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I just went to my nephew's baptism tonight with all of my family present. My hyper-Catholic sister told me that I should not receive communion before I set of to queue. She told me that since I don't attend the mass regularly that I shouldn't do it. I told her that I did first communion just like she did and I had as much right as she. She then told me again, "The Conciliation" or something like that. I told her to "get off of it" and got my communion.
Was she right? Has something changed within that antiquated stuck in the Middle Ages religion that is called catholicism?
I just went to my nephew's baptism tonight with all of my family present. My hyper-Catholic sister told me that I should not receive communion before I set of to queue. She told me that since I don't attend the mass regularly that I shouldn't do it. I told her that I did first communion just like she did and I had as much right as she. She then told me again, "The Conciliation" or something like that. I told her to "get off of it" and got my communion.
Was she right? Has something changed within that antiquated stuck in the Middle Ages religion that is called catholicism?
Have to depend on my memory here. But if memory serves me correctly as long as you have not been excommunicated you are still Catholic, if you were baptized as one and are allowed to take communion as long as you are not in a State of Mortal sin.
Since it has been since the 1960s I was Catholic I may be out of date. If Thomas R sees this he may give a more current answer.
Have to depend on my memory here. But if memory serves me correctly as long as you have not been excommunicated you are still Catholic, if you were baptized as one and are allowed to take communion as long as you are not in a State of Mortal sin.
Since it has been since the 1960s I was Catholic I may be out of date. If Thomas R sees this he may give a more current answer.
Well, that's exactly the way that I remember it too. But I haven't been an active church member since the early 80s.
You are still Catholic, but if you are in a state of grave sin or have been inactive for too long you you aren't supposed to receive Eucharist without first going to Confession. The reason for your inactivity matters of course. If you have valid medical or psychological (on psychology I mean something big like agoraphobia or a mental illness that rendered you incompetent to receive Communion. I think I missed a few weeks of Mass during the worst of my manic-episodes as I was too off-balance to participate) reasons for not attending regularly I'm pretty sure it can be okay, but if you don't attend regularly for whimsical or personal reasons than yeah you'd have to go to Confession first. Some even argue you can't receive Eucharist if you have not been to Confession in over a year, which would mean I'm ineligible, and that that's so regardless of how you've lived or how regularly you attend. I don't know on that.
Anyway unless you have a medical or psychological excuse your sister is right and it's not a new thing either, it's the way it always was. It's the way it was in the fourth century from what I've read. People who had been inactive for a time had to repent first. Granted then "inactive" meant "going pagan" but I think it applied for other things at an early point. If anything me receiving Communion is maybe "a new thing" as I haven't been to Confession in too long. That said if you tried to receive Communion the priest would almost certainly not deny it of you, as you've not been excommunicated, but in principle you shouldn't try.
This is because in Catholicism the Eucharist isn't symbolic or just a statement you're Catholic. It's Communion with God, both spiritually and physically. It is greatly meaningful, more than I think many Catholics even understand (and maybe in a way more than anyone can understand), and not something to be done unseriously or flippantly. Not saying you were intending to be flippant or non-serious, but it is seen as something you have to be rightly prepared to do. I'm sorry if that offends you, but that's the way it is. (That being said you'll likely find plenty of heterodox or lapsed Catholics who will tell you it's not a problem. They're wrong, when we get into Catholic issues I'm admittedly much less flexible, but if you prefer to listen to them there's nothing I can do about it I suppose)
Have to depend on my memory here. But if memory serves me correctly as long as you have not been excommunicated you are still Catholic
I have heard, but youll need someone with actual citations which neither of us appear to have, that even if you are excommunicated you are still "catholic" you just are not allowed receive communion.
In fact Catholics have jumped somersaults in attempts to never ever reduce their numbers. Ever. When people in Ireland recently started using a loop hole to "defect" and official leave Catholicism.... they cynically changed canon law itself in order to close the loop hole.
In their eyes it is once a catholic always a catholic, no matter what, and it is clear why. Bigger club numbers means a bigger political influence.
Many Catholics don't attend mass regularly, and have no problem accepting communion. I was raised Catholic, and all the rules turned me off. Take what you want, and leave the rest.
Although I still feel what I said was correct maybe I was being a tad too prideful with it. Thinking on it sometimes I don't have the proper reverence myself, which is in some ways a hard thing to admit. I fear I was implying I'm better than others, which is not the case. I'm just saying I do feel it's a "big thing" and that the rules exist for a reason.
Note: That being said I missed where the OP said, "Has something changed within that antiquated stuck in the Middle Ages religion that is called catholicism?" If a person has that level of disdain for a religion, any religion (to the point they won't capitalize it even though it's a proper noun so capitalization is just grammatical), than I think a person shouldn't partake in its most sacred rites. I don't know why one would even want to in such a case.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 10-09-2011 at 11:10 AM..
I just went to my nephew's baptism tonight with all of my family present. My hyper-Catholic sister told me that I should not receive communion before I set of to queue. She told me that since I don't attend the mass regularly that I shouldn't do it. I told her that I did first communion just like she did and I had as much right as she. She then told me again, "The Conciliation" or something like that. I told her to "get off of it" and got my communion.
Was she right? Has something changed within that antiquated stuck in the Middle Ages religion that is called catholicism?
Well, a friend of our daughters sang in the choir at the chapel in Seattle University, a catholic school. She invited us to their 'Midnight Mass'. We partook in their holy communion.
Now with the Protesent faith, they announce right before communion that it is open to all faiths that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Frankly, there wasn't any difference between the way the Catholics did it and the way Protsents did it, eccept I liked the way the Catholics did it better, they use real wine instead of just grape juice. Seems more authentic.
You are still Catholic, but if you are in a state of grave sin or have been inactive for too long you you aren't supposed to receive Eucharist without first going to Confession.
I even knew that.
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