Why can't I go to Communion in another church?

Part two of two
(read part one of this article)


By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

"Could you please explain, if or why not, a Catholic can receive Holy Communion at a non-Catholic church, while attending a funeral or a wedding of a relative or friend?" (M. Ernst, Green Bay)

Last week, we started to address this question, explaining that receiving communion in a non-Catholic church violated church law and pretended that there were no differences between Catholics and non-Catholics in their beliefs and practices.

We also looked at Canon Law 844, the law of the Roman Catholic Church, which states: "Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to Catholic members of Christ's faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from Catholic ministers" (Canon 844).

This week, we continue to explore the question by looking at what we believe about the sacrament of Eucharist and the priesthood, or as the canon says: "Catholic ministers."

The recently released Vatican document, Dominus Iesus, says "The Catholic faithful are required to profess that there is an historical continuity -- rooted in the apostolic succession -- between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic Church. ...

"Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him." (no. 16).

Holy Orders

This is where the sacrament of Holy Orders differentiates Catholics from the other Christian churches. Roman Catholics, along with some other Christians, believe in an ordained priesthood.

For Catholics, only a validly ordained priest -- sacramentally linked through the bishops to the Apostolic See of Peter, an unbroken line back to the Apostles -- can minister the sacrament of Eucharist.

Some Protestant churches do not share this sacramental priesthood. Others, who may have an ordained priesthood, do not share the link to the Apostolic See.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church points this out: "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, esp. 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" (no. 1400).

What about unity?

So we don't agree on the Real Presence (as we saw last week), the priesthood, or on the minister of the sacrament. But what about the notion of unity or hurt feelings? Wouldn't refusing to approach the altar at a religious service -- especially a funeral or wedding -- cause more disunity?

Again, we have to fully understand unity.

"In effect, this unity bestowed by the Holy Spirit does not merely consist in the gathering of people as a collection of individuals. It is a unity constituted by the bonds of the profession of faith, the sacraments and hierarchical communion" (Ut Unum Sit, Pope John Paul, no. 9, May 1995).

Unity is very important, Fr. John Doerfler, administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, Casco/Slovan, a canon lawyer and member of the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal, agrees.

"If we're so afraid about hurting feelings that we don't meet this issue squarely," he says, "we'll never overcome it. Hurting feelings is not what we're about, but (pretending the differences aren't there) is an unhealthy method of conflict resolution."

And resolving our conflicts is something each and every Christian -- Catholic or otherwise -- should be concerned about doing. As the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity reminded us in 1993: "Those who are baptized in the name of Christ are, by that very fact, called to commit themselves to the search for unity. Baptismal communion tends toward full unity" (Directory for Ecumenism, no. 22).

But that full unity has not yet happened -- though we believe it will happen. So to act as if unity fully existed now ultimately causes more problems, says Fr. Doerfler.

"We can't overcome a difference, if we say it doesn't matter. Say a married couple has a serious disagreement, but they don't talk about it. It keeps eating away and eating away and never gets resolved. It becomes a point of contention in their relationship. It's the same with other Christians. Unless we frankly admit our differences, dialogue and try to resolve them, we'll never overcome those differences and never become one."

None of this is easy. In fact, it is painful. Pope John Paul recognized this when he said, "In the present situation of the lack of unity among Christians ... the Catholic faithful are conscious of being deeply challenged by the Lord of the Church" (Ut Unum Sit, no. 10).

So we face a lot of work -- and work can bring pain -- but, ultimately, the goal will be achieved in Christ. In the meantime, Fr. Doerfler advises, we should remember that "we do have more in common with other Christians than we do not have in common."

The Second Vatican Council said much the same about other Christian churches: "All of these, which come from Christ and lead back to him, belong by right to the one Church of Christ. The separated brethren also carry out many of the sacred actions of the Christian religion. Undoubtedly, in many ways that vary according to the condition of each Church or Community, these actions can truly engender a life of grace, and can be rightly described as capable of providing access to the community of salvation" (Decree on Ecumenism, no. 15).

All of this is reason to hope, to pray and to persevere.

Sources: 1983 Code of Canon Law; Catechism of the Catholic Church; Ut Unum Sit (That All May Be One); Unitatis Redintegratio (Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism); Dominus Iesus; and "The 1993 Directory For Ecumenism" by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.