Funeral Mass Question

[Mercy]

Originally posted by doxdogy
No we do not spontaneously combust, nor is it ridiculous that we aren't allowed to partake in Communion from another denomination.

Sorry, but you are talking to a rather jaded ex-Catholic here. I thought the idea behind communion is to commune in fellowship with other believers as we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, as He gave up His body and His blood for the remission of sins. Sorry again, but why should believers that are non-Catholic be excluded from this?

 

[PamOKW]

Respecting other people's cultures and religions sometimes may not make "sense" to you. OttosDoll took the time to ask about protocol for the situation which shows her respect for other people.

Would you spontaneously combust if you munched on a a pork chop in a synagogue? No. But it would show a remarkable lack of respect.

 

[Mercy]

Originally posted by Mercy
Sorry, but you are talking to a rather jaded ex-Catholic here. I thought the idea behind communion is to commune in fellowship with other believers as we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, as He gave up His body and His blood for the remission of sins. Sorry again, but why should believers that are non-Catholic be excluded from this?

Well, I hate to quote myself... but, answer the question in my quote. And I hardly think eating a pork chop in a synagogue and taking communion as a christian are hardly the same thing.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Originally posted by Mercy
Sorry, but you are talking to a rather jaded ex-Catholic here. I thought the idea behind communion is to commune in fellowship with other believers as we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, as He gave up His body and His blood for the remission of sins. Sorry again, but why should believers that are non-Catholic be excluded from this?

The idea behind Communion is to partake the body of Christ within our own and recieve the graces thus associated with the sacrifice of his body. (as well as bringing together the community of the Church) It is not merely a reminder of his sacrifice. If a non- Catholic does not believe this is the body of Christ, it is (I am sure I am not saying this right....there's another term or word I am looking for, but not finding) disrespecting the actual body of Christ. Darn, I wish I could explain it better. And calling it ridiculous is also disrespectful of other beliefs.

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

Originally posted by Deb in IA
We have been through this on many a wedding and sadly, funerals too.

PamOKW states it very well. Catholic Communion is ONLY for Catholics in good standing with the Church.

If you wish to go up, you can simply cross your arms in front of your chest when you reach the minister, and you will receive a blessing instead of the Host.

I am catholic and attended a funeral of friend (also catholic). The priest made a similar announcement. The friends (non catholic) that I was seated with stayed in the pew during communion while I went up to receive communion..

 

[pw2pp]

This is slightly off-topic, but I was very surprised that my husband's sister (who is a practicing Catholic) asked my husband (who was also raised Catholic, but has belonged to a non-denominational Christian church for 20 years) to be Godfather to her baby.
He accepted, because WE (as non-denominational Christians) believe that we are as one with ALL Christian Religions, which is contrary to what I believe the Catholic Church believes (I think the Catholic Church has sort of a "above all the others" type of attitude about their religion.
I wondered if her priest realized that her brother (the baby's God-Father), has basically left the Catholic Church and whether HE would approve of my husband being the Godfather?

 

[Mercy]

Originally posted by pw2pp
He accepted, because WE (as non-denominational Christians) believe that we are as one with ALL Christian Religions, which is contrary to what I believe the Catholic Church believes (I think the Catholic Church has sort of a "above all the others" type of attitude about their religion.

pw2pp....ITA This is one of the reasons I am now an ex-Catholic.

 

[PamOKW]

I have seen many instances lately where a non-Catholic serves as a Godparent. Usually there is either one of the Godparents or a witness who is a practicing Catholic. No matter the denomination of the Godparent, they must agree to see that the child is raised in the Catholic faith, since that is the purpose of the Godparent.


Catholics aren't communing with each other -- we are accepting the real body and blood of Jesus Christ to bring us to a state of grace.

Believe, don't believe. I can't imagine why someone would want to participate in something that they don't believe in. I also don't see why it should be ridiculed.

Catholics certainly are not "above all others" we just have a set of beliefs that may differ from others. Maybe the pork chop analogy was poor but I'm just questioning why people are offended when Catholics set a standard for behavior in their church that doesn't conform with how you'd like to behave. Maybe this is more accurate. Why must the men sit seperate from the women in an Orthodox synagogue? If I'm a guest for a service why can't I just go over and sit with my husband among the men? And why does my husband have to wear a yarmulke?

