Morality of Communion while in mortal sin

[prayerandstudy]

I have heard on a few occasions that everyone is welcome to receive the Eucharist. We should not refrain from receiving even if we are in serious sin. I know this does not agree with Church teaching. My question is: Is this rule something that the Church would ever have the ability to change? The person who has the above belief seems to think the Church is wrong on this one. I don’t think we will ever be told by the Church that everyone, no matter what their guilt, is “welcome to the table” before repenting and receiving absolution. I’m just wondering if it is possible. Thank you for your help.

 

[Bookcat]

CCC 1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."218 Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

Not something that would change.

 

[domandcarols]

Who told you that?

 

[ChibiViolet]

If someone in a state of mortal sin makes a perfect act of contrition–meaning that their top reason for being sorry for their sins (at least the mortal ones) is that they offend God, and intends to go to Confession very soon, they are no longer out of Grace.

 

[Bookcat]

If someone in a state of mortal sin makes a perfect act of contrition–meaning that their top reason for being sorry for their sins (at least the mortal ones) is that they offend God, and intends to go to Confession very soon, they are no longer out of Grace.

Catechism:

CCC 1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."218 Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

 

[virtueseeking]

I have heard on a few occasions that everyone is welcome to receive the Eucharist. We should not refrain from receiving even if we are in serious sin. I know this does not agree with Church teaching.

All are called…not all are welcome.

The person who has the above belief seems to think the Church is wrong on this one.

The Holy Mother Church is the caretaker of the Blessed Sacrament. The Church unlike this person is infallible in matters of faith and morals.

Guilt has little to do with it. It is whether or not you have received the Sacrament of Penance. You may be mistaking having received absolution with having performed the penance. You may receive having been absolved, and perform the penance as soon as one is able.

To accept the Blessed Sacrament in a state of mortal sin, is a sin of sacrilege.

 

[prayerandstudy]

Who told you that?

My pastor. He has made similar statements before and I have tried to address the situation with charity. We simply do not see eye to eye on this.

My question had to do with the possibility of the Church ruling ever changing as it has with regard to how long we fast before receiving Holy Communion.

 

[prayerandstudy]

Thank you all for your replies. I will continue to pray for our parish. At least those who believe what they are hearing will not be guilty of the mortal sin for receiving in mortal sin as they don’t believe what they are doing is a grave sin.

 

[domandcarols]

My pastor. He has made similar statements before and I have tried to address the situation with charity. We simply do not see eye to eye on this.

My question had to do with the possibility of the Church ruling ever changing as it has with regard to how long we fast before receiving Holy Communion.

You don’t see eye to eye? Excuse me? What he is saying is completely against teaching and I am pretty sure this will never change. He is encouraging people to commit sacrilege. Some people are so sick… Please report this to your bishop. Praying for your parish.

 

[prayerandstudy]

You don’t see eye to eye? Excuse me? What he is saying is completely against teaching and I am pretty sure this will never change. He is encouraging people to commit sacrilege. Some people are so sick… Please report this to your bishop. Praying for your parish.

I have written to our Bishop before about this and other things that have greatly bothered me. However, I think because the pastor doesn’t say word for word “You may receive Holy Communion even if you are in mortal sin” whoever received my emails must have thought I was misunderstanding what I heard. I appreciate your prayers. Thank you so much.

 

[domandcarols]

I have written to our Bishop before about this and other things that have greatly bothered me. However, I think because the pastor doesn’t say word for word “You may receive Holy Communion even if you are in mortal sin” whoever received my emails must have thought I was misunderstanding what I heard. I appreciate your prayers. Thank you so much.

Wow! You should switch parishes, that situation sounds maddening.

 

[EmeraldWings]

Why not try putting some articles in the back of your church on what the church teaches on these matters? make a compilation of doctrines and dogmas concerning the Holy Eucharist, or find explanations from the writings of the saints and print them also.
i’d be happy to put something together for you if you’d like.

 

[thistle]

If someone in a state of mortal sin makes a perfect act of contrition–meaning that their top reason for being sorry for their sins (at least the mortal ones) is that they offend God, and intends to go to Confession very soon, they are no longer out of Grace.

That means such a person would be saved if they die before getting to Confession.
It does not mean they may receive Communion prior to Confession.

 

[prayerandstudy]

Why not try putting some articles in the back of your church on what the church teaches on these matters? make a compilation of doctrines and dogmas concerning the Holy Eucharist, or find explanations from the writings of the saints and print them also.
i’d be happy to put something together for you if you’d like.

The parishes around here usually have signs indicating that nothing may be placed in the church or the vestibule unless it gets approval first. But thank you for the idea. I have the Catechism of the Catholic Church but if you have other writings on things the saints have said on this subject, I would be happy to read them.

 

[ChibiViolet]

I asked three priests about this before and each told me that a person who is out of Grace and makes a perfect Act of Contrition with the intention of going to Confession very soon, is in Grace may recieve Communian. One of them told me the Act of Contrition must be made right before recieving.

 

[Katholish]

I asked three priests about this before and each told me that a person who is out of Grace and makes a perfect Act of Contrition with the intention of going to Confession very soon, is in Grace may recieve Communian. One of them told me the Act of Contrition must be made right before recieving.

It is, nevertheless, largely incorrect. There is an important condition which is imposed by Canon Law, namely that of grave reason. Grave reason mostly commonly only applies to priests and those on their death beds seeking viaticum. Here is the exact wording of the Canon:

Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.

The problem is that the State of Grace is not empirically verifiable, which means that a person can never know with absolute certainty if they are in the state of Grace. Perfect contrition itself has added conditions which the sacrament of penance does not, i.e. complete detachment from sin. There can be a reasonable assumption (i.e. moral certitude) of one’s state if they are not conscious of any serious sin from the time of their last sacramental absolution. Your own estimation as to whether or not you have attained perfect contrition, on the otherhand, does not provide the moral certitude necessary to approach the Eucharist. The Church has been absolutely clear and unyielding on this teaching which comes to us from the Apostles.

In the Early Church, you would not even be admitted to Holy Communion until after your assigned penance was completed, which could take years (they got a little more than just 3 Hail Mary’s). It is my understanding that the grave reason consession is a more recent development.

 

[thistle]

I asked three priests about this before and each told me that a person who is out of Grace and makes a perfect Act of Contrition with the intention of going to Confession very soon, is in Grace may recieve Communian. One of them told me the Act of Contrition must be made right before recieving.

All three priests are wrong except in grave circumstances.
See Canon Law.

Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession,** unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess**; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

 

[ChibiViolet]

I thought a perfect Act of Contrition only meant that one’s main reason for being sorry for mortal sins was that they offend God…also, when I’m in Grace, I usually don’t know what state I’m in…I’ve been attending Mass daily and recieving Jesus. Now I think the best thing for me to do is only recieve Him on those rare occasions when I know I’m in Grace. Also, I now know I am incapable of making a perfect act of contrition; I will always be attacehed to certain sins as long as I live–at least some venial ones. I’m probably going to Hell despite my almost daily confessions; I just commit mortal sin too much. Often I wonder why God even bothered to create me…now more so than ever…Yet then again, why would He have created Lucifer and all the other angels He knew would fall…?

 

[Leon_Bloy]

If someone in a state of mortal sin makes a perfect act of contrition–meaning that their top reason for being sorry for their sins (at least the mortal ones) is that they offend God, and intends to go to Confession very soon, they are no longer out of Grace.

My understanding is that this is under certain circumstances only if there is no opportunity to go to confession… which would be odd, since priests are the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion…

 

[Leon_Bloy]

I have heard on a few occasions that everyone is welcome to receive the Eucharist. We should not refrain from receiving even if we are in serious sin. I know this does not agree with Church teaching. My question is: Is this rule something that the Church would ever have the ability to change? The person who has the above belief seems to think the Church is wrong on this one. I don’t think we will ever be told by the Church that everyone, no matter what their guilt, is “welcome to the table” before repenting and receiving absolution. I’m just wondering if it is possible. Thank you for your help.

The Church’s law is and always has been clear that only baptized Catholics in a state of grace (i.e. without un-sacramentally-absolved mortal sin) can receive.