Can some who is divorce recieve communion?

[erazo]

Hello,
My sister was married through the JP and is now divorce. She never went up for communion while married, because she would state…“I am not married through the church”. She is now divorced. May she go up for communion? Or like she puts it…“I can not because I have failed in my marriage and now divorced.”

Is she correct?

 

[FrDavid96]

Hello,
My sister was married through the JP and is now divorce. She never went up for communion while married, because she would state…“I am not married through the church”. She is now divorced. May she go up for communion? Or like she puts it…“I can not because I have failed in my marriage and now divorced.”

Is she correct?

erazo,

She’s correct in her conclusion, but not in how she arrived at that conclusion. The fact that she was married by a JP is what makes her ineligible to receive Communion, not the fact that she is now divorced.

Since her status of “married outside the Church” no longer applies, she should speak to her pastor about this, and she might be very relieved for having done so. Please urge her to speak to her pastor.

 

[Godfollower]

“Being divorced” is not a bar to the Sacraments. What she’s probably heard of (and misunderstood) is that people who (A) get validly married; (B) get divorced; and (C) remarry or live together cannot receive the Sacraments.

If she was only married by the justice of the peace and never had her marriage recognized by the Church, then she probably was never married in accordance with Church law (NB: I am assuming that she is and was Catholic the whole time). If that’s correct, then (A) she could not receive the Sacraments while living with her putative husband; and (B) she is not now barred from receiving the Sacraments, but she needs to start with Reconciliation.

 

[1ke]

She should go to confession regarding her marriage outside the Church and whatever other mortal sins she has to confess. She can then begin receiving the Eucharist again.

She should talk to her priest.

 

[jmcrae]

Hello,
My sister was married through the JP and is now divorce. She never went up for communion while married, because she would state…“I am not married through the church”. She is now divorced. May she go up for communion? Or like she puts it…“I can not because I have failed in my marriage and now divorced.”

Is she correct?

Encourage her to go to Confession. The priest will help her, and will answer all of her questions.

 

[erazo]

Thank you so much. I will pass along the information.