If I Attend Mass but am not Catholic, Should I Receive Communion?
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Some people may enjoy attending Mass but do not practice the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church is happy to see people of different faiths attending, but they do request, most often in the service, that only Catholics participate in the Communion portion of the service. To take Communion when one is not Catholic feels like a violation of the sacred nature of the Communion Host to practicing Catholics.
This may seem a little strange to non-Catholics, who wonder why it matters. A practicing Catholic would respond that it matters because of the spirit in which one takes Communion. Catholics believe that Communion is literally the body of Christ, transformed from bread by the priest presiding over the service. For Catholics, to accept the body of Christ when not believing it to be such is sacrilegious and heretical.
If non-Catholics are thinking about becoming Catholics, accepting Communion host is still not appropriate. Taking one’s first Communion host, whether as a child or adult, requires thoughtful participation and education. The sacrament of the Eucharist occurs after baptism. Someone who is not yet a member of the Catholic Church is welcome to attend masses, investigate, and go to special classes if he or she would like to join the church at a future point.
Many other Christian churches also have a Communion ceremony, and might also ask people not to take Communion unless they are part of the church. Some churches may not care about what denomination a Christian practices. They may encourage all who are Christian to take part in the Communion section of the service if they truly believe in Christ, and believe that Communion is the symbol of the body of Christ.
This is especially the case with churches quite similar. For example an Anglican Christian might take communion at a Presbyterian or Episcopal Church. Churches that are non-denominational and have a Communion service may encourage all with Christian beliefs to take Communion.
In most cases, if one is not Christian, one should abstain from taking Communion in any church where it is offered. Though in some cases, a church may believe that such exclusion is not necessary. A church may conclude that the person who takes Communion shares in the body of Christ whether or not he believes.
If you enjoy attending church services but are not Christian, it’s a good idea to ask a Christian friend who belongs to the church, or the pastor, what you should do about the Communion portion of the service. These people can help advise you about the way Communion is regarded in a specific church.
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New: Discuss this ArticlePosted by: anon14304
I am a United Methodist Pastor, ALL are welcomed to the Lords table (communion) that believe, or seek to believe in Jesus, even if you do not believe in the doctrine of the Methodist church. Its Gods gift to ALL, not the Methodists gift.
Rev. Mike Friendship United Methodist Church. Posted by: WGwriter
Hi Azmason,
I think the key difference is in your statement, unless I am misreading you. Believing the bread "represents" the body of Christ is different than believing that the bread "is" the body of Christ (or the wine his blood). Catholics believe that the blessing said over simple bread transforms it, so that it is part of Christ's body you are consuming. That is the reason why Catholics do not tend to welcome those who are non-Catholics into taking communion. It is about the reverence to the sacrament, and the sharing of beliefs on the nature of this transformation, or the communion of Catholics as well as receiving the Eucharist. Taking the Eucharist only as symbol would dishonor what Catholics believe it is. However, I don't think that the average Catholic church wishes you to feel unwelcome. It is merely in the details of what a sacrament is that the church differs on this from what you may believe. I am perhaps off mark here, because I am not sure what the Methodist teaching is on the nature of communion in their church. Posted by: azmason
As a baptized Methodist I find to disheartening that I cannot take communion in the Catholic Church that I attend with my best girl friend. We as Methodist believe that the the bread represents the body of Christ and the wine is the Blood of Christ. We have open communion for all in our Church and the Catholics need to realize that Christianity is all of us together. We are not in competition against each other but are in competition with each other as Christians!
Posted by: WGwriter
Anon11042 - If you took communion at a Catholic church, don't worry about it. If you're considering joining a Catholic church, you may want to talk to your local church about their programs for adults.
It's just important in the future to avoid it in deference to the Catholic belief that you really must believe the Eucharist is the body of Christ after it has been blessed. As for communion at other churches, even if you accept transubstatiation there's nothing wrong, as long as the sect doesn't object, with taking what is considered a symbol of Christ's body. Catholics attending a service at another church might accept communion, but they would conclude that this is a symbol not a sacrament. Sacrament is defined as the symbol of a thing and the thing itself. Posted by: anon11042
I am not catholic, I have taken the communion already, what should I do?
Posted by: anon6691
if you have come to accept transubstantiation, then please do take a serious look at the views of the church. perhaps you will see that we aren't that disagreeable. in any case, hear the story from the horse's mouth. peace be with you.
Posted by: anon5224
The Lutheran church does not accept transubstantiation. I think they accept sub-substantiation, which is different.
Posted by: anon4895
The Lutheran church accepts transubstantiation.
Posted by: anon3319
According to the catholic church, how frequently should we attend mass?
Posted by: anon3130
I was just inquiring, according to the Catholic Church, how often should we attend mass? Is it necessary to attend every week?
Also, where should mass be held? And lastly, what is the significance of the mass? According to the Catholic Church, of course.
If anyone has an answer to any of these questions it would be greatly appreciated. Posted by: anon3115
I was born, raised, and baptised in a protestant denomination that maintains a Calvinist position on communion-i.e., that transubstantiation does not occur. However, in my spiritual growth, I have come to believe in and accept the concept of transubstantiation. This puts me in a very difficult position. I can not join the Catholic church, because I do not accept that any other human being-( the Pope or a priest) stands between me and God. But I feel it is a lie to take communion in a church that does not consider communion a sacrament. Is there any protestant denomination that accepts transubtantiation?
Posted by: anon2138
I believe it should also be noted that non-Catholic Christians are discouraged from taking Communion at a Catholic church. This is because Catholics believe that the bread and wine really is the Body and Blood of Christ, while non-Catholic Christians just believe that it is a symbol. So not taking Communion in a Catholic church is standard for non-Christians and even Christians who are non-Catholic.
I hope that makes sense. Have a blessed day. Posted by: Dayton
Though I'm not clergy, I believe that Methodists practice what is called "open communion." That means that anyone who wants to can take communion.
In this case, I think the church leaders would say that it's not membership in the church but belief in the tenants of the faith that qualify you to take communion. Posted by: lrranch
My husband is not a member of a church. We go to the Methodist church because I am a menber. He is a christian man who believes in god and lives by the book. What I want to know is it proper for him to take communion with me at the Methodist church?
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