No offense, but are you saying that CHRISTIANS cannot take communion in a "Catholic" (Christian) church? This is one area where I think Catholics need to re-assess their dogma.
That's what they believe.
Understand that the Catholic Church believes that the host and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ (Transubstantiation) Other Christian denominations use the host as merely a "represntative" of that.
The RC church holds that if you do not believe that the host and wine are NOT the ACTUAL body and blood of Christ---you should not receive communion.
There is no re-assessment needed.
No offense, but are you saying that CHRISTIANS cannot take communion in a "Catholic" (Christian) church?
Even many Catholics should not take Communion in the Catholic Church. Unless you have confessed your sins and been absolved of them leading you into a State of Grace, it is a MORTAL SIN to take and eat of the Flesh of Our Lord. If you are a validly baptized Christian and you present yourself to the Lord in the Sacrament of Penance with true sorrow for your sins and abjure the errors of your apostasy, then you too may accept the actual Body and Blood of Our Lord. I pray that you do so.
This is one area where I think Catholics need to re-assess their dogma.
Since the Dogma is a direct COMMAND from God Himself, that simply cannot happen.
Why do people who disagree with Catholic dogma think the Church needs to 'rethink' her dogma? Perhaps those who disagree ought to just disagree and participate in faith communities that are a nice comfy fit for them. I like Catholicism in part because it makes me UNcomfortable! Far from a crutch, my faith is a constant challenge to step up and do the right thing.
'but are you saying that CHRISTIANS cannot take communion in a "Catholic" (Christian) church'
Why would any Christian who is not Catholic WANT to take communion in a Catholic Church?
Other Christians do NOT believe that Holy Commnion is the REAL PRESCENCE of JESUS.....they just think that communion is a SYMBOL.......HUGE difference!!! The Catholic Church does NOT have to change it's dogma.
My parents are Catholic and I'm Southern Baptist. When I visit them I do not take communion because (1)I don't believe it's the actual body of Christ and (2)I don't consider myself part of the Catholic community, even though I was baptized as a baby. My mother isn't happy about it, but accepts my decission. When they visit us, they are told that all baptized believers are invited "to put their feet under the Lord's table" and they take communion, knowing very well that at that time it is just a symbol, a reminder of what Jesus did. We try to respect each others beliefs, but I think it's funny how they are more welcome in our Protestant church than I am at their Catholic one!
You have to be in Communion with the Catholic Church. You can't believe something other than what Catholics believe. I don't recieve Communion at other churches for the same reason. In the past I have been a soprano soloist at several Protestant churches, once I explained the situation no one seemed offended that I would abstain from recieving communion at their communion services. FWIW, Lutherans have the same restriction about recieving communion outside of their denomination. And, I suspect Episcopalians do as well.
No, we are saying that Protestants shall not receive the Body and Blood of Our Saviour in the Most Holy Communion. They would eat and drink their own condemnation according to scripture and Canon Law and the Church has too much mercy to allow them to do that.
Well, I KNOW you have to re-assess your dogma. If you are not Catholic, you cannot go to Holy Communion in a Catholic Church. Simple as that. Your selfish attitude concerning what YOU think the Church should do is laughable, to say the least.
Catholics believe that the following three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation, in this order: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist.
Therefore, to receive Communion in the Catholic Church signifies membership in the Catholic Church.
This is why those who do not wish to be members of the Catholic Church are expected not to receive Communion in a Catholic Church.
As Msgr. Augustine said, Catholics believe that "the Eucharist represents the true presence of Jesus Christ" in the Host.
That is not the case with Protestant denominations who believe that the host is merely symbolic. At a Protestant service I have been to, they passed a tray of chopped up Wonder Bread around, up and down the pews, as if they were passing out sandwiches at a picnic.
So, you have a situation where "Communion" is believed to be different things by different Christians.
The reason that Catholics found this incident so shocking is that it would literally represent the Body of Christ being sold on eBay.
To a Protestant without such a belief, it would merely represent a souvenir not much different that a Church program being sold on eBay.
For such reasons, Catholics do not consider Communion open to just anyone just as Protestant Churches would not consider Baptism opened to just anyone who wanted to try out the experience regardless of whether or not they believed in what Baptism means.