Can I receive the Eucharist

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sherilo

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Hello all,

I was baptized Catholic as baby. I was raised Protestant, but have been attending Mass, reading everything Catholic I can get my hands on. I have recenty had my first marriage anulled, and am about to start RCIA. I am very impatient to be in full communion and to receive the Eucharist. Here is the hitch. My husband has just returned to attending Mass after 20 years, and I am very happy for that… I want to have our marriage convalidated, but he does not seem to want to. Without going into the reasons that may be, I would like to know if I can receive the Eucharist after I come into full communion without having our marriage convalidated should he never want to do it?

Thank you,
Sherilo
 
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sherilo:
Hello all,

I was baptized Catholic as baby. I was raised Protestant, but have been attending Mass, reading everything Catholic I can get my hands on. I have recenty had my first marriage anulled, and am about to start RCIA. I am very impatient to be in full communion and to receive the Eucharist. Here is the hitch. My husband has just returned to attending Mass after 20 years, and I am very happy for that… I want to have our marriage convalidated, but he does not seem to want to. Without going into the reasons that may be, I would like to know if I can receive the Eucharist after I come into full communion without having our marriage convalidated should he never want to do it?

Thank you,
Sherilo
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You can receive the Sacraments if you are not living with him as though you were married to him.
 
What is the reason for having your marriage convalidated? Why do you think the Catholic Church does not consider it to be valid?
 
Just a quick thought, you might want to discuss a radical sanation with your priest, if your husband truly refuses to have a convalidation done. I was informed by my priest that one cannot recieve the Eucharist unless you are in a valid marriage…unless you have confessed and are now abstaining.
 
I don’t know how the other members are coming to their conclusions without more info, because I would need a few more details before I could attempt to provide you with an answer.

Since you are not yet a Catholic (and thus were not Catholic at the time of your marriage), then you were not bound by Canon law and were free to marry outside the Church. However, if your husband was a Catholic (Doesn’t matter if he was practicing or not) at the time of your marriage, then he was bound by Canon law. So convalidation is only necessary if 1)your husband was Catholic at the time of your marriage, and 2)you were not married in the Catholic Church. If both of those conditions are met, then your marriage is invalid and will need to be convalidated.

Also, you say your first marriage was anulled. Was this a legal anullment or was it anulled by a Catholic marriage tribunal? If it was only a legal anullment, then you will need to have your first marriage examined by a Catholic marriage tribunal to determine its validity. The Church considers all marriages valid until proven otherwise, so if you have not had it anulled by the Church, then you are still validly married to your first husband until proven otherwise.

Both of the above situations are grave matter and would prevent you from being in a state of Grace, and you cannot recieve Communion while not in a state of Grace. However, if you go to Confession and live with your current husband “as brother and sister” (abstain) until the above situations are rectified, then you can recieve Communion.

I hope my contribution helps answer your question, and WELCOME HOME!

P.S. I don’t claim to know it all, so If anyone sees that some of my info is incorrect, please correct me:)
 
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Affirmed:
Perhaps the annulment came after the attempt at marriage?
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For non-Catholics, the decree of nullity would automatically regularize the marriage, without the need for a convalidation. As RichSpidizzy said, there isn’t nearly enough information given to properly address this situation. For example, was there a “formal act” performed by sherilo (after she reached the age of 18) that would consititute a defection from the Catholic Church?
 
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Catholic2003:
For non-Catholics, the decree of nullity would automatically regularize the marriage, without the need for a convalidation. As RichSpidizzy said, there isn’t nearly enough information given to properly address this situation. For example, was there a “formal act” performed by sherilo (after she reached the age of 18) that would consititute a defection from the Catholic Church?
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For Catholics, the decree of nullity would NOT automatically regularize the marriage, without the need for a convalidation or Sanation.

Just for clarity.

Very few formal acts actually take place, most Catholics become non-practicing Catholics, instead of non-Catholic.
 
Sorry for not providing enough info. My husband was Catholic when we married, and we were not married in the church. I have had my first marriage anulled through a Catholic church. Does this help?
 
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RichSpidizzy:
Since you are not yet a Catholic (and thus were not Catholic at the time of your marriage)
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Rich I think your idea of what constituted being catholic is a little off.

She said in her first post
I was baptized Catholic as baby. …
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That is ALL it takes to be catholic, even the church teaches that in all protestant religions that a baptism in the name of the trinity makes one catholic.

With that being said, she DOES need to be catechized, but, if she talks to her priest and does a good confession, that should be all she needs to recieve the eucharist. Since her first marriage was annulled, (didn’t happen in the eyes of the church) and she is married now to a catholic, she should be able to easily get back into communion with Rome.

Sherilo, you need to talk to your priest, you should be able to partake of communion, but I will say, that stick with RCIA to continue with your catechesis.

I am sure you understand enough catechesis to the level of a 2nd grader or what ever age groiup they give first commnunion to now. Since you were baptised as a catholic, the process should not be dfficult.
 
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