Eucharist and contraception

[Dugtrio1]

Hi,

Sorry for the explicit nature of this question. Can a married Catholic practice artificial contraception and still receive the Eucharist? (I am assuming it can be confessed, but if the practice continues then the question arises again.)

If the question is not easy to answer, due to individual circumstances and all that, I understand.

Thank you in advance.

 

[DignumEtJustum]

No. Even if it’s confessed, if there’s the intention to do it again the confession has become bad and there’s yet another thing to confess.

 

[OsculeturMeOsculo]

No you need a firm purpose of amendment otherwise you are not forgiven.

 

[Arwing]

One who is guilty of mortal sin is not permitted to receive the Eucharist without first making a sincere confession and being absolved. It would be a grave sin of sacrilege to receive in that manner.

I am assuming it can be confessed, but if the practice continues then the question arises again.

It would be a grave sin to make a confession with the intention of continuing the (gravely sinful) behaviour, and the confession would be invalid.

 

[Dugtrio1]

Thank you all. The answers were in line with my thinking, but the confirmation is helpful.

 

[MCH1]

No, they cannot recieve Communion. Contraception is grave matter, and if commited with knowledge and consent is a mortal sin. If a mortal sin is not confessed before death the the person will go to hell. Confessing a sin without the firm resolve to stop makes the confession invalid.

 

[Reuben_J]

No, if it is a planned one. Artificial birth control is not allowed. If it on ad hoc basis , yes, you can confess it. Do not take this like I am encouraging you that you can do it. I am only saying there is no point in confessing something which you are doing anyway (ABC). It is different when in a moment of weakness you make mistake but which you are not planning to do for the rest of the times.

 

[MCH1]

But…if you have researched the topic and are firmly convinced that it is NOT sinful, then your conscience is supreme and you could go to communion. This is, after all, what a lot of the fuss has been about lately at the highest levels–enforce church rules no matter what or allow individuals to follow their consciences in this and other matters.

That is not what the CCC says. It says that contracepting is a grave matter, and and if commited with full knowledge and full consent is a mortal sin. I think that you are mistaking invincable ignorance, which means that you do not know that an action is wrong, with someone who fully reseaches the issue, knows that the Church teaches it is grave matter, but decides that their own ideas are preferable. This person would be guilty of grave sin, since they clearly have full knowledge.

 

[Reuben_J]

Yes, every Catholic knows that artificial birth control is not allowed. If he/she doesn’t agree that it is a sin, does not make it is not a sin, if the person practices it.

Personal belief does not supercede Church’s teaching and commandment.

 

[Reuben_J]

As a Catholic, all I know is that artificial birth control is not allowed by the Church. It is not an option nor a Catholic can have an optional belief here.It is just not allowed as far as artificial birth control is concerned, may be other things, but not artifificial birth control. If there is a change in the Church’s stance on this, I am sure I would know. I am not saying I know everything, but there is certainly no ambiguity on the Church’s teaching on artificial birth cointrol. I just want to emphasis this on this Forum especially for Catholic members.

 

[ModernCatholic]

If a person doesn’t know what they’re doing is sinful then it isn’t a mortal sin (even if gravely sinful). Let’s take masturbation as an example. If a Catholic teen grew up masturbating every night, never having known that what they were doing was wrong, they would not be in mortal sin and would have been fine with habing the Eucharist every Sunday since those sins would be only venial. It is very different if a person now when hearing the Church teaching on this issue says no I don’t agree and leaves the Church or acts as if they’ve nevr heard it. That is a mortal sin, even if they’ve conviced themselves that they were right aince they have chosen to ignore the truth. Likewise with contraception one cannot hear the Church teaching and simply “look into it” and decide that it’s not wrong. In that case that would be a mortal sin. That coukd only be excused if they hadn’t known it was wrong to begin wih since their hearts coukd have been pure enough to accept the truth when shown to them. As well what you said about primary of conscience is true but that wouldn’t appky to this situation. That rule says that you don’t have to be forced by the Church to do something you think is wrong which is different from being told NOT to do something by the Church and still doing it. Because in the first case you could be told to do something wrong but it doesn’t matter if you are being told not to do somehing that’s not wrong.

 

[AdamP88]

But…if you have researched the topic and are firmly convinced that it is NOT sinful, then your conscience is supreme and you could go to communion.

This is not correct. Individual conscience does not trump the Church teaching and natural law. Otherwise, what would be the point of teaching anything.
The Church teaching on conscience is widely misrepresented in this manner.

It assumes that the person has informed their conscience in light of the church’s teaching.
It isn’t licence to do whatever you like in the name of conscience.

Also, supremacy of conscience relates not to set church teachings but to “grey areas” that cannot be legislated for. You can’t for example, be a pro-abortion Catholic, because the Church has outlined a specific teaching in this area. No matter how much you say your conscience allows you this position, it is still wrong.
It’s up to the individual to investigate and understand Church teaching, otherwise their conscience is useless.

 

[TK421]

But…if you have researched the topic and are firmly convinced that it is NOT sinful, then your conscience is supreme and you could go to communion. This is, after all, what a lot of the fuss has been about lately at the highest levels–enforce church rules no matter what or allow individuals to follow their consciences in this and other matters.

No, Eirkaspirit. This is a convoluted way of saying, “I am God”, and it is entirely incorrect. The conscience is not supreme except in that it is supremely malleable. People can be taught - by others or by themselves - to believe literally anything.

There is (generally speaking) no “enforcement” of Church rules. People aren’t investigated before walking up to receive.

 

[Rob2]

Hi,

Sorry for the explicit nature of this question. Can a married Catholic practice artificial contraception and still receive the Eucharist? (I am assuming it can be confessed, but if the practice continues then the question arises again.)

If the question is not easy to answer, due to individual circumstances and all that, I understand.

Thank you in advance.

This is a matter you should bring up with your confessor or spiritual director or any priest you know .

I am not going to give you such personal advice via a forum .

 

[AdamP88]

This is a matter you should bring up with your confessor or spiritual director or any priest you know .

I am not going to give you such personal advice via a forum .

It’s not really a personal matter. The answer is no. You can’t contracept and then receive.

And if you go to confession with the intention of continuing using contraception then you are abusing the sacrament.

 

[Rob2]

Rob2:

This is a matter you should bring up with your confessor or spiritual director or any priest you know .

I am not going to give you such personal advice via a forum .

It’s not really a personal matter.

This forum is not the Confessional .

 

[AdamP88]

This forum is not the Confessional .

What’s the point of having a forum at all if you can’t post about issues that are bothering you?

The rules of the forum prohibit giving medical and legal advice.

We’re talking about clear cut Catholic teaching here.

 

[thistle]

That is not what the CCC says. It says that contracepting is a grave matter, and and if commited with full knowledge and full consent is a mortal sin. I think that you are mistaking invincable ignorance, which means that you do not know that an action is wrong, with someone who fully reseaches the issue, knows that the Church teaches it is grave matter, but decides that their own ideas are preferable. This person would be guilty of grave sin, since they clearly have full knowledge.

I think that you are mistaking invincable ignorance, which means that you do not know that an action is wrong,

Actually that would be vincible ignorance, i.e. a Catholic who does not know what the Church teaches about a particular subject. Invincible ignorance is something different.
However, that aside, I do not believe any Catholic in this day and age can think that using contraception to prevent pregnancy is not a sin of grave matter.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Likewise with contraception one cannot hear the Church teaching and simply “look into it” and decide that it’s not wrong. In that case that would be a mortal sin. That coukd only be excused if they hadn’t known it was wrong to begin wih since their hearts coukd have been pure enough to accept the truth when shown to them.

Individual conscience does not trump the Church teaching and natural law.

No, Eirkaspirit. This is a convoluted way of saying, “I am God”, and it is entirely incorrect. The conscience is not supreme except in that it is supremely malleable. People can be taught - by others or by themselves - to believe literally anything.

I do not believe any Catholic in this day and age can think that using contraception to prevent pregnancy is not a sin of grave matter.

We disagree. But so do the cardinals, bishops, priests, etc.

However, if any of you can find (for example, in the catechism) any EXPLICIT backing for what you have said about conscience, I will happily take a look. As I originally said, “I don’t want to get into a debate on this. It’s fruitless.” On the other hand, I know I have not read everything there is to read on the subject and I am not an expert in the subject. But, as I said, this whole issue has been debated for almost 2,000 years, and sometimes one side is emphasized, and sometimes another. As far as I know, neither side has won decisively, which is why we’re still talking about it in 2018.

 

[AdamP88]

However, if any of you can find (for example, in the catechism) any EXPLICIT backing for what you have said about conscience

Try the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Bishops and priests, and even Cardinals, can depart from defined Catholic teaching.

The perennial teaching of the Church has been that conscience must be informed. And, in fact, that human conscience is open to influence from the devil.

Conscience may be important in the person’s actual culpability. But that doesn’t mean that the actions are right.

In this case, the OP is aware of the church teaching that contraception is wrong. If someone is telling them that they should ramain ignorant to the teachings of the Church and trust their (unformed) conscience, then that in itself could be wrong.

The only answer to the OP’s question is, yes, it is wrong to make use of contraception if they are aware of Church teaching and trying to live as a Catholic, in one mind with the church.