| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Can Eastern Orthodox Christians receive communion during Mass? | Michael | Thursday, June 2, 2005 |
Question: A youth minister told me that since members of the Eastern Churches believe that Christ is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament, they are allowed to receive communion. I didn't understand why, since Protestants aren't allowed to, and Catholics who deny infallible teachings of the magisterium aren't allowed to either. A friend told me that the pew missals in his parish church invited Catholics AND Eastern Orthodox to communion. Why can Eastern Orthodox Christians, who deny many teachings of the Catholic Church, doctrines, dogmas and councils receive communion while Catholics who deny just one infallible teaching cannot? Shouldn't receiving communion be an option only for Roman and Eastern Rite Catholics in a state of sanctifying grace who are in FULL communion with Rome? |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear Michael, Quite simply, either your friend is either mistaken about what he read or the missal in the pew is not official and not correct. Eastern Orthodox Christians are not normally admitted to Communion in the Catholic Church. Mr. Slavek Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers. (b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks. (c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively. |
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