Comments on: What exactly is the difference between Catholic and Lutheran belief in communion? They sound pretty alike to me.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:36:21 +0000

Although I am Lutheran and we have our differences with Catholics, I am sick and tired of the Catholic-bashing that I see some churches doing. If someone believes Christ died for them on the cross and rose again, the Bible says they’re saved. Stop being so judgemental. Look at your own church.Some of these new churches are accepting MODALISM. VERY BAD stuff. It denies the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–plz avoid them!! And pray for them to realize their error(s)! We ought to be praying for the whole visible Body of Christ, here on earth, anyway.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:23:10 +0000

@paula @Erik Z I am a Lutheran and we Lutherans absolutely do believe Romans 10:9+10. We just do not necessarily use the term “born-again”. We use the word “saved”. Meaning “saved by the blood of Christ”.The term “born-again is fine,but we don’t feel we need to change our language whenever someone else does,although some Lutherans may use it.Do not be judgemental about the sacraments. These are serious things to we who believe. And It is Biblical!!You should learn about these things. @paula You are getting hung up on a word–religion. We mean it in the way it was formally used,ie., Religion=Christian Faith.I don’t see why other Christians have to change a word just because a pentecostal or some other church assigns a bad meaning to it, to make the other churches look bad.What do you think everyone on here is talking about? The answer is their Faith, of course, which is a REAL Living relationship for all who believe in Jesus.Why should we keep changing our venacular?? We Christians know what each otheris saying + really means.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:50:20 +0000

@Erik Z I am a Lutheran and I, like my fellow Lutherans,believe Romans 10:9+10. We just do not necessarily use the term “born-again”. We use the word “saved”. That is saved by the blood of Christ.The term “born-again is fine, butis an older Baptist word.

By: paula

paula — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:05:23 +0000

I read this the other day, A christian, is a relationship with the Lord, not a religion.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:30:20 +0000

I’m still have so much to learn. I am referring to Mikes comment at the top. He said Lutherans don’t pray for the dead. Catholics have Rosary’s when someone dies. What kind of services do Lutheran’s have for the dead? Do Lutherans pray the Rosary. I’ve prayed for my love one’s that died to let them be at peace wherever they are.

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:51:18 +0000

It is acceptable for a Catholic to take Communion at a Lutheran Church. I was at a wedding for a friend who was Catholic and is now Lutheran. They made an announcement before the service started that told the Catholics that it was acceptable to receive Communion at the wedding. I do not know or understand why it is not permitted the other way around.

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:09:09 +0000

Another issue that I have learned first hand about is that divorcees are not allowed to take communion in the RC church unless the marriage has been annulled. It is considered a sin. As a Lutheran I find that stance troublesome. Why wouldn’t someone that needs to be renewed, refreshed, and forgiven, be denied access to that gift?

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:21:26 +0000

I am a Lutheran and I take communion almost everyday in a Catholic church. At first I was told I could not take it but could be given a blessing. I said that Jesus said himself for ALL to take. He did not say Catholics only. For this reason I take communion and I hold the meaning of it in my heart as to the belief that the bread is the body of Christ and the wine is the blood of Christ, in memory of him, as he siad himself. I feel let no one or no church rule keep you from your belief in God. Do you realy think God cares if you are Catholic or lutheran as long as you believe in him. Go to John 3 16 and it does not say ” Catholic or Lutheran”It says ” God so love the world he gave his only son,and WHOEVER shall believeth in me shall not parish but have ever lasting life.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:23:46 +0000

Dylan – what exactly does excommunication mean to you if an excommunicated person can still receive Holy Communion? And a divorced person may still receive Communion in the Catholic Church… it’s when a divorced person remarries that the situation becomes a bit sticky.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:25:36 +0000

The reality is that we are not really united (at least not fully anyway), else we would not be discussing Lutherans vs Catholics. So, yes it is inconsistent with our profession of faith as Catholics to receive Holy Communion in a non-Catholic Church. First of all, because if the church does not have valid orders, then they cannot even consecrate the Eucharist in the first place – never mind if that particular church believes in the real presence or not. As Justin Martyr said back in 155 A.D., “No one may share in the eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true,… “

By: Earl C

Earl C — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:35:37 +0000

My wife and I take the Lords supper together – she is catholic and I attend Lutheran services. My children are baptized catholic. I enjoy both places of worship and feel unity not division. catholic means universal not divided. It is to my understanding we share the Nicene creed of beliefs. We have been married for 30 years.My understanding is the catholic church reaches out to other christian and even other religions they just think they have a more perfect path to God but not the only path. We both believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Spirit emanates from the Father and the Son, the son was fully man and divine. We both believe we are saved by grace and involve ourselves in community service, charity and giving. We are content and at peace. As for the pope I see him as a religious leader and his relationship with God is between him and God none of my business. He will be judged along side of the rest of us by Christ. The bible tells us to love even our enemies , how can we not love each other.

By: Erik Z

Erik Z — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:12:16 +0000

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus christ is Lord thou shall be saved

By: Erik Z

Erik Z — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:11:13 +0000

The bottom line is like Jesus said in John 3:7 you must be born again. He further says in the following verses that unless man is born again he cannot see or enter the kingdom of heaven. Never mind being baptizsed or taking communion, those acts do not save you. Once you become born again then you become baptised.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:18:26 +0000

I have spent much time in the Lutheran, Episcopal, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. The main thing to understand is that each of the Churches have a different understanding of the mystery, and substance of the Eucharist; that said, it is completely contrary to the Word of God, that anyone should deny one the right to commune in Christ, or more ridiculously, because of circumstances such as a divorce or excommunication (in the Roman Church) where does that leave souls? The Roman Catholic church is promoting membership in protestant denominations more than it knows. We can only pray for the unity of all+

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:06:03 +0000

Interesting discussion … my wife and I have been LCMS Lutherans and are now Roman Catholic – but not all at the same time, of course.

