Directions for Receiving Holy Communion from Other Christians

Parishioners have asked whether they can validily and licitly receive Holy Communion when they attend funerals or other celebrations of the Eucharist at churches run by the Society of Saint Pius X. The short answer is "yes." 

The longer answer is found in consideration of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. For parishioners, who usually attend Mass at one of the churches of the Catholic Parish of Whanganui, the following applies:

Can.844 §2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non- Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.

For parishioners of a SSPX parish or any of the Eastern Churches such as the Greek or Russian Orthodox the following applies:

Can 844 §3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed.  This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.

In addition, Catholics do not receive at Protestant Communion services:

Can.844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, §2.

however, for members of those congregations, the following applies:

Can 844 §4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

The assessment as to when the conditions are met belongs to the pastor of the parish. In general, practising Catholics are unlikely to abuse the situation and are well aware of their obligation to attend Mass in a church which is good standing with the Supreme Pontiff and the College of Bishops.