If you don't believe in something, then don't join that religion. If it is so offensive to you that you cannot participate in service as a guest, then don't attend.

 

[Otto's Doll]

Um, excuse me... I didn't mean to start anything. I was (as PAMOKW noted) trying to be sensitive to how other people would view my taking Communion in the Catholic Church being that I am not Catholic. Thanks for all those who answered my questions. (I will not be going up to accept Communion.)

 

[BHFan25]

Just a question here. I am not ruffling any one's feathers.
As a Christian I partake in communion in my church. We take a little cracker-like thing that tastes like a cracker-like thing. It is symbolic to us and represents Christ's body. Now, I understand from this thread that you are saying that you believe this host turns into the body of Christ, right? I understand why you'd believe this as Christ said "This is my body..." so I don't have a problem with that part. Once you put that host in your mouth, are you saying it becomes his body as in you are literally eating flesh? Trust me, I am not being a smart ***. I am just asking a question that I have not thought about in this way before. Jesus used bread at the Last Supper. I wonder if it was just bread when they ate it or not?

 

[WilmaBud]

I never thought of it as "eating flesh," but yes, we do believe it becomes the real body of Christ. That's why non-Catholics are asked to refrain from receiving communion because they don't share that same belief. It's a holy sacrament for us. I've never understood why someone would have a problem with that.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Originally posted by BHFan25
Just a question here. I am not ruffling any one's feathers.
As a Christian I partake in communion in my church. We take a little cracker-like thing that tastes like a cracker-like thing. It is symbolic to us and represents Christ's body. Now, I understand from this thread that you are saying that you believe this host turns into the body of Christ, right?

Yes, BHFan, you are correct here.

Catholics believe that the Eucharist is really the flesh and blood of our Lord. We Catholics are cannibals, actually.

The host and wine are not symbolic to us; they are really Christ. There is a "transformation" that takes place during the Mass wherein the host and wine become the Lord. The priest is given the "magic" (so to speak) to do this, as he is ordained as a descendent of St. Peter (our first Pope).

Catholics ourselves just can't waltz up to the altar and receive Communion whenever we want. We are expected to be in a State of Grace when we take Communion. That is, we need to have reconciled our mortal sins during the sacrament of confession. And we can't have eaten anything at least an hour before Communion.

 

[KimRaye]

Originally posted by JerseyJanice
And we can't have eaten anything at least an hour before Communion.

I never knew that!

Originally posted by PamOKW
Some non-Catholics may go up to Communion and they may even be given Communion.

Of course they'll be GIVEN communion, it's not pasted across their foreheads that they're NON-Catholics.

This was an interesting thread for me, a Non-Catholic. I have however been in several situations where CATHOLICS encouraged me to partake, due to the event....When I was my cousin's sponsor, my Uncle seemed upset when I didn't go up. When my Godson was baptised, another aunt/uncle were upset. At Catholic weddings I've been a bridesmaid in, AGAIN, people upset I didn't go up. Now, IF I CAN'T go up (out of respect), WHY are they encouraging me to do so? (I know you can't answer that but, I'm just mystified)

I also knew that at my kid's Lutheran school/Church, I was not permitted to commune because I didn't belong to their Church/Synod, altho I'm Lutheran. HOWEVER, after speaking to the Pastor privately, he gave me his permission to commune WHENEVER I so desire. (He's sooo nice) So, when my DS took his First Communion in that Church, I did also.

Otto's Doll, I think you're doing the right thing but, what does this Lutheran know?! Also, please accept my condolences.

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by BHFan25
Just a question here. I am not ruffling any one's feathers.
As a Christian I partake in communion in my church. We take a little cracker-like thing that tastes like a cracker-like thing. It is symbolic to us and represents Christ's body. Now, I understand from this thread that you are saying that you believe this host turns into the body of Christ, right? I understand why you'd believe this as Christ said "This is my body..." so I don't have a problem with that part. Once you put that host in your mouth, are you saying it becomes his body as in you are literally eating flesh? Trust me, I am not being a smart ***. I am just asking a question that I have not thought about in this way before. Jesus used bread at the Last Supper. I wonder if it was just bread when they ate it or not?

