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Who May Receive Communion?

The Holy Eucharist is the most important of the seven sacraments because, in this sacrament, we receive Christ Jesus, body, blood, soul and divinity. Countless precious graces come to us through the reception of Holy Communion.

Communion is an intimate encounter with Christ, in which we sacramentally receive Christ into our bodies, that we may be more completely assimilated into his.

The Eucharist also strengthens the individual because in it Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, forgives our venial sins and gives us the strength to resist mortal sin. It is also the very channel of eternal life: Jesus himself.

In John’s gospel, Jesus summarized the reasons for receiving Communion when he said,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:53–58).

Because of the gravity of Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist, the Church encourages Catholic Apostolic National Churches to receive frequent Communion, even daily Communion if possible, and mandates reception of the Eucharist at least once a year during the Easter season. Before going to Communion, however, there are several things one needs to know.

Catholic Apostolic National Churches and Communion

The Church sets out particular guidelines regarding how we should prepare ourselves to receive the Lord’s body and blood in Communion. To receive Communion worthily, you must be in a state of grace, have made a good confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical punishment such as excommunication or inhibition.

First, you must be in a state of grace. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (1 Cor. 11:27–28) This is an absolute requirement, which can never be dispensed. To receive the Eucharist without sanctifying grace in your soul profanes the Eucharist in the most grievous manner.

A mortal sin is any sin whose matter is grave and which has been committed willfully and with knowledge of its seriousness. Grave matter includes, but is not limited to, murder, receiving or being complicit in an abortion, homosexual acts, fornication, adultery, and deliberately engaging in impure thoughts (Matt. 5:28–29). Scripture contains lists of mortal sins (1 Cor. 6:9–10 and Gal. 5:19–21).

Catholic Apostolic National Churches are warned against, out of habit and out of fear of what those around them will think, while in a state of mortal sin, choosing to go forward and offend God, rather than stay in the pew while others receive the Eucharist. The Church’s ancient teaching on this particular matter is expressed in the Didache, an early Christian document written around A.D. 70, which states: "Whosoever is holy let him approach. Whosoever is not, let him repent" (Didache 10).

Second, you must have been to confession since your last mortal sin. The Didache witnesses to this practice of the early Church. "But first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one" (Didache 14).

A person who is conscious of a grave sin is never to receive the body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless an extremely grave reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible.

The requirement for sacramental confession can be dispensed if four conditions are fulfilled: (1) there must be a grave reason to receive Communion (for example, danger of death), (2) it must be physically or morally impossible to go to confession first, (3) the person must already be in a state of grace through perfect contrition, and (4) he must resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

Third, you must believe in transubstantiation. "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor. 11:29). Transubstantiation means more than the Real Presence. According to transubstantiation, the bread and wine are actually transformed into the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, with only the appearances of bread and wine remaining. This is why, at the Last Supper, Jesus held what appeared to be bread and wine, yet said: "This is my body. . . . This is my blood" (Mark 14:22-24, cf. Luke 22:14-20). If Christ were merely present along side bread and wine (consubstantiation), he would have said "This contains my body. . . . This contains my blood," which he did not say. Likewise, He did not say, “This represents my body…This represents my blood”.

Fourth, you must strictly observe the Eucharistic fast. One who is to receive the most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion.” Elderly people, those who are ill, and their caretakers are excused from the Eucharistic fast.

Lastly, one must not be under an ecclesiastical censure. Those who are excommunicated or inhibited, and others who obstinately persist in grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.

Provided you are in a state of grace and have met the above requirements, you should receive the Eucharist frequently.

Other Christians and Communion

We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions that separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us ‘that they may all be one’ (John 17:21).

Because Catholic Apostolic National Churchss (ICANs) believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the guidance of the local Ordinary and the provisions of the Church.
Scripture is clear that the partaking of the Eucharist is among the highest signs of Christian unity. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). For this reason, it is normally impossible for non-Catholic Apostolic National Church Christians to receive Holy Communion, for to do so would be to proclaim that a unity exists, which in reality, does not.

As many non-Catholic Apostolic National Church Christians reject the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, another very important reason that many non-Catholic Apostolic National Church Christians may not ordinarily receive Communion is for their own spiritual protection. Scripture warns that it is very dangerous for one not believing in the Real Presence to receive Communion: "For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died" (1 Cor. 11:29–30). Every effort must be made to educate non-Catholic Apostolic National Churches to this very real danger, lest some unknowingly partake of the precious Body and Blood to their detriment, and missallettes used in local parishes should, in the front pages, include these or similar acceptable instructions and directions regarding the reception of the Eucharist. In Masses where a large number of non-Catholic Apostolic National Church Christians may be present, appropriate instruction should be given prior to the commencement of the Divine Liturgy.

Possible exceptions

However, there are circumstances when non-Catholic Apostolic National Church faithful may receive Communion from an Catholic Apostolic National Church priest. This is especially the case when it comes to Roman Catholic Christians, Oriental Orthodox Christians, and Eastern Orthodox Christians, who share the same faith concerning the nature of the sacraments:

Catholic Apostolic National Church ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick to members of these churches, which do not have full Communion with the Catholic Apostolic National Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Archbishop-Metropolitan are in the same condition as these churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.

Christians in these churches should, of course, respect their own church’s guidelines regarding when it would be permissible for them to receive Communion in an Catholic Apostolic National Church.

The circumstances in which Protestants are permitted to receive Communion are more limited, though it is still possible for them to do so under certain specifically defined circumstances.

If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop, Catholic Apostolic National Church ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full Communion with the Catholic Apostolic National Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest catholic faith and understanding in these sacraments and are properly disposed.

It is important to remember that, under the possible exceptions specified, even in those rare circumstances when non-Catholic Apostolic National Church faithful are able to receive Communion, the same requirements apply to them as to Catholic Apostolic National Church faithful.

Non-Christians and Communion

We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family. A blessing may be received from the priest, by presenting themselves, at the time of communion, with both arms crossed across their chest. The priest will give a blessing to that individual in the spirit of Christian love.

Because they have not received baptism, and do not profess the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, non-Christians cannot receive Communion. However, in emergency situations, they can be received into the Church via baptism, even if no priest is present, and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may bring them Communion as Viaticum.

How to receive Communion

Communicants may receive Communion either standing or kneeling. With regard to the manner of going to Communion the faithful can receive it either kneeling or standing, in accordance with the norms of the liturgy being used. When the faithful communicate kneeling, no other sign of reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament is required, since kneeling is itself a sign of adoration. When they receive Communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the Sacrament.

Communion is received on the tongue, (or spoon in the case of Byzantine liturgies used in Byzantine Rite Catholic Apostolic National Churches), as is appropriate to the liturgical rite used and the common practice of the parish, under the guidance of the local Ordinary.

After receiving Communion, it is appropriate to stay after Mass and thank Jesus for coming to you in the Holy Eucharist. The faithful are to be reminded not to omit to make a proper thanksgiving after Communion. They may do this during the celebration with a period of silence, with a hymn, psalm or other song of praise, or also after the celebration, if possible by staying behind to pray for a suitable time.

[cited from the CANC Catechsim]
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