Extraordinary minister of communion

[questfortruth5]

I am a protestant with a question concerning extraordinary ministers of communion. My husband of over 20 years left our family over a year ago due to an affair with a woman who happens to be catholic. This affair has been ongoing for 2 years. She is recently divorced for the second time and is serving as an extraordinary minister in her church. This seems appalling to me. Would she not be ineligible to serve based on this affair? It is fairly common knowledge that they have a relationship. When I have to file for divorce, I will be filing under grounds of adultery…shouldn’t she step down from this service?

 

[ASimpleSinner]

I am a protestant with a question concerning extraordinary ministers of communion. My husband of over 20 years left our family over a year ago due to an affair with a woman who happens to be catholic. This affair has been ongoing for 2 years. She is recently divorced for the second time and is serving as an extraordinary minister in her church. This seems appalling to me. Would she not be ineligible to serve based on this affair? It is fairly common knowledge that they have a relationship. When I have to file for divorce, I will be filing under grounds of adultery…shouldn’t she step down from this service?

In a perfect world, yes… She would NOT be having an adulterous affair to begin with… and when these things become known, it would be more appropriate for her to NOT do that.

That being the case, we generally don’t go looking at the personal impeccability of a person, and most are loathe to judge. The fact she is twice divorced… That is not an impediment in and of itself. There are grounds for being divorced from a valid marriage (a mother of four I know HAD TO LEAVE an abusive drug addict/alcoholic for the safety of her children). The second divorce (and here we don’t know if she had an annulment to begin with)… Well from the stand point that we believe the second marriage was not valid (if her first husband was alive) a divorce from THAT marriage rectifies a possible gravely sinful problem.

I realize you must be beyond hurt and angry at times. But I hope against hope that you are not becoming a member here or asking about this one question to get ammo against her.

Even armed with daming evidence, people largely don’t go looking for “the dirt” so please don’t be surprised if she maintains this position even though it is inappropriate. Having said that, we have no way of knowing that in the wake of transgressions she has not gone to confession to have her sins forgiven.

 

[LilyM]

I am a protestant with a question concerning extraordinary ministers of communion. My husband of over 20 years left our family over a year ago due to an affair with a woman who happens to be catholic. This affair has been ongoing for 2 years. She is recently divorced for the second time and is serving as an extraordinary minister in her church. This seems appalling to me. Would she not be ineligible to serve based on this affair? It is fairly common knowledge that they have a relationship. When I have to file for divorce, I will be filing under grounds of adultery…shouldn’t she step down from this service?

‘fairly common knowledge’ doesn’t mean her priest or whoever is in charge of ministering Holy Communion knows about it - confession is often done anonymously, remember, and otherwise few people probably would openly question someone about their love life.

 

[Phemie]

Divorce in and of itself does not disqualify one from this ministry. OTOH, if the affair is ongoing, having her be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is occasion of scandal even if only a few people in church know of the situation.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am a protestant with a question concerning extraordinary ministers of communion. My husband of over 20 years left our family over a year ago due to an affair with a woman who happens to be catholic. This affair has been ongoing for 2 years. She is recently divorced for the second time and is serving as an extraordinary minister in her church. This seems appalling to me. Would she not be ineligible to serve based on this affair? It is fairly common knowledge that they have a relationship. When I have to file for divorce, I will be filing under grounds of adultery…shouldn’t she step down from this service?

The Church says that any person who is not in good standing with the Church should not serve in any Lay Ministry. Either she should step down or her pastor if he is aware of this should remove her. But that does not always happen.

 

[scylla]

Yes she should step down, as it causes scandal to the Church and is an insult to Christ, if the affair and the sin is ongoing.

On this board we do not know all the details and it is possible she has repented and now has turned to Christ. If she has and is now walking with the Lord, rejecting her sinful past she should be able to serve others publically.

Again, we do not know the state of her heart and if she has repented.

I am sorry for your pain and will include you in my prayers.

In Christ
Scylla