Title: The Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church
Headings: The Sacrament of Holy Communion
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Who Can Receive Catholic Communion?
Preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Communion
Making a Spiritual Communion
The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Communion

Content: The Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church
Abrahamic / Middle Eastern Christianity
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Pope Benedict XVI gives Polish President Lech Kaczynski (kneeling) Holy Communion during Mass at Pilsudski Square May 26, 2006, in Warsaw, Poland. Carsten Koall / Getty Images
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By
Scott P. Richert
Catholicism Expert
M.A., Political Theory, Catholic University of America
B.A., Political Theory, Michigan State University
Scott P. Richert is senior content network manager of Our Sunday Visitor. He has written about Catholicism for outlets including Humanitas and Catholic Answers Magazine. our editorial process
Scott P. Richert
Updated April 09, 2020
The Sacrament of Holy Communion is the third of the Sacraments of Initiation. Even though we are required to receive Communion at least once per year (our Easter Duty ), and the Church urges us to receive Communion frequently (even daily, if possible), it is called a sacrament of initiation because, like Baptism and Confirmation, it brings us into the fullness of our life in Christ. Who Can Receive Catholic Communion? Normally, only Catholics in a state of grace can receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. ( See the next section for more details on what it means to be in a state of grace.) Under certain circumstances, however, other Christians whose understanding of the Eucharist (and the Catholic sacraments generally) is the same as that of the Catholic Church can receive Communion, even though they are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. In their Guidelines for the Reception of Communion, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops notes that: