Episcopal Mass

[Anonymous]

The issue with receiving Communion in an Episcopal service is that Catholic and Protestant beliefs about Communion are quite different. As for getting away with things because you go to confession, you have to genuinely repent. I haven't met a lot of Christians who don't believe in forgiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

NP. Many people do not see it for what it is - the appearance of belief in an invalid eucharist. Have some Catholics done it as a show of community and without malice? Of course, but they really shouldn't.

I suspect they are all ex-catholics, then. Our congregation is quite large and expands to try to make Catholics at home as well as snake handling Baptists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

NP. Many people do not see it for what it is - the appearance of belief in an invalid eucharist. Have some Catholics done it as a show of community and without malice? Of course, but they really shouldn't.

Catholics do a lot of things they shouldn't -- they get divorced, have sex out of wedlock, practice birth control, have sex with children (very rarely, but it makes big news and causes lots of problems for the church, not to mention the children) and as long as they go to confession, they are OK and will go to heaven when they die.

Calm down. I'm saying at least they should have full awareness that they shouldn't take it before doing so. Of course that isn't going to stop every Catholic from doing it.

[Anonymous]

I doubt the purpose of OP starting this thread was to ask dcum to bash her Catholic faith tradition.

Rather, it appears she started it for advice on how to be respectful and gracious at her loved one's important spiritual milestone.

Really, those of you who came here to bash only make yourself look bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the purpose of OP starting this thread was to ask dcum to bash her Catholic faith tradition.

Rather, it appears she started it for advice on how to be respectful and gracious at her loved one's important spiritual milestone.

Really, those of you who came here to bash only make yourself look bad.

Thank you for all the advice. I am very happy to attend, celebrate and support his vocation. I am also planning to remain in my own church where I am quite content. The negativity expressed by others toward my faith doesn't bother me. To each his own, as they say. I hadn't planned to take communion and won't even if it is "allowed" (which one of my priests confirms it is not btw) but I wanted to see what kind of differences in liturgy there would be. Thanks to those who offered thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the purpose of OP starting this thread was to ask dcum to bash her Catholic faith tradition.

Rather, it appears she started it for advice on how to be respectful and gracious at her loved one's important spiritual milestone.

Really, those of you who came here to bash only make yourself look bad.

Thank you for all the advice. I am very happy to attend, celebrate and support his vocation. I am also planning to remain in my own church where I am quite content. The negativity expressed by others toward my faith doesn't bother me. To each his own, as they say. I hadn't planned to take communion and won't even if it is "allowed" (which one of my priests confirms it is not btw) but I wanted to see what kind of differences in liturgy there would be. Thanks to those who offered thoughts.

In some respects things have improved in the Catholic church. It used to be a mortal sin to even attend a service in a non-catholic church. Now it's OK to go to a service as long as you don't take communion. In another 50 years, you may be allowed to take communion without compromising your faith or disobeying your priest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It used to be a mortal sin to even attend a service in a non-catholic church.

No. My mixed-marriage family has gone to Protestant weddings, funerals, and so on for a long time. OP's friends ordination is a similar occasion.

[Anonymous]

OP, is the co-worker becoming a deacon, or a priest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It used to be a mortal sin to even attend a service in a non-catholic church.

No. My mixed-marriage family has gone to Protestant weddings, funerals, and so on for a long time. OP's friends ordination is a similar occasion.

Just because they went to these services doesn't mean they were not sinning. Perhaps they didn't realize it was a sin, or maybe didn't bother asking because it seems so benign, but there was a time when it was a sin. Either that or the priests and nuns were lying about it, or didn't know themselves.

[Anonymous]

It is very similar. As for communion, my Episcopalian DH takes communion at Catholic mass and it has never been an issue (we've been to a lot of Catholic weddings).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the purpose of OP starting this thread was to ask dcum to bash her Catholic faith tradition.

Rather, it appears she started it for advice on how to be respectful and gracious at her loved one's important spiritual milestone.

Really, those of you who came here to bash only make yourself look bad.

Where's the bashing? I don't see where anyone has said anything about the church that is not based on church teaching, or at least their understanding of it.

OP asked about what to expect at an Episcopal service so she could be respectful without compromising her Catholic beliefs. Some responses indicate that some people are not aware of Catholic beliefs pertaining to other Christian churches. Others have gotten different information from their catholic churches.

A practicing Catholic would be sinning to accept communion in the Episcopal church, which OP seemed to know. The reverse is not true -- An Episcopalian is not committing any sin in the Episcopal church by taking communion in a Catholic church. However if the priest knew the person's religion, they would deny the host, right there at the altar rail. That has happened. Some priests are on the lookout for it. It's very embarrassing to the person denied communion. So it's best to know all of this in advance.

Catholic churches will clarify who's in and who's out before communion, but the priests and lay servers can't really know if people are unqualified unless they do something odd at the rail to tip them off. A catholic who is not in a state of grace can easily take communion because they know the right moves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is very similar. As for communion, my Episcopalian DH takes communion at Catholic mass and it has never been an issue (we've been to a lot of Catholic weddings).

See above post. Your DH obviously know the right moves, or perhaps the Catholic priests he's dealt with don't really care. At any rate, it's no sin for your husband -- just for the priests who let him get away with it -- and for you, if you're a practicing Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Former Catholic now Episcopal now.
The masses are very similar, some of the wording is a bit different. Follow along in the book of common prayer and you'll do fine. You will be given the bulletin when you enter that has the order of service, songs, and page numbers in book of common prayer.
As far as communion, episcopal church welcomes all Christians to celebrate. As other PPs have pointed out, the Catholic Church is against it, although there has been times when the Catholic Church almost agreed to episcopal communion.
The beauty of the episcopal communion is they dont define whether or not the bread and wine actually become body and blood. That is why the Catholic Church does not allow it.

[Anonymous]

http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/109399_15500_ENG_HTM.htm
The topic of Transubstantiation is avoided by episcopal church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the purpose of OP starting this thread was to ask dcum to bash her Catholic faith tradition.

Rather, it appears she started it for advice on how to be respectful and gracious at her loved one's important spiritual milestone.

Really, those of you who came here to bash only make yourself look bad.

Where's the bashing? I don't see where anyone has said anything about the church that is not based on church teaching, or at least their understanding of it.

OP asked about what to expect at an Episcopal service so she could be respectful without compromising her Catholic beliefs. Some responses indicate that some people are not aware of Catholic beliefs pertaining to other Christian churches. Others have gotten different information from their catholic churches.

A practicing Catholic would be sinning to accept communion in the Episcopal church, which OP seemed to know. The reverse is not true -- An Episcopalian is not committing any sin in the Episcopal church by taking communion in a Catholic church. However if the priest knew the person's religion, they would deny the host, right there at the altar rail. That has happened. Some priests are on the lookout for it. It's very embarrassing to the person denied communion. So it's best to know all of this in advance.

Catholic churches will clarify who's in and who's out before communion, but the priests and lay servers can't really know if people are unqualified unless they do something odd at the rail to tip them off. A catholic who is not in a state of grace can easily take communion because they know the right moves.

Actually, most Catholics are not eligible to receive communion.
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/who-can-receive-communion
You need to have confessed your sins prior to communion (like premarital sex), and must have fasted for an hour.
But most take communion even though they use birth control or work for a hospital where an abortion might take place and any other sin.
Episcopal a that believe in Transubstantiation may take communion like Eastern Orthodox ... But most episcopals do not have much knowledge of it because the topic is avoided. Episcopal churches leave Eucharist as a mystery.