Is it OK to receive communion in a Catholic Church?

Many of us have a families that are part-Orthodox, and part-Roman Catholic. For example, your mom may be Orthodox and brings you to St. George, but your dad may be a Roman Catholic (or what they call a "Melkite" - Melkites are Christians, usually of an Arabic background, who worship in the same manner as Orthodox Christians, but are in union with the Roman Catholic Church.)

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If you find yourself in this situation, you may have gone back and forth between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, and may have even recieved communion in both churches, and never thought twice about it. Maybe your parents told you that they're both the same, or "it doesn't matter, as long as you believe that the communion is the body and blood of Jesus."

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Well, here's the thing...it does matter. Alot.

When you recieve communion in a church, several things happen. First of all, sure, you believe it is the body and blood of Christ. Great. But what does "communion" actually mean?

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The word "communion" means to be united to something. So when I recieve communion in an Orthodox Church, it's the same as me saying that I want to be united with Christ, that I believe everything that the Orthodox Church teaches, and that I want to be united with all other Orthodox Christians.

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If you recieve communion in an Orthodox Church this week, then recieve it in a Catholic Church next week, there's a problem. You can't be a member of both the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, because while we have many similar beliefs, there is a lot that is different.

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If you commune in a Catholic church, you're basically saying that you don't want to be united with Orthodox Church anymore, and that you want to fall under the authority of the Pope.

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Now, don't get me wrong...the Pope is great and all. But he's not an Orthodox Bishop. He does not represent the Orthodox Church. Until the Pope decides to come back into union with the Orthodox Church, we cannot place ourselves under his direction.

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And there are many things that the Roman Catholic Church believes that we don't. Here's a few:

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1.) Papal Infallibility (the idea that the Pope, when speaking officially on faith and morals, can never be wrong.)

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2.) Purgatory (the believe that when you die, you go to a "middle state" of existence on the way to heaven, where you are "purged" through fire for your sins.)

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3.) The Immaculate Conception (the belief that Mary was concieved without original sin).

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4.) The Filioque (the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.)

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While these might not seem like that big of a deal, trust me, they really are. These four things, while seemingly small, really are HUGE differences between us and them. As Orthodox Christians, we simply cannot accept these beliefs, since they are newly invented and have never been taught in the entire history of the Orthodox Church.

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So to sum it up, it's either one or the other. If you are a baptized Orthodox Christian, you should not commune in a Roman Catholic or Melkite Catholic Church. If you have before and didn't know any better, come to confession, and be re-united with the Orthodox Church. If your parents drag you to a Catholic Church one day, fine. Just don't recieve communion there.

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We are Orthodox. Stick to your Orthodox Faith. Don't take a lukewarm position and say "It doesn't really matter." It does matter. You may not always know all about why it matters, but it really is an important thing. Live your life as an Orthodox Christian in every way, including communion.