Dear Father,
I took my Catholic friend to the priests’ ordination recently. She has not been practicing the faith for a long time and told me that she hasn’t gone to confession in decades. I thought that the ordination Mass would help her to come back to church. I saw her reading the notice about who can go to Communion so I thought she would hold back. But she received Communion anyway. Should I have said something to her? If so, what should I say?
-Manny
Dear Manny,
I presume that that your friend was reading the 1996 “Guidelines for the Reception of Communion” from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) available at https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/guidelines-for-the-reception-of-communion.
It’s a lengthy direction about who may or may not receive Holy Communion at a Catholic Mass.
Unfortunately, the wording has led many non-Catholics and non-Christians to think that receiving Communion is just fine, especially as so many of the paragraphs begin with a word of welcome.
Several of the sections of the USCCB “Guidelines” begin with the words “we welcome our fellow Christian” or “we also welcome … those who do not share our faith.” Given the length of the “Guidelines,” I can imagine that a lot of people stop reading at that point.
And, if these persons have also participated in non-Catholic religious services where non-Catholic “communion” is encouraged for all, they assume that Catholic Communion is for them, too.
Add to this the intentional blurring of distinctions of all kinds in our society, as well as some religious leaders giving the impression that all religions are equal, one can anticipate confusion about Communion at a Catholic Mass.
The main reason that we insist on being careful about who may receive Holy Communion is that it is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. We also call the Eucharist the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.
Because the Eucharist is not mere bread and wine after the consecration by the Catholic priest at Mass, no one may partake without careful preparation for Communion. This includes being Catholic and being in the state of grace.
To be in the state of grace means that a person, after a careful examination of conscience, is not aware of any unrepented mortal (serious) sin. A Catholic in good standing will also assent to all that the Catholic Church teaches and believes. Repentance includes going to Confession and receiving absolution for sins of commission and omission. To refuse to go to Confession after mortal sins (which, by the way, include sins against charity and not only sins against chastity), is to approach the Lord’s banquet unworthily, and sinful.
St. Paul is forthright on this: “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 anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor 11:27-28).
As we see, then, Holy Communion is not for everyone. Catholics must be properly disposed to receive Holy Communion.
Non-Catholics may attend Mass, but we caution them against receiving Holy Communion. Visitors should refrain from approaching the sanctuary for Communion because they are not initiated into the Catholic Church.
You asked if you should have said something to your friend. Since you were aware of her situation, and since you invited her, it falls upon you to have this important discussion about Communion. Some might say that you should not intrude on her privacy, but it does not appear that this was a private matter.
It is an act of charity to lead someone to repentance and to live the life of faith. St. James tells us: “if any one among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (5:19-20).
Similarly, if we invite non-Catholics to Mass, it is incumbent upon us to explain the Mass (such as all the standing and sitting and kneeling), what we believe about the Eucharist as the Real Presence, and to tell the guest not to go to Holy Communion. We would certainly do the same for someone we invited to a family gathering in order to let them know of any special family situations into which they might stumble.
Bringing people to church with us is a way to show them the beauty of the Holy Mass. It’s an opportunity to share our faith in Christ, whether our friends are devout, or have fallen away from the practice of their faith, or simply are non-believers.
Questions about the sacraments should be send to sacraments101@columbuscatholic.org.