Most Protestant churches practise open communion, although many require that the communicant be a baptized Christian. Open communion subject to baptism is an official policy of the Church of England and churches in the Anglican Communion.
For example, groups recognized as being in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, on this basis, include the Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church (United States), the Moravian Church, and the United Methodist Church.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is not in Communion with the Roman Church, nor is it in Communion with any Protestant denominational church. Eastern Orthodox Christians are forbidden from receiving Communion in any church other than Eastern Orthodox.
Most Protestant churches only practice two of these sacraments: baptism and the Eucharist (called Lord's Supper). They are perceived as symbolic rituals through which God delivers the Gospel.
Non-Catholics and those of us “raised” Catholic should abstain from taking Communion as a sign of respect. You can remain seated as others leave their pews and line up, or, if you accidentally find yourself following the herd to the altar, simply cross your hands over your heart.
Just as non-Catholics cannot receive Communion in the Catholic Church, Catholics cannot receive communion in non-Catholic services (regardless of what the Protestant denomination teaches).
The Catholic Church has a variety of rules and guidelines about who can receive Communion. For example, only baptized Catholics are eligible to receive Communion.
James T. O'Connor, a respected authority on dogmatic and sacramental theology, explains the Church's position. Because the Lord's body and blood are not substantially present, a Catholic is never permitted to partake of the communion services in such [Protestant] celebrations of the Lord's Supper.
In most Protestant churches, communion is seen as a memorial of Christ's death. The bread and wine do not change at all because they are symbols.
According to their researches, the attention paid to Mary is extreme, and may not only distract from the worship of God, but actually be idolatry.
When visiting one of our churches for the first time, it can be difficult to know who can and cannot go up to the chalice to receive Communion from the priest. For nearly 2,000 years, the Church has not allowed non-Orthodox Christians to partake of the Eucharist.
The plain reason why only baptized believers should take communion is this: communion is only for Christians. Christians are those who have been baptized. Therefore, unbaptized people should not take communion, because a non-baptized Christian is a contradiction in terms—something the New Testament knows nothing about.
Most Orthodox Churches allow marriages between members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Many Methodists, like other Protestants, regularly practice confession of their sin to God Himself, holding that "When we do confess, our fellowship with the Father is restored. He extends His parental forgiveness. He cleanses us of all unrighteousness, thus removing the consequences of the previously unconfessed sin.
Many evangelical churches celebrate communion periodically – monthly or quarterly. There's no clear command in Scripture as to how often we're to receive the Lord's Supper and for this reason, many churches have decided not to offer it weekly because they don't want it to become routine or lose its special status.
The celebration of Holy Communion is a thread that links all Christians. While the components of receiving the Eucharist are similar, each church and denomination has its own variations on the sacrament.
There are two main reasons non-Catholics cannot receive communion at a Catholic Mass: The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. We must be properly prepared to receive it (1 Cor. 11:26-29).
In the Roman Catholic Church, each participant is also anointed with oil. In Protestant denominations outside the Church of England, confirmation is seen as a rite of passage or initiation to full Christian discipleship.
Catholics, Orthodox, and most mainline Protestant groups assert baptism is a requirement for salvation and a sacrament, and speak of "baptismal regeneration". Its importance is related to their interpretation of the meaning of the "Mystical Body of Christ" as found in the New Testament.
Today, "the Eucharist" is the name still used by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. Other Protestant denominations rarely use this term, preferring either "Communion", "the Lord's Supper", "Remembrance", or "the Breaking of Bread".
Protestants believe in three essential beliefs. 1) The Bible is the ultimate religious truth and authority. 2) Through a belief in Jesus Christ and the grace of God, human beings can find salvation. 3) All Christians are viewed as priests and can communicate directly with God.
Many Protestants consider intercessory prayers to the saints to be idolatry, since what they perceive to be an application of divine worship that should be given only to God himself is being given to other believers, dead or alive.
According to the Catholic Church, there are seven mortal or cardinal sins: lust, gluttony, avarice (greed), sloth (laziness), anger, envy, and pride.
Protestantism emphasizes the Christian believer's justification by God in faith alone (sola fide) rather than by a combination of faith with good works as in Catholicism; the teaching that salvation comes by divine grace or "unmerited favor" only (sola gratia); the priesthood of all believers in the Church; and the ...
Catholics do not pray to Mary as if she were God. Prayer to Mary is memory of the great mysteries of our faith (Incarnation, Redemption through Christ in the rosary), praise to God for the wonderful things he has done in and through one of his creatures (Hail Mary) and intercession (second half of the Hail Mary).