Why can’t we take Communion at the Catholic Church? Is it allowable at our church, to immerse the Body into the chalice and dispense it?
His Grace Bishop Youssef:
In order to take communion at the Catholic Church or any other church we should be united in faith with that Church. The Catholic Church adopted several doctrines such as, the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Son, the Immaculate Conception of St. Mary, the purgatory, the infallibility of the Pope etc .., all of which our Coptic Orthodox Church has rejected. These doctrines were not the belief of the early Church nor are they based on the writings of the early fathers.
Regarding putting the Body into the Blood, our Lord Himself did not do that. We derive our practice from the pattern that He himself has established when instituting this Sacrament “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20; see also 1 Cor 11:24-25). Our Lord did not give His disciples His Body and His Blood together.
How can we justify changing what our Lord Himself did and instructed us to follow? What is a good reason for changing?
You can read about the differences between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches in “Theological and Dogmatic Differences Between: Orthodox and Catholics” compiled by Fr. Markos Hanna; St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Los Angeles, CA.
