Invalid Marriage and Communion

[I_Believe]

Ok, say a person returns to the church, and after a good confession and then a conversation with the priest, is told his/her marriage is invalid. (the person confessed marrying outside the church).

The priest starts the process to adress the issue.

In the mean time, can the person receive communion as long as he/she is chaste and intends on remaining so until the matter is resolved ? (Assuming the person remains free of grave sin of course)

 

[LilyM]

Ok, say a person returns to the church, and after a good confession and then a conversation with the priest, is told his/her marriage is invalid. (the person confessed marrying outside the church).

The priest starts the process to adress the issue.

In the mean time, can the person receive communion as long as he/she is chaste and intends on remaining so until the matter is resolved ? (Assuming the person remains free of grave sin of course)

If they agree to live as brother and sister with their partner, yep.

 

[I_Believe]

Thanks LilyM . I thought so, but wasn’t sure.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Ok, say a person returns to the church, and after a good confession and then a conversation with the priest, is told his/her marriage is invalid. (the person confessed marrying outside the church).

The priest starts the process to adress the issue.

In the mean time, can the person receive communion as long as he/she is chaste and intends on remaining so until the matter is resolved ? (Assuming the person remains free of grave sin of course)

Yes, you should let you pastor know your intentions so he will not wonder.

 

[cleargospel99]

Ok, say a person returns to the church, and after a good confession and then a conversation with the priest, is told his/her marriage is invalid. (the person confessed marrying outside the church).

The priest starts the process to adress the issue.

In the mean time, can the person receive communion as long as he/she is chaste and intends on remaining so until the matter is resolved ? (Assuming the person remains free of grave sin of course)

I’m don’t understand. Are you saying that if to Christians are married in a civil ceremony, outside the church, they are prohibited from receiving communion, unless they abstain from marital relations?

 

[Brenda_V]

I’m don’t understand. Are you saying that if to Christians are married in a civil ceremony, outside the church, they are prohibited from receiving communion, unless they abstain from marital relations?

No. What is being said is a Catholic (or two Catholics) married outside the Church with no dispensaiton they can not receive Communion unless they live as brother and sister until after their Wedding has been Validated or Blessed.

Two Christians who are both Baptised and married in a civil ceremony and then come into the Church (Catholic) are not bound by this Canonical rule.

Brenda V.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

No. What is being said is a Catholic (or two Catholics) married outside the Church with no dispensaiton they can not receive Communion unless they live as brother and sister until after their Wedding has been Validated or Blessed.

Two Christians who are both Baptised and married in a civil ceremony and then come into the Church (Catholic) are not bound by this Canonical rule.

Brenda V.

Unless of course one or both of the Christians had been previously Married or form some reason incapable of a valid Marriage.

 

[cleargospel99]

What if one person is a Roman Catholic, who was previously legally married and divorced, with children from the prior marriage, and the other is a non-Roman Catholic(not converting) with children from the present marriage.

What is the purpose in abstaining from sex in marraige. Which is a commandment and a marital obligation?

Is the Roman Catholic spouse forced to choose between celebrating the communion, or having sex with his/her spouse?

What is the consequence if the Roman Catholic spouse takes communion anyway. Who’s checking marriage certificates? Right?

 

[yessisan]

What if one person is a Roman Catholic, who was previously legally married and divorced, with children from the prior marriage, and the other is a non-Roman Catholic(not converting) with children from the present marriage.

If a Catholic was previously validly married through the Church and then divored, he/she is still married to the person he/she divorced unless this person had an annullment. If no annullment has taken place, the Catholic person would be committing adultery.

What is the purpose in abstaining from sex in marraige. Which is a commandment and a marital obligation?

Marital relations for Catholics are only for those who are validly married w/in the Church or have had their marriage recognized by the Church. The marital obligation is if the marriage is valid.

Is the Roman Catholic spouse forced to choose between celebrating the communion, or having sex with his/her spouse?

Yes, the Catholic spouse is forced to choose between the Eucharist (because it’s the Body of Christ) and the spouse of an invalid marriage. The couple can abstain from marital relations and live as a brother and sister if the Catholic person wants to receive the Eucharist. Being in an invalid marriage is a sin of itself because if the couple is engaging in sex, they are committing adultery.

What is the consequence if the Roman Catholic spouse takes communion anyway. Who’s checking marriage certificates? Right?

If the Catholic spouse receives the Eucharist knowing he/she cannot, he/she is automatically excommunicated because he/she would be desecrating the Eucharist. It is a BIG mortal sin to mock God, you’d be trying to mock Him by receiving the Eucharist, remember the Eucharist is the Body of Christ.

No one is checking marriage certificates, but God and the Catholic person know a sin is being committed.

