Married 3 times. Can I receive Communion?

[Chizzywinks]

I have been married 3 times, none of which were in the Catholic church. The first was by a JP, the second by a notary friend of the family, and the third (current and LAST!) was in a Methodist church (my husband’s church).

My son is preparing for his First Holy Communion and I would like to be able to take Communion with him, but I have read that divorced Catholics cannot receive the Eucharist. Would this remain true for me, even though I have never been married in the Church?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Divorced Catholics may receive communion. However in your case, it is not that you are divorced that presents a problem it is that you have been married outside of the Church.

Because you are a Catholic the Church requires you to be married in the Catholic Church or receive permission to be married elsewhere. As such your marriage is not considered valid in the Church. Individuals in those situations are described by the Church as being in “irregular marriages” and Catholics in irregular marriages are not able to receive communion. You would need to have your marriage validated in the Church before you would be able to receive communion.