Full Communion

Non-Catholic Christians belonging to the main line Churches will be given full communion in the Catholic Church at their formal request only after the candidates receive a systematic formal catechism on the tenets of the Catholic Faith. They will not be Baptized but will require a public profession of faith by the recital of the Catholic Creed.

The Catholic Church makes a distinction between full and partial communion: where full communion exists, there is but one church; partial communion, on the other hand, exists where some elements of Christian faith are held in common, but complete unity on essentials is lacking. Accordingly, it sees itself as in partial communion with Protestants and in much closer, but still incomplete, communion with the Orthodox churches. It has expressed this distinction in documents such as Unitatis redintegratio, the Second Vatican Council’s decree on ecumenism, which states: “… quite large communities came to be separated from full communion with the Catholic Church. …Men who believe in Christ and have been truly baptized are in communion with the Catholic Church even though this communion is imperfect”.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, citing the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI, states:

“The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honoured by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter” (Lumen gentium 15). Those “who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church” (Unitatis redintegratio 3). With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound “that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist” (Paul VI, Discourse, 14 December 1975; cf. Unitatis redintegratio 13-18). Full communion involves completeness of “those bonds of communion – faith, sacraments and pastoral governance – that permit the Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church.”

Sometimes people who have been baptized in Christian Churches of other denominations wish to become part of the Catholic Church. Many times, they have been active Christians and have had significant Christian formation. Depending on the degree of your past Christian involvement and familiarity with the Catholic Church the preparation you need to come into full communion with the Catholic Church will vary. We usually suggest that you participate in at least nine Inquiry sessions that we offer year-round:

• Trinitarian God
• Catholic Understanding of Scripture
• Prayer and Liturgy of the Hours
• Catholic Social Doctrine and Moral Teaching
• Tour of a Catholic Church
• Visible Structure of the Catholic Church
• Mass and Liturgical Year
• Sacraments
• Mary and the Saints

Full communion with the Catholic Church is accomplished by renewing your baptismal vows, making a profession of faith in what the Catholic Church believes, and celebrating the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist on at any Sunday Mass throughout the year.

Click the following link to view the Request form, information, and other prerequisites to receive Full Communion in the Catholic Church: