Why is it a sin to take communion at Catholic church if you are not Catholic but still a Christian?

Answer 1

I imagine they believe that you are not of their body (the roman catholic church) and therefore not worthy of sharing the bread with them.

Answer 2

Catholics believe in "closed communion". Some Protestants believe in Open Communion.

This is pretty complex, but I'll try to make it simple.

Protestants have different views of Communion. Some believe it is a symbol of Chirst, nothing more. Others think that there is some sort of special nature to Communion, but are vauge about the details. For someone who believed that, Communion isn't that big a deal... it's just a ceremony with a wafer that honors God, so there is no need to restrict who can and can't take Communion.

Catholics (and a very very very few Protestants) believe that at Mass a miracle occurs and the Communion wafer actually BECOMES (in a spiritual though not a physical way) the Body of Christ. (Remember He said "This is my body" not "This represents my body" or "This symbolizes my body"... Catholics take that line pretty seriously.)

Because the Communion wafer actually BECOMES Christ, it logically follows that it should be treated with a great deal of respect. You don't toss it in the trash, you don't step on it and Catholics are picky about who they give it out to. They feel that giving Christ, in the form of Holy Communion to someone who isn't in a state of grace (such as someone who has a serious and unrepented sin on their soul) is disrespectful to Christ. They also feel that non-Catholic Christians aren't fully in union with God's Church, so they exclude almost all them from Communion.

So, from the Catholic perspective, if someone who is not Catholic who takes communion at a Catholic Church they are commiting a grave sin.

Even if the Protestant did not agree with the Catholics on the whole Communion thing, they would see taking Communion in a Catholic Church, in violation of Catholic teaching, to be a sin because is a deliberate offense against a fellow Christian.

It would be a sin for the same reason hanging a noose in a black co-workers locker would be sin, you are doing something that will hurt, anger, and offend someone in a serious way and that is a sin against Christian charity.

So yeah, either way I think it is wrong.

Answer 3

Because you have to be Baptist,and Confirmed in the Catholic Church. And you have to go to confession regularly. It doesn't matter if your Catholic or not. If you were Catholic and missed either of these requirements you couldn't go to Communion either.Catholics consider Communion to be a sacrament. Baptism and Confirmation as well are Sacraments. It really isn't discriminating against other Christians because Catholics have to follow the same rules. Rules are bent though and I think to refer to your actions as a Sin is a little harsh. You didn't know and apparently neither did the person you were with. You had the best of intentions and nobody would hold that against you, so don't lose sleep over it. I know it is hard to believe but the Catholic Church welcomes people from other churches to attend their services It wouldn't have become the largest christian church in the world if it was so elitist would it

Answer 4

The Catholic Church takes communion very seriously. Catholics believe it is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Why would you take it if you did not believe in it? What would your intentions be? The Catholics make you think about what you are doing. If you're taking it because everyone else is, or you are curious as to what it tastes like, you are not thinking about the fact that it is God.
Clearly this has nothing to do with guilt.

Answer 5

Catholics believe in the transubstantiation meaning that the wine (grape juice) and the host (bread) turn into the body and blood of Christ. According to the catholic church it would be a sin if a Christian (a person of another faith) would receive holy communion (as they call it) at their church. I don't understand why a Christian would want to take communion at a catholic church? I believe that if a Christian does take communion it would be to partake as a remembrance of his death and resurrection and not because it is the actual body and blood, which Christians do not practice. If you are taking communion at a catholic church on a regular basis you need to be careful because if the priest is informed of a Christian taking holy communion at his church you might be turned down by the priest next time you go forward to receive. If you are Christian I don't believe God will hold you accountable although your Pastor may exhort you on it, and remember your testimony says a lot .

Answer 6

It's disrespectful. Do you consider showing disrespect a sin?

Catholics have a different view of Communion than most other Christians. If you don't agree with that view, you should refrain from consuming the Eucharist, the same way a vegetarian refrains from consuming turkey at Thanksgiving dinner.

If you do agree with our view, well, then, you might as well become Catholic! ;-)

A previous respondent said we don't think you're worthy. That's not true. Just like the meat-eating family welcomes the vegetarian to the Thanksgiving dinner, we welcome you to our Holy Feast and pray that we can all partake together. We have worship, music, Scripture reading, a sermon (homily), prayer and more that you can participate in -- we just expect you to refrain from the "main entrée" until you come to believe that you can and should consume the sacred Eucharist.

Answer 7

Dear askmeany,

First of all sin should not be defined by the church but by God's word the Bible.

In the Bible communion is celebrated by believers in Christ as a way to remember Christ's death. When Cathliocs take communion however, many literally believe that Christ is in the Eucharist.

Personally as a Christian i would not take the communion in a Catholic setting for two reasons:

1) Communion is a symbol, Christ is not literally in the Eucharist.

2) As some have mentioned on this site it's offensive to Catholics as part of their practice. Paul tells us if it causes my brother to stumble i won't do it.

i guess i would also ask you if you're Christian don't you attend a Christian church where they practice communion???

Hope that helps. Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 8

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1322 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Now that you know, it is a very serious sin. In other words, you hurt yourself spiritually. There was no sin if you did not know about it. It is a very serious sin even for a Catholic to take Communion if he is in the state of mortal sin. In this case, he is required to go to confession first before he can worthily receive Communion. Thank you for asking.

Answer 10

If you are a Catholic, taking communion from another denomination is a sin because Catholics doesnt recognize other denomination as part of the Church.

In the same way for other Christian denominations not recognizing the Catholic Church as part of their church.

Answer 11

As Catholics, we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul and divinity. We acknowledge our Lord fully present in the Blessed Sacrament.

When we take communion, that participation is a statement saying, "Yes, I believe in the Real Presence, and yes, I am sharing in this common belief in communion with my Christian brothers and sisters."

If you do not believe in the Real Presence, then you are not in communion with us and therefore cannot receive it. If a person does not believe in the Eucharist, why should they get angry about respecting our beliefs and not taking of something they don't believe in anyway?

God bless.