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Old Catholics?

Question

Question

Can "Old Catholics" receive communion in the Catholic Church?

--Puzzled in Pasadena

Answer

Answer

All Old Catholics fall under the provision of Canon 844, paragraph 3 which reads:

Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed.

This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned. Old Catholics belong to a church which retains the Apostolic succession, but are not in full communion with Rome.

For more information read: Ernest Falardeau, SSS "Eucharistic Sharing: Recent Developments" Ecumenical Trends 30(2001) 139-144.