Who can receive communion??

Sometimes, it is confusing to know whether you are in a state of grace to receive the Eucharist. If you receive the Eucharist unworthily or not in the right state of mind, you end up hurting your relationship with God more; unworthy redemption causes more sin. The Church has made some guidelines for its followers, so that they know whether they are capable of receiving the Eucharist worthily. First, you must be in a state of grace. This means that you must be in good standings with God and directly ties to the second rule that you must have been to confession since your last mortal sin. You cannot receive the Eucharist with mortal sins on your soul; it is okay to receive communion with venial sins because the Eucharist forgives you of them if you are truly sorry.Thirdly, you must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation. You can only receive the Eucharist if you believe that it truly changes into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fourth, you must observe the Eucharistic fast (cannot eat or drink anything besides water or medicine for at least an hour before mass). Finally, you must not be under an ecclesiastical censure. This means that you must be in a good relationship with the Church; cant receive if you've been interdicted or excommunicated by the church. Also, to receive the most out of the sacrament you must receive it with the right intentions; receive it to grow in relationships with God and not to save yourself.


Other Christian denominations can receive the Eucharist if they have permission from the diocese. Normally, this is never given because 1) if other denominations receive the Eucharist  then they are receiving it in the wrong state of mind because they do not believe in transubstantiation. So, the church protects them by not letting them receive it. 2) Also, it is normally impossible to receive permission because if you receive communion, then you would be proclaiming a unity to the church, which does not exist. Eastern Orthodox Christians can receive the Eucharist from a catholic church because they believe the same things about the Eucharist although they should receive it in their own church whenever possible. Finally, Non-Christians cannot receive communion because they have not been baptized. In an emergency situation, it is possible for Non-Christians to receive communion as Viaticum.