HI Jill,

Let me first address your second question regarding celibate priests.

The issue of a married priesthood is a matter of practice or discipline and not a doctrinal one.
In the Western (or Roman) Rite of the Catholic Church, the Church instituted celibacy for pastoral reasons. The demands on a priest are such that the Church found that men could better serve the people and their needs if they were not married. The Western Church does on occasion (especially in the cases of Protestant ministers who convert) ordain married men but as rule, celibate men are chosen for the priesthood.

Eastern Catholic Churches such as the Melkite, Coptic, and Armenian (just to name a few) do,
in fact, ordain married men. Most Roman Catholics in America are totally clueless regarding the existence of these fellow Catholics, mostly because there are so few of them in the United States. Nevertheless, they are every bit as Catholic as the rest of us.

What the Church has never allowed, either in the East or the West, is for priests to marry after they are ordained.

Now with respect to Communion — This answer requires a bit of theology to understand because it is a matter of faith and morals and not simply a practice or discipline such as the celibate priesthood.

As Catholics, we don't just believe in a symbolic communion. We believe that after the consecration, the real sacramental presence of Christ is manifested in what now appears to be bread and wine. That it to say, what looks like bread and wine is in reality, Jesus Christ Himself (Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity) that we actually receive. To that end, we adore the Blessed Sacrament, as it is Jesus who is now present.

In addition, Communion is a sign of unity in the faith, which includes submission to Holy Mother Church in all matters of faith and morals. That said, there are a couple of exceptions:

1. Some other Christians, such as the Eastern Orthodox may, under certain circumstance, receive Holy Communion at a Catholic Liturgy but that is because they share the same substantial belief (although they may express it differently) in the nature of Communion and, most importantly, they come from Churches which have a validly ordained priesthood that has maintained Apostolic Succession.
   
   
2. There is also an exception for other Christians who are in grave danger of death and who express the same faith in the Real Presence of Christ in Eucharist as Catholics believe and ask for Communion of their own free will.

One more note respecting unity in the faith. Many Catholics are under the misconception that they are free to receive Communion, and, at the same time, dissent from Catholic articles of faith and morals.

This is not the case. To receive Holy Communion, one must be in a state of grace. To call oneself Catholic and obstinately dissent from Church Teaching is, by definition, heresy, and thus the person is no longer in full union with the Church. In fact, [he/she] is, by definition, a de-facto Protestant. So-called catholics who believe in:

• abortion rights
• artificial contraception
• same-sex unions
• woman in the priesthood, or
• any other serious and widespread heresies

should not be receiving Communion until they repent of their position.

Hope this helps,

John DiMascio

Hi Jill,

John's answer was great, but I can sum up the essential reason in a brief analogy which may make it more obvious.

As you know, marriage is a symbol for the union of God and His people, of Christ and His Body, the Church. We Catholics have a bodily union with the Lord in the Eucharist. We eat His living Resurrected [Body/Blood] to have His Life in us. In order to have this union with Christ, we must have complete union of accepting His Word, and His Will, and His Body.

• His Word is His teaching through the Apostles to now, "He who hears you hears me."
  (Luke 10:16)
• His Will is the authority of the Church, "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matthew 28:20), and
• His own Body (John 6:51-58) is the Church so we have:
  • "one Lord" (teaching and ruling authority),
  • "one faith" (word), and
  • "one Baptism" (unity in the body through the sacraments).
    (Ephesians 4:5)

Receiving the Eucharist is to Christ and the Church what the act of marriage is to a marriage. Marriage requires a union of wills in a vow, a union of goods, and a union of life.

As Pope St. John Paul II says,

Sex is a total gift, and someone who has sex without the pledge of union of will and life is in some way acting a lie because one is acting out a union that does not yet exist.

Receiving Communion outside of being a Catholic is a little like having sex before marriage. There may be love involved, but one is acting out a Communion of belief and life that does not exist. The Eucharist is reserved for those who know and believe what it is, who have become part of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and who have purified themselves from serious sin.
As the Apostle Paul says, we must discern what it is, and partake of it worthily. (1 Corinthians 11:27)

I hope this helps.

You are not being excluded, you are being courted!

Hope this helps,

Mary Ann

Hi Jill,

I just wanted to pitch in two more cents to what John and Mary Ann have said but on a different part of your e-mail.

You said:
He hints at wanting me to convert, but I have a few questions first.

If you feel that you still want to ponder and pray about joining the Church, he shouldn't be overbearing. I remember a Baptist friend who I had faith-sharing talks with. At least once he told me that I was trying to convert him.

I told him if I did forcibly convert him, as Muslims might, his Baptism would be invalid.

• Why?

Because the candidate, who wants to join the Church has to make the choice freely — no one else ... and hopefully not your boyfriend.

I'm sure he has a good heart and good intentions, nevertheless the choice is yours. Your boyfriend's calling, like ours at AskACatholic, is to just share the Catholic faith and teachings Jesus has handled down to us through the Apostles since 33 A.D.

Check out some links you may have missed from the site:

• Why I am a Catholic.
• 12 reasons I enjoy being Catholic.
• How does one become a Catholic.
• BibleBeltCatholics.com
  

I used to run a free program that sent Catechisms to seeking Protestants and non-Christians but I no longer have the financial or operational means to do this anymore. Nevertheless, if you wish to go deeper, consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as Catholics.

— If you, or any visitor, have been helped by our work at AskACatholic.com, consider financially supporting us today.
— If you can't right now, click on a few ads on our website. Every ad click brings in a bit more revenue that supports our work. Every click helps.

Hope this helps,

Mike