Communion to couple living together

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A couple married by the civil law and living together waiting for the annulment of one of them and saying they are living as brothers (no relations), can they receive Holy Communion? Can they receive absolution from the priest when they go to confession?
 
antalvmol said:
A couple married by the civil law and living together waiting for the annulment of one of them and saying they are living as brothers (no relations), can they receive Holy Communion? Can they receive absolution from the priest when they go to confession?
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If he’s satisfied that they’re telling the truth, and they are living as brother and sister (I presume they’re not both male 😉 ) then yes, they can receive absolution if they confess, and then communion (not before confession, of course).
 
What about the scandal of those who know they are living together and not married by the Church and receiving Communion?

So, young people can live together before marriage and still they can be absolved and receive Communion?

That’s new to me. :confused:
 
One of the reasons I resigned from being a Eucharistic minister. I could convince myself they were living as brother and sister until she became pregnant…😊
 
antalvmol said:
What about the scandal of those who know they are living together and not married by the Church and receiving Communion?

So, young people can live together before marriage and still they can be absolved and receive Communion?

That’s new to me. :confused:
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There are all sorts of reasons why it might be impossible or impractical for a couple NOT to live together in the same house - what if they have children together? What if they’re too poor for them to be able to live apart? As nice as it is to live a life that never causes scandal to the neighbours, sometimes there are more important factors to consider

Should they be denied absolution and communion, even if they’re genuinely sorry and making every effort to have the relationship become a sacramental church-sanctioned union?

Even for the girl who fell pregnant - we all sin, we all confess, we all relapse into sin at times. That’s why we’re all required to confess every year. Welcome to the wonderful world of being human.
 
nan said:
One of the reasons I resigned from being a Eucharistic minister. I could convince myself they were living as brother and sister until she became pregnant…😊
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And?..

OK, maybe living together is putting yourself in the way of temptation, but all of us fall short of the glory of God.

You don’t know that they hadn’t both been to confession, repented, and amended their sinful ways.

Or perhaps you’d rather they’d felt pressured into using emergency contraception after their sin in order to avoid the stares of judgmental and unforgiving members of their Church ministry team!
 
As I stated - I’m no longer on the Church ministry team - and one of the reasons is so that would not happen. There are in fact other children involved,and other marriages. In other words, a complicated situation that does in fact send the wrong message to the vulnerable. Certainly it is possible that a “whoopsie” occured that was confessed.
 
antalvmol said:
A couple married by the civil law and living together waiting for the annulment of one of them and saying they are living as brothers (no relations), can they receive Holy Communion? Can they receive absolution from the priest when they go to confession?
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yes and with the priest in confession is exactly where each of them works this out. the rest of the parish should conclude, in Christian charity, that this describes their situation, so there should be no gossip or assumptions made about their situation. One of the biggest abuses that has arisen surrounding the practice of using ministers of holy communion who are not priests is that it places them in the position of having to make judgements that are in the province of the priest alone.
 
antalvmol said:
A couple married by the civil law and living together waiting for the annulment of one of them and saying they are living as brothers (no relations), can they receive Holy Communion?
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What sin are they guilty of committing?
Can they receive absolution from the priest when they go to confession?
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What sin do they need absolution of?
 
“One of the biggest abuses that has arisen surrounding the practice of using ministers of holy communion who are not priests is that it places them in the position of having to make judgements that are in the province of the priest alone.” Amen to that!
 
LilyM said:
There are all sorts of reasons why it might be impossible or impractical for a couple NOT to live together in the same house - what if they have children together? What if they’re too poor for them to be able to live apart? As nice as it is to live a life that never causes scandal to the neighbours, sometimes there are more important factors to consider

Should they be denied absolution and communion, even if they’re genuinely sorry and making every effort to have the relationship become a sacramental church-sanctioned union?

Even for the girl who fell pregnant - we all sin, we all confess, we all relapse into sin at times. That’s why we’re all required to confess every year. Welcome to the wonderful world of being human.
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Sorry, but they were not children when they took the decision to live together and they knew the risk were undertaking. We may support them as much as we can but we can allow them to make a sacrilege.

Once they get their sacramental union as the Church wants to be, then they should go ahead with the rest of sacraments. Not before, I guess.

Confess every year? don’t make me laugh. In today’s world where are you going with yearly confession?

My friend, seems to me you are too human and not too much divine. :mad:
 
With all due respect, the disposition of this couple’s worthiness to receive Our Lord is really not the concern of any extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. IMHO, that’s taking the role of the EM way too far. Resigning from the ministry out of piety, pride, or protest over the fact that any member of the parish may be in a state of mortal sin seems a little uncharitable. One denies serving the rest of the parish out of disapproval of the actions of a couple? Would it not be better to befriend the couple and try to shepherd them in the right direction?
 
setter said:
What sin are they guilty of committing?

What sin do they need absolution of?
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Let’s not be naïf! When they sleep together even though (as she says) they don’t have relation, what do you think they are doing: praying the Rosary or playing cards? :rolleyes:
 
setter said:
What sin are they guilty of committing?

What sin do they need absolution of?
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I always thought that cohabitating couples (understood to mean unmarried but living together as husband and wife) are “living in sin” and, as such, are not in a state of grace.😦
 
antalvmol said:
Let’s not be naïf! When they sleep together even though (as she says) they don’t have relation, what do you think they are doing: praying the Rosary or playing cards? :rolleyes:
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I agree, but do you actually know that they are doing the dirty deed?
 
antalvmol said:
I always thought that cohabitating couples (understood to mean unmarried but living together as husband and wife) are “living in sin” and, as such, are not in a state of grace.😦
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Such living arrangements are in it self not objectively grave sin …unless they become a cause for scandal, which is not always a given.
 
Pretty sure that “living in sin” is only used to mean when they are having sex while unmarried - not merely living in the same house.

Edit - I have friends who have regularly slept in the same bed as their girlfriend and never had sex with them. It is possible you know.
 
In reply to post #12 - I must disagree with the statement that it is not the concern of the Eucharistic minister. Also, I am a friend and relative of the couple, and attended their baby’s christening. This couple has good examples set before them, and plenty of support - physical, emotional and financial. I’m addressing a specific instance personally known to me. It is possible I may be lacking in Christian charity here - I have struggled with this for quite awhile. I am very concerned about the message this couple is sending - in particular to the children involved. It’s easier to theorize about a hypothetical situation I think.
 
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