Yep. You got it right. It's called "trans-substantiation" and is a fundamental belief in the Catholic faith. Non-Catholics do not share this particular belief, and that is why they are asked to refrain from taking communion. And, since Catholics consider communion SO holy...not just bread and wine, but actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ....Catholics are not allowed to take communion if they are in a state of sin or if they have eaten within an hour of communion....both the body and soul should be "clean" to receive communion.

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by pw2pp
This is slightly off-topic, but I was very surprised that my husband's sister (who is a practicing Catholic) asked my husband (who was also raised Catholic, but has belonged to a non-denominational Christian church for 20 years) to be Godfather to her baby.
He accepted, because WE (as non-denominational Christians) believe that we are as one with ALL Christian Religions, which is contrary to what I believe the Catholic Church believes (I think the Catholic Church has sort of a "above all the others" type of attitude about their religion.
I wondered if her priest realized that her brother (the baby's God-Father), has basically left the Catholic Church and whether HE would approve of my husband being the Godfather?

While the requirements can vary from diocese to diocese, many only require that one godparent be a practicing Catholic, but BOTH must be Christian. That's how it was when I had my kids baptised, and when I was asked to be a godmother to my best friend's DS. There are some dioceses though, that require both godparents to be practicing Catholics....

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by Mercy
Sorry, but you are talking to a rather jaded ex-Catholic here. I thought the idea behind communion is to commune in fellowship with other believers as we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, as He gave up His body and His blood for the remission of sins. Sorry again, but why should believers that are non-Catholic be excluded from this?

Well, because you probably don't believe in that particular tenet of the religion that communion purports to show....that the bread and wine actually becomes the body and blood of Christ....trans-substantiation.....one of the major differences between Catholics and other Christians....

The church does invite others, Christian or not, to "participate in the Eucharist" but we were always told that meant attend mass (which is called the Celebration of the Eucharist), pray with us, participate, etc. The actual communion part was still just for Catholics in good standing....

Just offering the reasons I was taught in 11 years of Catholic school

 

[disdreams]

Yes, they do have communion, and no, if you are not Catholic, you are not allowed to take it.

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by BHFan25
Once you put that host in your mouth, are you saying it becomes his body as in you are literally eating flesh?

It become Christ's body & blood during the Eucharist. That's why, as in the Bishops' statement, those who do not believe this are asked to refrain from coming to Communion. It is not just "bread".

Here's one explanation: "Third, you must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation. "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor. 11:29). Transubstantiation means more than the Real Presence. According to transubstantiation, the bread and wine are actually transformed into the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, with only the appearances of bread and wine remaining. This is why, at the Last Supper, Jesus held what appeared to be bread and wine, yet said: "This is my body. . . . This is my blood" (Mark 14:22-24, cf. Luke 22:14-20). If Christ were merely present along side bread and wine, he would have said "This contains my body. . . . This contains my blood," which he did not say. "


I know it may be difficult for those who do not believe the same as we do but the host is truly God's presence. Sometimes we will have Eucharistic adoration where the host is put into a special holder (monstrance) -- God is truly present in the host.

If you find yourself attending a Catholic mass, watch the priest during the Eucharist. You will see him kneel and/or bow -- he is regarding the host and the chalice of wine as God truly present, treating it with the same reverence as if God himself were standing there.

Catholics are expected to fulfill certain requirements before attending Communion. As mentioned, refraining from eating for an hour is one. It used to be (when Mass was on Sunday and not also Saturday) that to receive Communion you had to not eat from midnight until you after you had been to Mass.

For those who are interested, here's a source of more detailed information

Catholic Communion

 

[Mercy]

So is it a sin for a non-Catholic to take communion even if they are a Christian?

 

[goofy4tink]

As a practicing Episcopalian, I have to say that we also read 1 Cor. 11:29. And our priest also reverances the chalice and paten before he blesses the wine and bread. Do we actually believe that it turns into the actual body and blood of Christ? No. But, that's okay with me. We also have to be 'free from sin' before we receive the Eucharist. There are so many similarities. I have found, in my experience, that you can take the same reading from the Bible and 4 different people can interpret it 4 different ways!

Is it a sin if a non-Catholic takes communion? Only to the Roman Catholic Church. I'm sure that God doesn't see it as a sin. Please people...I am not trying to be insulting here. My dh is a former Roman Catholic. My step-mom is an incredibly spiritual RC. And I just lost my train of thought. I think I'll quit while I still know what I mean.