Am I taking communion validly?

[TJS312]

I have a question that has been bugging me since my confirmation 2 years ago. I am a convert and I was married at 20 years old to my high school boyfriend. We were married in a Baptist Church (which neither of us were attending) I was baptized and I am 99% sure he was not. 9 months into our marriage he had an affair - a pretty long one with my best friend. After that, we sought counseling and attempted to have a baby (that was my idea of a marriage). Thankfully I did not become pregnant with his child as he displayed no desire to have children soon into the descision of trying and regularly went out drinking with his father and friends at minimum two nights a week. This lifestyle was nothing unusual even in the beginning of our marriage. We essentially were living seperate lives. I later caught him embracing another woman one night at a bar after I had been informed he was there while I had been working a long shift at work. This kind of stuff continued and tragically (my opinion) I later found myself recieving attention from another man who was very attentive emotionally and socially with me in my lonliness which only led to an affair on my part. We just continued to live seperate lives but under the same roof rarely seeing one another. My marriage finally ended when I physically caught my husband in the act with another woman in our home. I was 26 when we divorced and I later remarried and have been married for 19 years to a terrific guy. My priest permitted me to go through with my confirmation without the annulment as he felt it was not necessary -only if I wanted to…so I didn’t… but now I am second guessing myself for the fact that I wonder “what if” I am in a state of mortal sin (adultery) since remarriage. My pastor made feel like all is fine but I just need some sort of confirmation that I am legitimate in receiving communion. I have talked to two people who do not understand how I get to receive the eucharist and it makes me question my validity. Am I being too scrupulous do I trust what my pastor tells me regarding this whole thing???

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

My friend,

Your pastor means well, but he has not done you any favors. He does not have the right to counter Church teaching in an attempt to make you feel good about yourself. You DO need to have the first marriage annulled. Because of your young age and other circumstances, it does seem that you would not have a difficult time getting an annulment. I do not consider you to have sinned, since you were misinformed about your situation regarding the Church. Once you have an annulment, then you may be married in the Church. The only way you are allowed to receive Holy Communion now, is to live in a celibate way until your marriage is made valid. I suggest that you see a priest in another parish. You are in our prayers.
 
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.