Protestants and the Eucharist

[DominiCanis2]

Being an ex-Protestant, I have many Protestant friends. One of them regularly gets into a ¨debate¨ with me about the Eucharist, and why Protestants aren´t allowed to receive Holy Communion. She receives Communion when in a Catholic church - especially when on vacation and when there isn´t a Protestant church nearby - and my stance is that it would be best if she didn´t do this. My explanation to her is as follows:

1. Catholics believe the Blessed Sacrament is the Lord Himself, hidden under the signs of bread and wine. Protestants do not believe this and it would be useless to receive a sacrament you don´t believe in.

2. To receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church (together with Baptism an Confirmation) is to become a member of the Catholic Church.  For this reason, those who do not wish to be members of the Catholic Church cannot receive communion in the Catholic Church.

However this doens´t seem to ¨land¨. Every now and then it flares up. Is there a way I can explain this better to her?

[havok579257]

its real simple.  the catholic church requests that only catholics in good standing receive communion because of what we believe in.  The church's of the world belong to the catholic church.  It is their house.  So to go into someone's house and disrespect their wishes and refuse to follow their wishs is unacceptable.  Ask your friend what would she do if someone she invited over disrespected her house rules and refused to follow them?  I am guessing she has a rule that if you come over to her house and you need to go to the bathroom, then use the toilet.  So what would she do if someone she invited over refused to use the bathroom and instead relieved themselves on the living room floor?  Not to mention this guest told her everytime they come over they will use her living room floor to relieve themselves.  

 

It is completely unacceptable to be in someone else's house and refuse to follow their rules.  Your friend is being disrespectful to not only the catholic church but to you also.  What kind of friend is she if you to told her she is being disrespectful to your faith and to you and she doesn't care.  

 

Honestly if I were in your situation I would tell this friend, your being disrespectful to me and my faith and either stop or we can no longer be friends.  Cause what she is doing is being so, so disrespectful.

[Graciela]

"Catholics believe the Blessed Sacrament is the Lord Himself, hidden under the signs of bread and wine. Protestants do not believe this and it would be useless to receive a sacrament you don´t believe in. "

Some Protestant Christians actually do believe that the "Blessed Sacrament is the Lord Himself, hidden under the signs of bread and wine"- Anglicans and Lutherans, for example.  (They  may NOT believe that the "how" of this Real Presence occurs through transubstantiation, and they may not think that the "how" question matters very much). Since these folks believe thusly, they may feel that it is reasonable for them to receive. I know that that is not officially what the RC Church says they should do. 

I think our dialogue would benefit from trying to understand, and from an accurate characterization of the beliefs of other Christian denominations. For those persons, with such faith in the Eucharist, it is an unhelpful analogy to compare their partaking of the Sacrament to unruly and anti-social toileting behaviors.

Obviously I am not referring to other folks in various Protestant Christian denominations that have rejected the belief that the Lord is truly present in the Holy Eucharist and who share in communion because everyone is taking communion.  Trying to be charitable, it is possible that they may not know the underlying theologies and beliefs of the respective churches. I have encountered such ignorance in both Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians who haven't had much religious education.

 

[havok579257]

7 hours ago, Graciela said:

"Catholics believe the Blessed Sacrament is the Lord Himself, hidden under the signs of bread and wine. Protestants do not believe this and it would be useless to receive a sacrament you don´t believe in. "

Some Protestant Christians actually do believe that the "Blessed Sacrament is the Lord Himself, hidden under the signs of bread and wine"- Anglicans and Lutherans, for example.  (They  may NOT believe that the "how" of this Real Presence occurs through transubstantiation, and they may not think that the "how" question matters very much). Since these folks believe thusly, they may feel that it is reasonable for them to receive. I know that that is not officially what the RC Church says they should do. 

I think our dialogue would benefit from trying to understand, and from an accurate characterization of the beliefs of other Christian denominations. For those persons, with such faith in the Eucharist, it is an unhelpful analogy to compare their partaking of the Sacrament to unruly and anti-social toileting behaviors.

Obviously I am not referring to other folks in various Protestant Christian denominations that have rejected the belief that the Lord is truly present in the Holy Eucharist and who share in communion because everyone is taking communion.  Trying to be charitable, it is possible that they may not know the underlying theologies and beliefs of the respective churches. I have encountered such ignorance in both Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians who haven't had much religious education.

 

it comes down to that person is not a catholic and the OP tells this person what they are doing is offensive to them and their faith and the person continues on with the actions.  there is no talking when someone disrespects you and your faith right to your face. 

[Jubilate Deo]

" Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. " - 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

You can let your friend know the Church doesn't want her to eat and drink judgment upon herself.

[DominiCanis2]

On 16-5-2017 at 8:37 PM, Graciela said:

I think our dialogue would benefit from trying to understand, and from an accurate characterization of the beliefs of other Christian denominations. For those persons, with such faith in the Eucharist, it is an unhelpful analogy to compare their partaking of the Sacrament to unruly and anti-social toileting behaviors.

Obviously I am not referring to other folks in various Protestant Christian denominations that have rejected the belief that the Lord is truly present in the Holy Eucharist and who share in communion because everyone is taking communion.  Trying to be charitable, it is possible that they may not know the underlying theologies and beliefs of the respective churches. I have encountered such ignorance in both Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians who haven't had much religious education.

I agree very much on the understanding part. My Protestant friend rejects the belief that the Lord is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, and even this I think deserves understanding and a lot of patience. I am not the kind of person to stop being friends with someone because of matters like this (as havok579257 suggests). In fact I see it as my mission to stay, and explain lovingly, and again, and again, and again.

On 24-5-2017 at 11:33 AM, Jubilate Deo said:

" Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. " - 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

You can let your friend know the Church doesn't want her to eat and drink judgment upon herself.

This would be very insulting I think, since Protestants (at least the ones I know) enterpret this part of Scripture differently and they would think I was throwing this interpretation in their face. I am btw not looking for new arguments like these (believe me I tried them all ...) but for ways to explain the points 1 and 2 mentioned above better.

[Jubilate Deo]

" This would be very insulting I think, since Protestants (at least the ones I know) enterpret this part of Scripture differently and they would think I was throwing this interpretation in their face. "

Sometimes the truth offends people, but it's more offensive not to tell them the truth. As it stands now, your friend is committing a sacrilege by eating unworthily. It's insulting to Our Lord for her to do this. Protestantism is a heresy, so their interpretations, when they differ from the Catholic understanding, are dangerous.

It's better for your friend to be completely informed, and then pray for her if this doesn't change her mind. You can also point out that this Scripture passage makes no sense if the Eucharist is supposedly a symbol.

[ColumbanOSB]

Perhaps another approach is to suggest that "communion" in the Catholic Church signifies a unity with the institutional church as well as with the Christian faith. While recognizing a basic creedal unity, your friend would be publically declaring, by her action, an ecclesiastical unity with the Roman Catholic Church that does not exist. You could also tell her that she could go forward with her arms crossed and ask for a blessing. This allows her to participate in a more genuine and respectful sign of unity at the level of being part of the Christian.
 

[Peace]

§4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P2T.HTM