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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
What should I do if my protestant girlfriend wants to receive the eucharist?	Peter	Sunday, January 30, 2005
Question: Dear Brother, I am going out with a wonderful woman who was baptised in the Baptist tradition, who accepts Jesus as her Lord and saviour and who attends various pentacostal churches, reads the bible extensively, prays extensively and lives her life according to her understanding of the bible as the holy spirit guides her (she believes). In an attempt to understand each other's perspective I attend her church (in addition to mass) and she comes to the Catholic church with me sometimes. Only since this time has she indicated a desire to receive the eucharist as she has come to accept this teaching of the church as truth. However she disagrees with the catholic perspective on a number of areas including: i) the need for confession (she can say sorry for her sins directly to Jesus), the nature of sin; venial, mortal etc. ii) She does not attend Catholic church with me regularly, and sometimes not her own iii) She does not accept the authority of the church through the Pope and that she is directly guided by the holy spirit in her relationship with Jesus. She has discussed some issues with an understanding local priest who supports the eucumenical movement among Christian churches and she believes he will give her permission to receive the eucharist when she attends church with me. Given her differences of opinion with the theology of the Catholic church are they sufficient that I should continue to advise her against receiving communion until she learns and accepts more/ all of the church's teachings or is it OK to accept the ruling of the priest in this matter and say nothing further about the matter with her? Thankyou for any advice you can offer on this dilemma.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Peter: Your girlfriend may NOT receive Eucharist unless she is in full communion with the Church (vis-a-vis, confirmed in the Catholic Church). If a priest gives her permission, then that priest is sinning. To receive communion in the Catholic Church when she does not believe what the Catholic Church believes would be an act of a lie before God and the Church. Communion implies a communion of belief. In addition to being the Sacrament of our Lord it is also a sign of unity that does not exist. She is not in unity with the Catholic Church and is not in communion with Catholic teaching. She may not receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church and you cannot receive communion in her Church. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

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What should I do if my protestant girlfriend wants to receive the eucharist?

Peter

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Question:

Dear Brother,
I am going out with a wonderful woman who was baptised in the Baptist tradition, who accepts Jesus as her Lord and saviour and who attends various pentacostal churches, reads the bible extensively, prays extensively and lives her life according to her understanding of the bible as the holy spirit guides her (she believes).

In an attempt to understand each other's perspective I attend her church (in addition to mass) and she comes to the Catholic church with me sometimes. Only since this time has she indicated a desire to receive the eucharist as she has come to accept this teaching of the church as truth.

However she disagrees with the catholic perspective on a number of areas including: i) the need for confession (she can say sorry for her sins directly to Jesus), the nature of sin; venial, mortal etc. ii) She does not attend Catholic church with me regularly, and sometimes not her own iii) She does not accept the authority of the church through the Pope and that she is directly guided by the holy spirit in her relationship with Jesus.

She has discussed some issues with an understanding local priest who supports the eucumenical movement among Christian churches and she believes he will give her permission to receive the eucharist when she attends church with me.

Given her differences of opinion with the theology of the Catholic church are they sufficient that I should continue to advise her against receiving communion until she learns and accepts more/ all of the church's teachings or is it OK to accept the ruling of the priest in this matter and say nothing further about the matter with her?

Thankyou for any advice you can offer on this dilemma.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Peter:

Your girlfriend may NOT receive Eucharist unless she is in full communion with the Church (vis-a-vis, confirmed in the Catholic Church). If a priest gives her permission, then that priest is sinning.

To receive communion in the Catholic Church when she does not believe what the Catholic Church believes would be an act of a lie before God and the Church. Communion implies a communion of belief. In addition to being the Sacrament of our Lord it is also a sign of unity that does not exist. She is not in unity with the Catholic Church and is not in communion with Catholic teaching.

She may not receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church and you cannot receive communion in her Church.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum