Can we recieve Holy Communion?

[newbee1]

My wife and i were married 13 years ago (first time for both of us ) outside the Church . My wife was baptised Catholic as a baby but that was all and i wasnt baptised at all. 2 1/2 years ago we both went through RCIA and became Catholic. My question is can we recieve Holy Communion or does our marriage have to be blessed first ?

Thankyou in advance.

 

[agnes_therese]

My wife and i were married 13 years ago (first time for both of us ) outside the Church . My wife was baptised Catholic as a baby but that was all and i wasnt baptised at all. 2 1/2 years ago we both went through RCIA and became Catholic. My question is can we recieve Holy Communion or does our marriage have to be blessed first ?

Thankyou in advance.

You should consult your priest about this. There may be things about your situation that we can’t know. And please let him know that this wasn’t dealt with while you were in RCIA, because it should have been; he needs to take that up with the RCIA director.

 

[MJJean]

Your wife became Catholic at her Baptism. She was required by Canon Law to marry in the Church or receive a dispensation to marry outside of the Church. If she did not receive dispensation or marry in the Church her marriage is not valid due to Lack of Form and your marriage needs to be convalidated.

The previous poster was correct. This should have been addressed in RCIA when the director was told your wife was Baptized in the Church as an infant and was therefore already a Catholic at the time of her marriage to you which took place outside of the Church.

"The law of the Church requires for validity that every Catholic marry in the presence of a priest or deacon and two witnesses, using the Catholic form of marriage. It is possible for the Bishop to dispense from the requirement of canonical form for the Catholic party entering a mixed religion marriage. The marriage of two Catholics always requires canonical form.

If a Catholic is not married in the presence of a priest or deacon and has not received a dispensation from canonical form, then the Church’s required form of marriage has not been followed and the Church does not recognize the union as a valid marriage.

For example, if a Catholic and non-Catholic marry in a non-Catholic religious ceremony without the Catholic first receiving a dispensation from form from his/her bishop, they have not observed the required canonical form. Similarly, if two Catholics marry in a civil ceremony they have not observed the required canonical form. Their unions are not recognized as valid marriages by the Catholic Church."

dioceseofscranton.org/about/diocesan-tribunal-test-page/lack-of-canonical-form-cases/

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Yes, speak to your pastor about this ASAP. Your marriage should have been blessed at the time that you entered the Church. It is not your fault.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Yes, speak to your pastor about this ASAP. Your marriage should have been blessed at the time that you entered the Church. It is not your fault.

Not his fault. Sadly, someone dropped the ball in RCIA and skipped over something important. Fortunately the pastor will be in a position to correct things both for the OP and for those in RCIA in the future.

 

[newbee1]

I appreciate everyone’s response and i understand we are all sinners , therefore we are in constant sin until we properly organise our marriage ?
I feel terrible about this and sorry i didn’t understand at the time.

Thankyou

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I can see this is hard for you and you’re sorry that you made a mistake earlier in your life (that you probably had no idea was even a mistake at the time). Work with your priest and this can be resolved quickly.

 

[G_S]

Since there is no obstacle to your marrying in the Church, just contact your pastor, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and have your marriage solemnized. This could be done very quickly. God bless you!

 

[PaulfromIowa]

I appreciate everyone’s response and i understand we are all sinners, therefore we are in constant sin until we properly organise our marriage ?
I feel terrible about this and sorry i didn’t understand at the time.

No. Serious sin requires full knowledge, which you did not have. I doubt that you sinned at all, because you did not know at all. Your pastor and RCIA director may well have sinned, because they failed to advise you properly, but I would be charitable towards them. We have all made errors of omission.