Speaking from experience, I was told that I could receive communion as long as I didn’t remarry. If I remarried I would have to have first marriage annulled and then new marriage blessed by the church. As an aside, I was also told if I were to remarry I would also have the option of attending a church where they didn’t “know me” and receive communion.This in lieu of a sometimes expensive and often times drawn out annullment.
No. They may not receive communion. They are committing a mortal sin by attempting marriage when your brother-in-law is already married in the eyes of the church.
Bad advice from a misguided individual. “No one” would know? Umm… God would know.
I am not entirely sure about getting an annulment to receive the Eucharist, but if you were not a Catholic at the time you got divorced, you have been forgiven the moment you receive full absolution at confession or baptism.
In truth it is not an annulment which allows a person to receive the Eucharist, but seeking forgiveness from God if you were the guilty party and then receiving absolution from your priest. That is if you were a Catholic at the time. Annulments in themselves do not grant forgiveness of sins at all. It is only through contrition and penance that one can receive forgiveness.
I have always thought Catholic annulments were simply a Catholic divorce on paper, but God knows the situation irregardless. I don't know when the practice of annulments came to be in church history, but I be willing to bet dollars to donuts, that no such thing existed in early church history. Marriage back then, was for life.
I will conclude and say this. Whatever and wherever your situation. God knows where you are at. He knows your whole life. If you know you were the guilty party then seek his forgiveness. God is not willing that any man or woman should perish, but come to repentance. When you receive that forgiveness, THEN you can receive the Eucharist. :)
No, you don’t. If the first marriage is valid, then the 2nd marriage is simply adultery. This is true for any marriage the Church recognizes as valid, including non Catholic ones. To continue in the 2nd marriage, after confession or baptism is to continue in sin and so one should not receive Eucharist.
And not persisting , or planning to persist in the sin. If one’s first marriage is valid, and all are presumed to be valid until declared null, then to remain in the 2nd marriage, unless living as brother and sister, is a sin.
Still is. So why would you say one can continue to engage in relations with a person other than the first spouse?
I do not want to be rude or insensitive, but why would someone want to receive communion when they so obviously disregard the teachings of the Church? The party in question seems to accept the teachings of the Eucharist, yet rejects the teachings on marriage?
Ditto! I also second what ChrisR246 said!
Well, yes and no.
The last Pope said too many decrees of nullity were being given out in America.
And this is relevant how? The volume of sinners committing a particluar sin does not nullify the sin. Is your point that because so many people do it, it’s not wrong? By this standard abortion is not wrong because 1.2 million women a year have them in the US.
This is absolutely untrue. A non-Catholic who becomes Catholic or attempts marriage with a Catholic would have to submit their first marriage to the tribunal to make a determination of validity.
You are confused here. The above statement is basically true for a divorced person who has not attempted another marriage. It is inaccurate, however, when you are talking about an individual who HAS contracted a second, invalid marriage.
That is because you do not properly understand what an annulment is.
Study of the early Church documents shows this statement to be false.
OK, everyone join hands and let’s sing Kumbaya…I will conclude and say this. Whatever and wherever your situation. God knows where you are at. He knows your whole life. If you know you were the guilty party then seek his forgiveness. God is not willing that any man or woman should perish, but come to repentance. When you receive that forgiveness, THEN you can receive the Eucharist.
well stated.
OK, since you have a fan club on this board, I will ask you a simple question. Where in early church writings whether of the church fathers or from scripture do we read where annulments were given to Christians who divorced and remarried? Did St Peter grant annulments? How about the Popes of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries? Would you please supply their written testimony of this and their thoughts on annulments altogether. I await your reply. :)
But then Christ always recognizes you no matter which of His houses you visit!
The rule is that one should never attempt another Marriage while the first may still be valid. What is he going to do if the Tribunal rules that his first Marriage was in fact valid?
piety101 said:1Ke
OK, since you have a fan club on this board, I will ask you a simple question. Where in early church writings whether of the church fathers or from scripture do we read where annulments were given to Christians who divorced and remarried? Did St Peter grant annulments? How about the Popes of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries? Would you please supply their written testimony of this and their thoughts on annulments altogether. I await your reply.
with all due respect, your brother will not be getting married in July if his first marriage has not been declared null. he will be entering into an illicit living arrangement with a woman not his wife, and objectively entering into the sin of adultery (objective, subjectively we make no assumption about what he and this woman do or do not do in the privacy of their own home). there is no assurance that the first marriage will be annulled, and it is impossible to make such an assumption without all the facts, which are known only to the marriage tribunal. He is really going out on a limb, and incidentally, demonstrating complete and utter disregard for the Catholic Church and all that it teaches, which makes me wonder why he would seek to get the second marriage blessed if the whole thing is such a sham to him. this is in essence what I told my own brother in a similar situation. What you say to yours is up to you, you are probably a much nicer, gentler person than I am.
Believe me, there is NO way I would have followed this advice. Funny thing is , it came from a priest!