[QUOTE=tomndebb]
Not really. There are several Christian denominations that believe in the Divine Presence. Few of them insist on an Aristotelian/Scholastic adherence to the word Transubstantiation, but they very definitely believe in the Presence.
The RCC does object to people who do not believe in the Divine Presence partaking of the Eucharist, but the separate objection to the several groups who do share that belief (Orthodox, most of the Anglican Communion, some Lutherans, etc.) is that those groups are not united with the RCC and the RCC holds that communion is also a significant sign of unity. To the extent that unity does not exist, there cannot be a genuine sharing of the Eucharist. The RCC makes one point of distinguishing the validity of holy orders among several other groups, claiming that they cannot have the true Eucharist because their liturgical presidents do not have the authority in their ordinations through apostolic succession. As one may imagine, such unilateral declarations from the RCC about the validity of other groups’ ordinations does nothing to endear the RCC to members of those groups. Liturgical correctness aside, however, it is incorrect to claim that only the RCC holds the belief of the divine presence.
Catechism on the topic.
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You are absolutely right…I was not thinking or Eastern rite churches & Anglicans (not sure about the Lutherans, though…I don’t know TOO much about it, but in discussions with some Lutheran friends, there seems to be some subtle differentiation between the Catholic concept of the True Presence, and the Lutheran.), but more about typical American mainstream Protestant denominations such as Methodist, Baptist, etc. I wouldn’t have thought to differentiate Eastern Rite Catholics, for sure, and I might have even thought that they are “allowed” communion in a RC church.
Thanks for the more detailed answer! I should have covered that in mine.
As I understand it, the Catholics and Orthodox believe in transubstantiation, which is to say that the stuff in the chalices no longer has the substance of bread and wine, but only the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Anglicans are a bit vague about their exact beliefs, but can be interpreted to be transubstantiation. And the Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, which is to say that the wafers have both the substance of bread and the substance of the Body, and the wine is both wine and Blood. Some other Protestant denominations (I don’t know exactly which) hold that the Communion does not take on the substance of Body and Blood at all, but is merely symbolic.
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena]
2) non-Catholics being confused & taking communion.
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This confused me when I went to a Catholic Midnight Christmas Mass with a girl-friend. I noticed that when people were going up for communion, several people were staying in their pews. I asked her if I was supposed to go up for communion, and she replied with a long description of what I should believe and what ceremonies I should have passed. I looked at her quizzically.
She then asked, “Are you Catholic?”
“No.”
“Then stay here.”
Quite a difference from the United Methodist Church. There, everyone is encouraged to take communion, even the wee tykes.
My wife and I were even once in a group at the church that delivered (i.e., performed) a communion for shut-ins at their homes. We weren’t lay preachers or anything like that. We were simply blessed by the congregation just after the communion at the church. Then we’d take our little communion kits with bread and grape juice (a holdover from the Methodists’ temperance origins) and drive to whoever’s home and perform a variation of the communion ceremony for our hosts.
It was very rewarding, especially when we went to this one elderly couple at a nursing home. They both were in the developing stages of Alzheimer’s, and only marginally remembered us from visit to visit. But they were delighted that their church remembered them, and regaled us with stories of happenings at the church from 40 years before like they had only happened yesterday. We also brought our toddler daughter, who was the belle of the ball with all of the residents.
[QUOTE=Chronos]
As I understand it, the Catholics and Orthodox believe in transubstantiation, which is to say that the stuff in the chalices no longer has the substance of bread and wine, but only the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. . . . And the Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, which is to say that the wafers have both the substance of bread and the substance of the Body, and the wine is both wine and Blood.
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The Catholic belief is actually closer to the Lutheran belief as given here. The church knows full well that analyzed by a chemist, the transformed hosts would still be recognized chemically as bread and wine. Nevertheless, they exist on a metaphysical, or “super real”, level as the actual body and blood of Christ, beyond mere symbolism.