 

[puzzleannie]

Ok, say a person returns to the church, and after a good confession and then a conversation with the priest, is told his/her marriage is invalid. (the person confessed marrying outside the church).

The priest starts the process to adress the issue.

In the mean time, can the person receive communion as long as he/she is chaste and intends on remaining so until the matter is resolved ? (Assuming the person remains free of grave sin of course)

yes, if he is still with this spouse they must “live as brother and sister” until the matter is resolved in order to be able to receive communion. In Christian charity, if we observe a member of a couple you know to be invalidly married receiving communion, we should assume they are doing so properly, and make no other assumptions or judgments.

a person who is in this situation should take direction from the priest in confession, not from anonymous members of an internet forum

 

[puzzleannie]

I’m don’t understand. Are you saying that if to Christians are married in a civil ceremony, outside the church, they are prohibited from receiving communion, unless they abstain from marital relations?

this was a question addressed to Catholics, since non-Catholic Christians may not receive communion in a Catholic Church. Yes, if a Catholic violates Churc law on marriage he is not validly married and has voluntarily, deliberately placed himself outside the community so of course he may not partake of communion which is the sign and symbol and reality of that communion. If he has blown off Church teaching on marriage, he has blown off his relationship with the Church, and must take the proper steps to heal it.

 

[puzzleannie]

What if one person is a Roman Catholic, who was previously legally married and divorced, with children from the prior marriage, and the other is a non-Roman Catholic(not converting) with children from the present marriage.

?

he should as previously stated, take direction from his priest in confession about his individual situation and not ask for a judgment from an anonymous internet forum.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If the Catholic spouse receives the Eucharist knowing he/she cannot, he/she is automatically excommunicated because he/she would be desecrating the Eucharist. It is a BIG mortal sin to mock God, you’d be trying to mock Him by receiving the Eucharist, remember the Eucharist is the Body of Christ.

No one is checking marriage certificates, but God and the Catholic person know a sin is being committed.

It is a serious situation that must be discussed with your pastor. If you knowingly approach Holy Communion in this situation, while continuing to live in an adulterous situation, you are not excommunicated but could be committing a grave sin each time.

 

[cleargospel99]

I wasn’t looking for an infallible opinion. However, this is a discussion board for an organization called Catholic Answers, which would seem to be a logical place to at least address such a question.

Just to be clear then. I’m not talking about bigamy. Each marriage and divorce were legitimate.

It really comes down to the discretion of the parish priest. How long would a person have to abstain from marital relations? Is this something that is fairly easy to resolve?

 

[otjm]

I wasn’t looking for an infallible opinion. However, this is a discussion board for an organization called Catholic Answers, which would seem to be a logical place to at least address such a question.

Just to be clear then. I’m not talking about bigamy. Each marriage and divorce were legitimate.

It really comes down to the discretion of the parish priest. How long would a person have to abstain from marital relations? Is this something that is fairly easy to resolve?

It is not bigamy in the eyes of the State. However, it would be considered adultery in the eyes of the Church (as it does not recognize the validity of the second marriage).

If the issue is only limited to the Catholic marrying outside the Church without permission being specifically granted, and there are no other complications, that is an issue of form and it easily and relatively quickly resolved. If it is an issue of a second marriage while the first marriage was not annuled, thenm it is a longer issue and make take two to two and one haalf years to resolve.

It does not come down to the discretion of the priest. The rules may seem unfair, but it was Christ who said that divorce was wrong. An annulment is not a divorce; it is a declaration by the Church that no sacrament occured when the two exchanged vows, due to an impediment that existed at the time of the vows.

The couple would have to abstain until a tribunal granted a decree of nullity, which as noted could be several years.

 

[puzzleannie]

Catholics are bound by Church laws on marriage. If they choose to violate those laws they place themselves outside of communion because they are objectively in a state of mortal sin, because they are living in a sexual relationship with someone outside of marriage, since there is no valid marriage, civil law not withstanding. To return to communion it is necessary to address whatever marriage issue there is: convalidation, annulment etc. and then confess and receive communion once their marriage is valid. The only other option for a Catholic in this situation to receive communion is to refrain from sexual activity with their partner until such time as the marriage is rendered valid by whatever canonical action is required to do so. If the Catholic knowling receives communion while in a state of mortal sin he commits the additional sin of sacrilege. Whether or not the pastor or other parishioners know about it is beside the point. He is risking his immortal soul by so doing.

 

[I_Believe]

Thanks to all who replied. Some good points made, especially about seeing your parish priest for guidance on the annulment matters vs seeking answers on forums. Each case is different and your priest is the one to help you sort it out.

My question was about communion, and thus a bit easier to answer.

There were also a couple of good points made in regards to dodging the issue. I can’t imagine someone knowing he/she shouldn’t be receiving communion and doing it anyway. A soul is a terrible thing to waste.

Thanks again,
God Bless