While we remain Roman Catholic, we are Eucharistic ministers (assist with the distribution of The Eucharist) and at a Mass a Lutheran minister (knowing her to be Lutheran (ELCA) and she in a Roman collar, asked as she approached me if she could receive … may be against RC rules, I said “of course” as I knew she believes in Christ in the Eucharist and a in Christ’s redemption for us.

Just thought I’d share this as a common thread for many Lutherans and Catholics … Rome may keep us separated but making that choice is ours alone.

By: David

David — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:11:51 +0000

I don’t take communion at non Catholic churches, even my grandmother’s church (she’s a lutheran). I don’t do it to be mean, and I don’t do it because I think it’s a “mortal sin”. I do it because the gravity of belief is different. If we are supposing there is indeed this vast sacred element in the Eucharist, deserving of our reverence and understanding, we should acknowledge the gravity of our beliefs by sticking to the communion within our respective churches. This doesn’t need to be a discriminatory thing, it should just be something where each of us embraces the understanding of our respective church’s beliefs on the subject. It’s a heavy thing to take the Eucharist. I prefer to keep that idea consistent in practice as well as belief.

By: angel

angel — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:19:46 +0000

i think this is great for an assignment

By: Uwe Siemon-Netto

Uwe Siemon-Netto — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:52:32 +0000

PS to Steve: Luther also said that it is dangerous to receive Communion flippantly. Buy I have seen in Germany faithful Catholic priests, including a Trappist prior, receive the sacrament at a Lutheran altar because it was consecrated by a Lutheran bishop ordained in the apostolic succession.

By: Uwe Siemon-Netto

Uwe Siemon-Netto — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:45:51 +0000

I like the level of this discussion. As a Lutheran spending half the year in France, I commune there at Roman Catholic churches with the permission of their hierarchy because there is no Lutheran church anywhere within a 400-mile radius and the Calvinist churches do not believe in Real Presence. Most educated Catholics understand that Lutherans value Communion as highly as they do, Word and Sacrament being the two means of grace in the Lutheran church. We are as adamant as they in affirming the Real Presence. But like the Eastern Orthodox, we do not teach transubstantiation, or for that natter consubstantiation, because of the futility of any attempt to explain a divine mystery in terms of reason, which is — to use a contemporary metaphor — the “operating system” of the secular realm; its equivalent in the spiritual realm is faith.

By: sandra frady

sandra frady — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:39:16 +0000

Very interesting discussion. I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring us ALL closer and closer so that the time comes when we can all receive Communion with each other no matter which church we are sitting in. Let us love one another so that we are all recognized as Jesus’ disciples. In our town we have great cooperation between the various churches, both in prayerful reunions and in ministry outreach. Blessings to you all.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:22:24 +0000

God does everything in and by order. Paul gave us some rules on communion in I Corinthians 5.7-13 and 11.17-34.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:32:24 +0000

I agree with you Tiphanie.

By: Tiphanie

Tiphanie — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:13:34 +0000

It troubles me that we are all supposed to be “brothers and sisters” and ALL welcome to “God’s table”…yet there are RULES?!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:46:31 +0000

@ cathyf – this situation is more complicated than that for Lutherans. The official position of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) is analogous to that of the Roman Catholic church: you must be in communion with (i.e. a member of) the LCMS in order to receive communion in their services. Practice in the ELCA varies. Some congregations welcome all baptized Christians, or (as in my congregation) those who normally commune in their own congregations. Others ask that you share the Lutheran belief in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament in order to commune.

@ Steph and Tara – I don’t know if it’s regarded a mortal sin, but I believe the official Roman Catholic position is that Roman Catholics are not allowed to receive communion in non-RC churches.

As an ELCA pastor, I counsel my people to respect the rules of their hosts when they worship with Roman Catholics or Missouri Synod Lutherans and receive communion only at the explicit invitation of the host pastor .

By: Bill S.

Bill S. — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:28:43 +0000

I grew up Catholic but, attend an ELCA church in my hometown.My fathers side were historically Lutherans,Palatine Germans in N.Y. I feel at home in either Church and I see more similarities than differences and those should be celebrated.I was never told as a Catholic that it was a sin to receive or Celebrate the communion in any other Christian church.How it is viewed by the individual is the matter in Question.

By: Tara

Tara — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:13:59 +0000

I grew up catholic and I believe that catholics are welcome to visit and take communion from other churches. I dont believe they think it is a sin.

By: Steph

Steph — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:22:24 +0000

I believe it’s a mortal sin for Catholics to receive communion in another church. I did not take communion with the Lutherans until I had decided that I was not Catholic anymore.

By: cathyf

cathyf — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:18:49 +0000

Lutherans welcome baptized Christians to communion at there services, obviously that would include Catholics. What is the Catholic Church’s position on Catholics receiving communion at a Lutheran service?

By: Mike Hayes

Mike Hayes — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:56:45 +0000

Martha and Jordan…exactly right.

Jordan…canon law would give the hierarchy the right to determine what is in Catholic tradition obviously, but I think you’re asking how the church would determine when someone who is outside of Catholicism is actually on the communion line? I would say that they don’t really know unless they self-identify in some way. And that’s the point–we are self-identifying as Catholics and sending others a sign that we are “in communion” with that particular tradition.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:04:57 +0000

That’s a good question Martha. From what I see it has to do with anyone who receives communion at a Roman Catholic Mass, must believe everything the Catholic Church teaches. Since Lutherans do not in the infallibility of the pope… they cannot. Now my question is, where does the church derive the authority to determine who does and does not receive communion?