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Can Catholics receive communion in a Protestant church?

My oldest son married a Methodist and on occasion his family will attend a Methodist service. Sometimes communion will be included as part of their church service. My son asked if it was okay to receive communion at a non-Catholic church. He said that he knows their communion is not the same as ours but thought it would be rude not to participate. I told him Catholics are not to partake in Protestant communion and not wishing to offend anyone is not sufficient grounds to receive.

The textbook reason why Catholics may not receive communion in Protestant worship is that interfaith communion is forbidden both by the Catechism and Canon law. Canon 844 states: “Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers.” The Catechism (CCC 1400) states, Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church, "have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders." It is for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible.

Christ established “One” Church and it subsists in its fullness in the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church views many Protestant denominations as ecclesial bodies of believers (by virtue of baptism), but they do not possess the fullness of the faith. Most importantly, they do not have sacraments, apart from marriage and baptism, because they do not have a valid priesthood. Priesthood is required for the remaining five sacraments, including the Eucharist. Hence, their communion is, for Catholics, invalid as well as illicit (it isn’t what it is supposed to be, and it is forbidden for Catholics to receive it.) Moreover, to do so knowing full well that the Church forbids it may constitute a grave sin.

The Church teaches one can be in communion with only one body at a time. If you are in communion with the Catholic Church, then you cannot be in communion with another ecclesial body. Remember that as a Catholic we are “married” to Jesus through His Church and one of the sacraments of that marriage is the Eucharist.

Finally, the Eucharist is the source, summit and focus of our life in Christ. It communicates Christ to us and is a real and powerful means of grace. It should not be confused with the communion services of other faiths. When Catholics participate in a Protestant communion, not believing what Protestants believe, but making an outward show that they do, it causes scandal. As much as we wish for Christian unity, we do not yet have it and making it appear that we do sends the wrong message, a message of indifference that Canon law warns against.

We are called as Catholics to witness to our faith. That means living visibly as Catholics, showing the world the grace that flows through Christ’s Church. Among those graces is the privilege of receiving Jesus Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity, at Mass; Jesus giving Himself to us completely without reserve in the Eucharist.




Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn