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<DIV>Please don't be insulted if you are a non-Catholic and are left out of the communion durring mass. I was actually surprised to hear that one was offered communion because of a person's faith 'showing through'. It is mandated by the Catholic church that you be confirmed in the church before receiving communion. It is the belief of the church that to provide this service to non-Catholics serves to break down the strength of the body of the church. They ask that as a non-Catholic you seek communion in your own church. (They do offer special blessings.) The reason for this 'rule' is that non-Catholics may be recieving the holy host in a spirit differently then the church intends it to be recieved. The faith in the act is key. Of all things, Catholics take the holy host most seriously. They believe that you are ACTUALLY recieving the body of christ, not in symbolism. Basically, if you don't BELIEVE as they do, don't!
t!
!
rivialize their most sacred ritual by participating. It's bigger then that....but that's the jist...</DIV>
<DIV>Hope that has cleared up the ???</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:mjdunnaTXUCOM.NET" title=mjdunnaTXUCOM.NET>Maryjane Dunn</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A href="mailto:mjdunnaTXUCOM.NET" title=mjdunnaTXUCOM.NET>GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 4/2/01 1:01:35 PM </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: liturgies and prayer on camino</DIV>
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<DIV>While attending high mass in Compostela (when Linda and I were inducted into</DIV>
<DIV>the Archicofradia de Santiago--neither Linda nor I are Catholic), I was told</DIV>
<DIV>by one of the Spanish priests (from the Asociacion de Alicante, I believe)</DIV>
<DIV>that he would be helping to serve communion, and that I should come to his</DIV>
<DIV>station and he would serve me, because, in talking with me he said he could</DIV>
<DIV>see my "true Christian faith" and that was good enough for him.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Maryjane</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> That's very interesting! I was traveling with several American priests, a</DIV>
<DIV>> nun, and a group of Catholic lay people (and 3 non-Catholics, including</DIV>
<DIV>> myself and a Baptist) last summer. When the priests celebrated mass and</DIV>
<DIV>> passed around the consecrated bread, they were quite clear that</DIV>
<DIV>> we were NOT</DIV>
<DIV>> to particate unless we were Catholic. Being Christian Protestant</DIV>
<DIV>> wasn't good</DIV>
<DIV>> enough. ...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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