism alone does not fully prepare one for Holy Communion. Officially, you are asked to refrain from receiving Communion, because you do not have the understanding (Scripturally or otherwise), nor the belief that the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. But nobody is standing there waiting for the "secret password" or any other such thing for you to "prove" that you are a legitimate believer.

Are you saved? I believe that you are baptised and that Jesus is working in your life. You clearly profess to being a Christian, even though you deny the fullness of revelation that Jesus gave to the Apostles.

Answer 4

You stated "if you exclude someone from communion, you are making the statement that they are not a believer, and therefore not saved."

No ... you are making that statement. Not Catholics, and not the Church. One can certainly be a believer, and yet not receive Holy Communion.

Why the petulant objection to being "excluded" from something you don't believe in the first place? To receive Holy Communion means that one believes Christ is present -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- in the Eucharist. It would be inappropriate for someone who is opposed to Catholic doctrine, on this and other matters, to receive Holy Communion from a body in which they are anything but in "communion". And I find it difficult to believe that you wish to.

If you are not in communion with the Church, you are not Catholic. Many people were baptised as Catholics (formally, or on a emergency basis as in your case) but have rejected the teachings of the Church and are now members of other Christian denominations. They observe the Lord's Supper, and believe that symbolic ordinance is appropriate. They do not believe in transsubstantiation at the moment of consecration at Mass; therefore, they refrain from receiving Holy Communion.

As for whether or not you are saved, that's not for me to determine. I certainly can't make that judgment based solely on what church you do or don't attend. Neither can you, about anyone else.

Answer 5

If you disagree with many of the Catholic Church's doctrines, why would you WANT to receive Communion at a Catholic Church?

You're free to disagree, to take yourself out of unity with Catholics. That's fine -- it's your freedom to do so. Why not just live with the separation that you have chosen for yourself?

To answer your question specifically, no, I do NOT believe that you aren't saved simply because you aren't Catholic. Jesus saves, not me, not anybody else, so it's up to Him. And He can save whomever He wishes to save, regardless of their faith affiliation. Besides, you apparently have little or no education in Catholicism and it wouldn't be right to expect you to choose to be Catholic simply because Granny sprinkled you when you were 4.

I do not know whether or not you would be denied communion. Priests aren't psychic. If you present yourself to a priest during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, he's going to assume that you have made sure you are in the right place to receive the Blessed Sacrament, and the issue of whether it's wrong or right falls on your own head. If a priest knows with all certainty that you do not consider your Catholic and do not want to be Catholic, he is not supposed to give you the Eucharist but just give you a blessing at best.

I wonder, though, how much you know about the Catholic Church's teachings on Mary, the saints, communion, baptism, etc.? Have you read the Catechism? Or any book that really explains what Catholic believe? Or are you just operating on hearsay?

Answer 6

Your question confuses me. If you disagree with Catholic doctrines regarding Communion (and all those other things), then why would you WANT to receive Communion at a Roman Catholic Church? Or is your question purely hypothetical?

As far as your last question -- whether or not I believe you are "saved" -- I think that's God's call alone, not mine.

Answer 7

+ Catholic +

From your story it looks as if you were never Catholic so you would not be "still" considered Catholic.

+ The Eucharist +

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.

Catholics 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.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.htm

+ Salvation +

From your story, it sounds like you are saved. The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Yes, denied until you accept the Faith in its entirety......join the Church (probably via an RCIA teaching program)....make your first confession and then your first Communion.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Who belongs to the Catholic Church?
836 "All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God.... And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God's grace to salvation."[320]
837 "Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion - are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but 'in body' not 'in heart.'"[321]
838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."[322] Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."[323] With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."[324]

320 LG 13.

321 LG 14.

322 LG 15.

323 UR 3.

324 Paul VI, Discourse, December 14, 1975; cf. UR 13-18.



From Holy Scripture:

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6 if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.
Heb 6:7 For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
Heb 6:8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.






Outside the Catholic Church, There is No Salvation
http://home.inreach.com/~bstanley/outside.htm

Answer 9

What a question....the Catholic church is a puzzle to me...I do believe there are "saved" people in the catholic church, but I believe that many rely on ceremonies and traditions...as Jesus said in Mark 7:7..7They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
One thing you have to remember...Baptism will not save you....only a loving relationship and belief in the only perfect sacrifice for sin will...Jesus...you should examine your heart though before taking of the Lords supper...the catholics say you should be catholic before taking communion...I know many "catholics" that are no more a believer in Christ then Sadam Husein was...in 1 Corinthians 11:27, Paul said it this way...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. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself....the prerequisite of taking of the Lords Supper is BELIEF.....not being a catholic, baptist or whatever....and many miss that, and that is sad...its an incredible honor to take of the Lords Supper....but be right in your heart before doing so....

Answer 10

If you don't believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, then you cannot recieve communion. We believe that if we allow a non-Catholic who doesn't recognize the Real Presence to partake, we are causing them to harm themselves and offend Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. That's the simple explanation. Everyone is welcome in the Church, and everyone is expected to respect Her beliefs and doctrines just like I'd respect the beliefs and doctrines of other faiths, even if I don't agree with them.

Born again Catholic: wow. great answer. couldn't have said it better.

God bless.