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Hi Rylan,
Thanks for the good question.
The short answer to your question is No, but I want you to understand the reasons why.
This is an area in our Church where our catechesis is very poor. Very few cradle Catholics to my knowledge have heard what I will tell you.
As I said in this posting:
Receiving Holy Communion at a Catholic Mass is more than receiving the Body and Body of the Lord.
It is also an outward expression of those who partake in Holy Communion as having a communion or Common Union, in a common, divine faith.
No separated brethren can receive Holy Communion, not because Catholics are
un-ecumenical or uncharitable, but because, although some, like you, may believe in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist, there are other teachings that we disagree with.
When we receive Holy Communion we are re-affirming a Common Union in Faith. Sadly, this doesn't prohibit Catholics from dissenting from Church teachings because the Church respects their free will to scandalize the Church.
If you truly believe in the Real Presence of Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist that is a sign the He is calling you to full communion in His Catholic Church.
That said, by going to a CREC church, you would be re-affirming your common union with their teachings and then saying the exact opposite by attending a Catholic Mass.
Sadly, when the Reformation occurred Thomas Cranmer changed the form (the words used) for Holy Orders. Luther had also rejected the sacrificial nature of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ as well. For these reasons, though the CREC ministers may distribute communion, it is not the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord because their Holy Orders and priesthood is invalid; yes, even in the Anglican Church, unless they are Anglicans that have been reunited with Rome through the recent pastoral provision and have been properly ordained.
Finally, Catholics are not Muslims. We don't force people to join or stay in the faith. We believe that each individual should look at the history and teachings for each faith and decide for themselves.
If you want more good reasons to become a Catholic check out My favorites page and web site
on the Early Church Fathers. (BibleBeltCatholics.com) They were the very first Christians who succeeded the Apostles.
What I do on that site is take quotes right out of their mouths on what they:
- thought
- taught, and
- died for.
I break the patristic era from 100 A.D. to 787 A.D. into three sections and quote each of them
in the appropriate century they lived in.
Then I compare what they said:
- in the first to eighth century to
- what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches today in the twenty-first century
and let the reader decide for themselves:
- Do these very first Christians sound like they believed in Catholic teachings ... or not?
My favorite quote is found on the AskACatholic.com home page by St. Pacian of Barcelona.
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.
I hope this helps,
Mike
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