8.132.1. I went to an Anglican church and received Holy Communion. Isn’t it basically the same as the Catholic Eucharist?
No — the Anglican "Eucharist" is not the same as the Catholic Eucharist, and attending an Anglican service and receiving their "communion" is gravely wrong and sacrilegious according to traditional Catholic teaching.
The Catholic Church has always taught that the Holy Eucharist is the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, made present by a validly ordained Catholic priest in the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass.
This requires:
A valid priesthood, descending from the Apostles (apostolic succession).
A valid form of consecration, using the correct words and intention.
A valid sacrificial Mass, offered for the living and the dead.
Anglicanism, however, lacks all three.
In 1896, Pope Leo XIII definitively declared that Anglican orders are:
“...absolutely null and utterly void.”
This means that Anglican ministers are not valid priests and have no power to consecrate the Eucharist. Their communion services are invalid — they are not the true Sacrifice of the Mass, and no transubstantiation takes place.
The Catholic Church’s rejection of Anglican “orders” is not merely about formality — it is about safeguarding the truth and the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The Anglican service may resemble the Catholic Mass outwardly, but it lacks the substance and grace. Just as grape juice in a chalice is not the Precious Blood, Anglican bread and wine remain just bread and wine.
Moreover, receiving communion in a non-Catholic service is a grave sin of communicatio in sacris (sharing in sacred things with heretics or schismatics). This is condemned by Scripture (2 John 1:10–11) and by countless popes and councils. It implies agreement or unity where there is none and wounds the unity of the Church.
This is especially serious because Anglicanism is a heresy. It was born out of rebellion against the Catholic Church in the 16th century, led by King Henry VIII, who rejected the pope’s authority and created a man-made religion. Anglicanism denies key Catholic dogmas such as:
The papacy
Transubstantiation
The sacrificial nature of the Mass
Confession
The Marian dogmas
Even though some “high church” Anglicans use candles, incense, and vestments — these externals do not restore validity or unity. At best, their services are ritual imitations without grace. At worst, they are mockeries of the true Sacrifice of Calvary.
So what should you do?
If you mistakenly received Anglican “communion,” make a sincere confession to a valid Catholic priest (i.e., a traditional priest with valid orders, not a Novus Ordo one) and resolve never to do it again. Avoid attending non-Catholic services altogether unless for a grave reason (and never to participate in worship).
Only in the true Catholic Mass — the Traditional Latin Mass — is Christ truly and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist, offered by a valid priest, in continuity with the Apostles. It is the center of our Faith, not a symbolic memorial.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Anglican View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Eucharist | True Body and Blood of Christ, through valid consecration | Symbolic or ambiguous theology of Real Presence | No transubstantiation; no valid priesthood = no sacrament |
| Priesthood | Valid apostolic succession, power to consecrate | Declared “absolutely null and utterly void” (Leo XIII) | No valid orders, hence no sacramental power |
| Mass | True sacrifice of Calvary made present sacramentally | Memorial meal or commemoration, not a sacrifice | No sacrifice = no Catholic Mass = no graces |
| Unity | Only in full communion with the Catholic Church | No unity with the Pope or true Church | Receiving their “communion” is a grave sin |
| Ecumenism | Condemned: unity must be in truth and doctrine | Promotes intercommunion and doctrinal ambiguity | Leads to indifferentism and confusion |
Summary:
The belief that the Anglican Eucharist is “basically the same” as the Catholic Eucharist is a serious error — one that undermines the very heart of the Faith.
Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper and gave the Apostles the power to consecrate. This power has been passed down through valid bishops in apostolic succession. The Mass is not just a meal — it is a true sacrifice. The bread and wine are transubstantiated into Christ’s Body and Blood.
Anglicans do not possess a valid priesthood, and therefore their services lack the Real Presence of Christ. Pope Leo XIII made this definitively clear in 1896. Since then, nothing has changed to reverse that verdict.
The confusion arises because post-Vatican II ecumenism downplays these differences, encouraging Catholics to think all Christian “churches” are more or less the same. But this false unity contradicts 2,000 years of Catholic teaching.
It is not merely a question of taste or preference. To participate in an Anglican service — especially to receive their “communion” — is to publicly express unity with a false religion. This is a mortal sin called communicatio in sacris, which was repeatedly condemned by popes like Pius XI (Mortalium Animos) and even by early Church Fathers.
If you have participated in such services out of ignorance, make an honest confession and stay away in the future. Seek out the Traditional Latin Mass, where the Eucharist is truly Christ, and where the Faith is preserved in its fullness.
In the true Catholic Church, unity is not built on warm feelings or shared hymns, but on doctrine, sacraments, and apostolic authority. We must avoid the temptation to compromise the Faith under the illusion of unity. Christ does not dwell in invalid sacraments — He dwells in the true Church He founded.