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Original poster

Can I take communion in CofE church if I was confirmed in RC church?

108 replies

goldenchandelier · 25/12/2019 00:25

Going to a new CofE church for Christmas.
Haven't taken communion for a long time and very nervous don't know why. I was confirmed in a RC church.

Have been going to CofE church as dd was christened there due to dh being CofE and it being a simpler process for us for dd to be CofE. I was raised going to a RC church and only really know their customs.
Sorry for any ignorance.

OP posts:
whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 17:30

@Meadowland - Just noticed my previous post was slightly rude and abrupt when I said If that is not what you meant, then please clarify

Can you please read that as if I had said: If I misunderstood, can you please clarify what you meant.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 18:09

My sister’s MIL took communion at her catholic wedding mass.
The MIL is not catholic and is very respectful. No one commented or even cared and my sister is a practicing catholic.
If you are a follower of Christ, be like him , welcoming and non judgemental.
Folding those rules around communion is not about faith or respect it’s about conformity.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 18:22

No one commented or even cared

How do you know no one cared? They may not have said anything as they didn't want to create a fuss. If the priest knew, I would expect he was no impressed.

If you are a follower of Christ, be like him , welcoming and non judgemental.

Followers of most religions believe the rules of their church are revealed by their chosen deity. Therefore, a fully observant catholic would believe that god has dictated that only those who are members should receive catholic communion as it is a symbol of their belief or faith in transubstantiation.

Catholics believe the bread and wine are literally transformed into the body and blood of Christ and as such, constitute a sacrament that can only be fully appreciated by those who believe that is the case.

Here is an article explaining why it is considered disrespectful for a non-catholic to partake: catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2017/09/08/why-non-catholics-cannot-receive-holy-communion/

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 18:43

If you are a follower of Christ, be like him , welcoming and non judgemental.

Surely this should also apply to those going into another denomination's space? Be respectful of their beliefs and don't judge them for having different ones and dismiss them as not applying to you.

Folding those rules around communion is not about faith or respect it’s about conformity.

Most rules of most religions are about conformity. It's obviously up to an individual to decide themselves how much of it they want to conform to but the rules are there and adherants of the church believe they have been revealed by god. An individual must also decide where the line is for them in terms of belonging to a faith.

Given your username, I assume you are Irish. Most Irish catholics are à la carte to varying degrees. I know one family who fully adhere to all the rules, including contraception. They are lovely, non-judgemental people but I do think they would be a bit hurt if someone took communion with the attitude that the catholic rule didn't apply to them. They would definitely consider it disrespectful.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 18:51

It rather makes a mockery of the whole following Christ thing then, doesn't it?
Not at all inclusive.
It's why I and many like me rejected catholism.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 18:56

If you read the article I linked to, you will see that it doesn't really make a mockery of the whole following Christ thing.

There are plenty of things wrong with the Catholic Church. Like you, I was brought up a Catholic and have long since rejected it for various reasons. However, I wouldn't see this rule as being a reason to be critical of them.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 19:01

I think if Christ was to appear and live among Christians he would be shocked and disappointed and even appalled at their 'rules'.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 19:02

If people truly believe and want to live as Christ did they would abandon organised religion.

BeepOpsiePie · 02/01/2020 19:08

I’m an atheist who was never Christened let alone confirmed and I have taken communion at a Catholic church before Blush Does that mean I’m going to hell or something?!

Context is that I was invited to the First Holy Communion ceremony of one of my husband’s young relatives in a Catholic country. There were at least 30 kids all having their confirmation that day and then everyone else got up to have Communion too and I couldn’t exactly sneak off and didn’t want to be the only one in the entire massive church staying behind sitting sheepishly in the pews...! I also didn’t speak the local language so couldn’t have a word with the priest either.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 19:10

I think if Christ was to appear and live among Christians he would be shocked and disappointed and even appalled at their 'rules'.

I believe religion originates from superstition used to explain what people find too difficult to understand. Historically, it was also used as a means of protecting your own society. It's always been run as a means of advancing power.

If people truly believe and want to live as Christ did they would abandon organised religion.

Quite probably. If you believe in the stories as told, then yes, most organised religions contravene a lot of it.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 19:13

Does that mean I’m going to hell or something?!

The bad news, according to the Catholic Herald article I linked to, is it was definitely a threat to your soul. The good news is your an atheist so it doesn't matterGrin

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 19:28

BeepOpsiePie that's hilarious!
You joined in, that's what we're supposed to do ,isn't it 😇

The last time I was in a catholic church myself H and children were the only people not talking communion. Mine are not baptised and H is an atheist.

