Why Can’t Non-Catholics Receive Communion?

There are two main reasons non-Catholics cannot receive communion at a Catholic Mass:

1. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. We must be properly prepared to receive it (1 Cor. 11:26-29). A non-Catholic who does not believe in the Real Presence would not be properly prepared to receive the Eucharist.
2. Notice the word communion. You are asking why those who are not in communion with the Church cannot receive Communion. The word implies a unity and a oneness. Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of faith communities with whom we are not yet fully united are not admitted to Holy Communion.