r/Catholicism • u/togstation • 7h ago
Two questions about taking communion.
I am a non-Catholic. I have two simple questions about Catholicism.
Background:
A friend of mine is currently closely following a policial campaign.
Candidate X is trying to appeal to as many voters as possible. (Ideally "all of them".) Candidate X identifies as Evangelical Protestant. I know that some of his other family members formerly identified as Roman Catholic, but then converted to being Evangelical Protestant. I don't know whether Candidate X himself ever identified as Catholic. (I.e. whether he was baptized as Catholic.)
Candidate X recently attended a Roman Catholic mass. (Presumably making an effort to appeal to Catholic voters along with Evangelical Protestant ones.)
As far as I know, Candidate X did not take communion while at this Roman Catholic mass.
Two questions:
- Suppose some random Person P who was never baptized as Roman Catholic - or in other words "who is not Catholic", and who is known to be not Catholic - but who now wishes to take communion during a Roman Catholic mass. My understanding is that Person P would not be allowed to take communion. Is that correct?
- Suppose that Candidate X was correctly baptized as Roman Catholic ("was at one time Roman Catholic"), but has since been re-baptized as Evangelical Protestant and identifies as Evangelical Protestant - but now attends a Roman Catholic mass and wishes to take communion during this mass. I sometimes hear that the attitude of the Roman Catholic church is that "once Catholic, always Catholic" - one might be a "lapsed Catholic" but a lapsed Catholic is still a Catholic. This would seem to mean that if Candidate X made a full confession and did any appropriate penance then Candidate X would be welcome to take Roman Catholic mass. What are the facts here?
Thank you for your attention.
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7h ago
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u/Sancadebem 6h ago
Everyone knows who you are talking about. But let's add something to let it more interesting
Suppose person P was never baptized and took a mass were no one ever saw or heard about him
He is complete unknown and he lined up for communion
What should the priest do? The answer is... To give him the eucharisty... But of course, it will have no spiritual effect and it will be deemed as a sin, for being at least disrespectful to the sacrament
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u/togstation 6h ago
Everyone knows who you are talking about.
I'm sure that very many people don't know who I am talking about, or have an incorrect idea of who I am talking about.
.
What should the priest do? The answer is... To give him the eucharisty... But of course, it will have no spiritual effect and it will be deemed as a sin, for being at least disrespectful to the sacrament
Seems logical. Thank you for your response.
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u/FaraJellyfish 5h ago
yeah the priest can only go by what they know in the moment but receiving it without being eligible is still a different story entirely
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u/lpburke86 6h ago edited 6h ago
Let's fix a false premise..... You aren't "baptized Catholic". You are baptized Christian. Many Protestant churches have a fully valid, recognized baptism.
You are confirmed Catholic; you are "Fully Received" into the Church... but baptism is Christian.
Once you are baptized in a valid Christian baptism, you can't be rebaptized any more than you can reclaim your virginity. Once it's done, it's done.
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u/MeserYouUp 7h ago
Person P would not be allowed to receive communion. You may be interested to know that even people who are in the process of converting do not receive communion for the first few months.
If Candidate X made a full confession and repentance they would be welcomed back with open arms to receive communion.