" I hope you've been to confession and are in a state of grace " I sad to my brother who could not give a flying f### and said he only had communion because he was feeling peckish😈
And he's gay too, so double damned !

Grasspigeons · 02/01/2020 19:33

My confirmation classess werent so very long ago. We were taught not only the is it literally the blood /body of christ but you are sharing it in communion with the congregation /Rome so you have a shared set of catholic values and if you have sinned you are sharing your sin with your fellows (thats why you confess before mass - with the early church confessions being to the whole congregation not just the priest) so its not meant to be inclusive you are meant to exclude yourself if you dont share those values or you have sinned and not confessed. And being in communion with each other /rome is a bit like a relationship so you cant really also be in communion with another set of beliefs.
Other denominations are more into the symbolic sharing and hoping by taking part it makes people more aware of the love of christ and its more of a personal between them, god and a bit of bread.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 19:35

Grasspigeons
Do you actually believe it is the body and blood of Christ, really?

Grasspigeons · 02/01/2020 19:39

No i dont. Its what i was taught though. I still have the notes.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 19:40

Phew.
I don't think anyone really does believe that.
It's too crazy for words.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 21:49

I don't think anyone really does believe that.

It's one of the basic tenets of catholicism. If you don't believe it, you are not a catholic🤷‍♀️.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 21:50

Utterly ridiculous Grin

Meadowland · 02/01/2020 21:51

@whyamidoingthis Sorry for delay, needed to sort dinner !
No I didn't think you were rude or abrupt. I welcome discussions with atheists who don't ridicule belief.
To reply :
-Yes my belief that Christ welcomes everybody into the church does override belief that only Catholics should receive communion in a Catholic church.
I do not believe that one belief system overrides another. That is what has caused, and is still causing so many problems in the world. My belief is in Christ, not in a church.
-Yes I completely agree with you that it is important to respect the beliefs others have.
-Yes I was brought up Catholic.
Many people will not understand how I can go to a Catholic church, and have these beliefs. But I feel at home in the Catholic community, and is where I believe I should be.
Sorry if that is a bit rambly but it's been a long day !

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 21:55

And he's gay too, so double damned

Being gay isn't a mortler. Being gay is perfectly acceptable in catholicism. So long as you don't give into the urges......

Mind you, it's actually completely non-discriminatory. Sex, other than for the purpose of procreation, and within the sanctity of marriage, is a bit of a no-no. So it doesn't matter if the sex is homosexual or heterosexual, if it is for recreational purposes outside the sanctity of marriage, you're a sinner. And as homosexual sex can't be for procreational purposes, it can never be acceptable.

NB: I do not agree with this viewpoint.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 21:59

@Meadowland - I think lots of lay people in the Catholic Church believe as you do. Did you have a read of the Catholic Herald article I linked to? It explains the logic quite well.

As I said previously, there is plenty in the Catholic Church I disagree with but if you read that, it shows that it is not an exclusionary belief, but rather an affirmation of faith that you cannot make if you are not of that faith.

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 22:04

@roisinagusniamh - Utterly ridiculous

What's utterly ridiculous?

If you mean the belief in transubstantiation is ridiculous, that is your prerogative but I think it is a bit disrespectful to dismiss one of the basic tenets of a faith as ridiculous. If you mean my statement that you are not catholic if you don't believe in the most basic tenet of the faith, can you explain how you can be of a faith that you don't believe in?

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 22:10

@Meadowland - Many people will not understand how I can go to a Catholic church, and have these beliefs. But I feel at home in the Catholic community, and is where I believe I should be.

You sound very like my mother. She says she has a faith and a belief in God and Jesus. She disagrees with a lot of catholicism but uses it as a vehicle to express her faith as she grew up in catholicism and, like you, she is comfortable with it. She takes what she needs from it, gives what she can to it, and ignores the rest.

roisinagusniamh · 02/01/2020 22:11

I meant believing in transubstantiation is ridiculous and I doubt many practicing catholics actually believe that. They know well they are not drinking Christ’s blood and eating his flesh when they take communion. They know it’s a representation.....
Jaysus wept!!

whyamidoingthis · 02/01/2020 22:20

I meant believing in transubstantiation is ridiculous

It is one of the basic tenets of catholicism. Why would you consider it any more ridiculous than any of the other beliefs of any religion? Why is that more unlikely than an all-seeing, all-knowing deity?

You don't believe it. Fair enough, neither do I, but it is very disrespectful to ridicule one of the main tenets of a faith.

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