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Quick Catholic question--Can non-Cath Christians get a blessing at the altar


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In my church (Episcopalian), anyone can receive a blessing from the priest at the altar during the Eucharist by crossing their arms over their chest. Do Catholics do this, too, for people who aren't Catholic? Or is it more appropriate for a non-Catholic to just not go up at all?

 

Thanks--just a quickie question.:001_smile:

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maybe a question a bit off the topic but Chris, why would someone approach the altar in your church and not want or be able to get communion? I know the reason the Catholics do that is because of closed communion but do Episcopalians and Anglicans have closed communion too and if so, who is eligible to receive it?

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maybe a question a bit off the topic but Chris, why would someone approach the altar in your church and not want or be able to get communion? I know the reason the Catholics do that is because of closed communion but do Episcopalians and Anglicans have closed communion too and if so, who is eligible to receive it?

 

I know you probably know this, since you used to be Catholic, but just for the non-Catholics out there -- not all Catholics receive communion every week either. Some people have personal reasons or other issues going on and come to Mass but do not receive the Eucharist.

 

A Catholic needs to be in a state of grace with no impediments to receive. So it is not unusual for Catholics, at any given week, to come up for a blessing or to stay in the pew and pray the prayer of Spiritual Communion.

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I just finished a class on the new missal changes, and in there the topic of receiving a blessing came up. Apparently official Catholic teaching says it is really just for those who are taking communion (including children) but honestly it is one way to unite those who cannot take communion and our church as the whole diocese allows for it.

 

I will say though as a convert... The Arlington VA diocese has several churches if not all churches that will not give a blessing EVEN if you are standing in front of them. Wow that was a shocker... that was 10 years ago, but it is still the same today.

 

So it would be good if you really want to participate, that you make sure you see others receiving blessing or know the church participates this way in order to avoid embarrassment.

 

I didn't understand why back then, now that I have been in the church a while I understand, but I still see the opportunity to unite through this opportunity at church.

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maybe a question a bit off the topic but Chris, why would someone approach the altar in your church and not want or be able to get communion? I know the reason the Catholics do that is because of closed communion but do Episcopalians and Anglicans have closed communion too and if so, who is eligible to receive it?

 

I've been in an Episcopal or Anglican church since I was about 10. All churches I've attended basically say that if you are baptized and allowed to received communion in your own church, you may receive in "this" church. You don't see it in print very often, but it seems to be a prevailing practice.

 

Children who are not baptized or confirmed don't receive and still get a blessing. I know adults who go to the altar and fold their arms for a blessing. I'm not sure their reason for not getting communion. My Catholic friends stay in the pew when they go with us.

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Anyone can receive a blessing in the Catholic church. I do think this is something that transpired in the past 30 years since I do not remember it at all from my childhood. Back in the dark ages, if you were attending Mass as a non-Catholic you simply stayed in the pew along with other Catholics who might not be going to Communion.

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maybe a question a bit off the topic but Chris, why would someone approach the altar in your church and not want or be able to get communion? I know the reason the Catholics do that is because of closed communion but do Episcopalians and Anglicans have closed communion too and if so, who is eligible to receive it?

 

In the Episcopal Church, officially, all baptised Christians are able to receive Eucharist. So it's both open (other denominations ok) and closed (only baptised). There are some very liberal individual churches who give Eucharist to anyone, but this isn't the official practice of the Church.

 

Individually, some Christians may not choose to for various reasons--they still could, but they may not choose to. Such things as being in a dispute or harboring anger or bad attitude, etc--sort of the "leave your gift at the altar and go reconcile with your brother" kinda thingy. There are lots of folks who come to the Episcopal church from the Catholic Church, and sometimes, I've found, they are more sensitive to that. That's really a bit of a generalization, tho.

 

My own opinion is that we benefit from taking the Eucharist, and, although I do believe we should be free of unconfessed sin, we certainly are covered by Jesus' Righteousness, and so are acceptable to God when we come to him. Attitude and feelings can be changed by the act of taking the Sacrament, thru the Grace available in it.

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maybe a question a bit off the topic but Chris, why would someone approach the altar in your church and not want or be able to get communion? I know the reason the Catholics do that is because of closed communion but do Episcopalians and Anglicans have closed communion too and if so, who is eligible to receive it?

 

 

They might be Catholic. ;) All baptized Christians are welcome to share in communion in Episcopal Churches. Sometimes we have people from other denominations, or religions that would prefer a blessing.

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All the local Catholic churches I have been too in our diocese have done the blessing for anyone with their arms crossed in the communion line. Very occasionally a new Eucharistic minister may not know to do it, but it is not because of doctrine apparently here locally, just new to the routine.

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WeeBeaks, would the blessing be given by a layperson? (Eucharistic minister implies Lay Eucharistic Minister in my denom--not sure if you mean a new priest or not.)

I know my current parish allows laypersons to give a blessing. I question the legitimacy of such.

 

One parish I went to when dd was little would give blessings. I always put dd in the father's line to get a proper blessing.

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WeeBeaks, would the blessing be given by a layperson? (Eucharistic minister implies Lay Eucharistic Minister in my denom--not sure if you mean a new priest or not.)

 

 

At GS in Alexandria, the blessing can be given by a Lay Eucharistic Minister. My dh is not Cath but he is Christian -- he joins the rest of us who go up with arms folded. The kids are in RCIC and will make their First Holy Communion in the Spring.

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I know my current parish allows laypersons to give a blessing. I question the legitimacy of such.

 

One parish I went to when dd was little would give blessings. I always put dd in the father's line to get a proper blessing.

 

Our family always ends up in the Celebrant's line because of where we sit. At the end of summer, a priest friend of ours was the Celebrant. The last time he had seen ds11, ds' hair was below his ears and was just anarchy. About four days before we went to Mass and saw Fr. R, ds got a buzz cut. In the Communion line, when ds went to Fr R, Fr R puts out his hand, pulls it back, and says in surprise: 'What happened to your hair?' It was so sweet. THEN, ds received a blessing.:001_smile:

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AFAIK this is not strictly supposed to be done, but is widely practiced anyway. But I have heard of priests refusing to do it.

 

Personally I wouldn't go up because I wouldn't want to be possibly sent back, and I'm not crazy about the idea of these kind of unclear practices, even in other people's churches.

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WeeBeaks, would the blessing be given by a layperson? (Eucharistic minister implies Lay Eucharistic Minister in my denom--not sure if you mean a new priest or not.)

 

I know my current parish allows laypersons to give a blessing. I question the legitimacy of such.

 

One parish I went to when dd was little would give blessings. I always put dd in the father's line to get a proper blessing.

 

I have heard that laypeople are not supposed to do it. Deacons and Priests, only.

 

And, there are some priests who don't like doing it during communion at all-but if your priest does, then abide by what he says. My kids go up when the lines are not too long, and if our deacons don't see the kids in the line, then they'll grab them on the way out and bless them.

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Most churches do the blessing but like pp's said, not all laypeople do a blessing, usually that's done by the priest only where we've been. I felt bad this past Sunday we were visiting a church in our soon-to-be new town and I accidentally got in the line for a layperson so my ODS was disappointed when the person didn't give a blessing. It was no big deal though, we just kept walking and he stayed with me, I mostly bring him up so he's not as antsy anyway, my DH stays seated with my YDS since obviously he can't take communion. Generally if I'm not taking communion we all sit, I'm not big on going up for the blessing mostly because I'd hate for visitors to misunderstand and think everyone but them is taking communion. I've heard others feel that way, especially if they come from other countries where a blessing is not the usual practice.

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