My responsibility to tell another Catholic he should not receive Communion?

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TrueLight said:
We can know their inner dispositions if they confide them to us.

I hate to keep up bringing sexual sin but it is one of the more visible sins.

If I have a friend who tells me that she knows she shouldn’t have sex with her boyfriend, but she is afraid he will leave if she stops, then I will pray for her and counsel her.

If that same friend says I’m going to go to communion today, you better believe I’m going to tell her, “You know you have to go to confession first right?”. If she says, she is too embarrassed to confess fornication to a priest but she longs to receive, should I just say okay?

If I love my friend, I am going to tell her in a straightforward and loving way that she will be committing sacrilege.

Now, there may not be a Canon or CCC reference that says “If you know your friend is having sex, it is your responsibility to advise her that she should go to confession before receiving the Eucharist”, but it seems obvious to me.
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Dealing with close friends and acquaintances whole confide to you very personal and intimate things to you are a wholly different matter. When you acknowledge this relationship and allow this person to do this then things change.

In such a case then you do have a job to counsel the individual in question as they have brought the issue up.

What we do not have a right to do, nor a duty to do, is to question others or to insert ourselves into the situation. Such would be a boundary issue.

Really, IMHO, your friend confiding such things to you is crossing a line, but they have crossed it and have forced you into such a response.

I hope this helps you understand what I am talking about a bit better.
 
ProVobis said:
Indeed. I had a “buddy” who bragged about his Saturday nights on Sunday mornings in front of others. Now even if he doesn’t think they were mortal sins, then certainly it is scandalous to approach communion in his state. There are others who openly gossip on their way to communion. I cannot assent to this behavior in any way.
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No where have I said we must “assent” to any behavior.

But I can not assent to the behavior of people feeling that they have the right and duty to be the Eucharist “police” and question the behaviors and actions of others when they are not privy to the information.
 
TrueLight said:
We can know their inner dispositions if they confide them to us.

I hate to keep up bringing sexual sin but it is one of the more visible sins.

If I have a friend who tells me that she knows she shouldn’t have sex with her boyfriend, but she is afraid he will leave if she stops, then I will pray for her and counsel her.

If that same friend says I’m going to go to communion today, you better believe I’m going to tell her, “You know you have to go to confession first right?”. If she says, she is too embarrassed to confess fornication to a priest but she longs to receive, should I just say okay?

If I love my friend, I am going to tell her in a straightforward and loving way that she will be committing sacrilege.

Now, there may not be a Canon or CCC reference that says “If you know your friend is having sex, it is your responsibility to advise her that she should go to confession before receiving the Eucharist”, but it seems obvious to me.
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TrueLight said it even better than I could. But I would like to add something.

According to various catechisms and examinations of conscience, there are 9 ways of being an accessory to another’s sin:
By counsel
By concealment
By command
By partaking
By consent
**By silence **
By provocation
By defense of the evil done
By praise or flattery.

Not warning someone who commits mortal sins and doesn’t confess them that they shouldn’t be going to Communion is making yourself an accessory to their sin by being silent.
 
ByzCath said:
No where have I said we must “assent” to any behavior.

But I can not assent to the behavior of people feeling that they have the right and duty to be the Eucharist “police” and question the behaviors and actions of others when they are not privy to the information.
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But if we do happen to be privy to the information, then we do indeed have the right and duty to admonish someone that they shouldn’t be receiving Holy Communion if they’re committing mortal sins and haven’t confessed them.
 
DavidJoseph said:
But if we do happen to be privy to the information, then we do indeed have the right and duty to admonish someone that they shouldn’t be receiving Holy Communion if they’re committing mortal sins and haven’t confessed them.
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And that “if” is very few. Unless everyone you know is letting you in on their personal life.

But again, there is no way to know if a mortal sin has been committed.

Even in the case that TrueLight gave. You can never know the inner disposition of any individual other than yourself. We have no authority to judge such. A priest within the confessional has that authority,

You never have the right let alone a duty to judge such a thing.
 
ByzCath said:
And that “if” is very few. Unless everyone you know is letting you in on their personal life.

But again, there is no way to know if a mortal sin has been committed.

Even in the case that TrueLight gave. You can never know the inner disposition of any individual other than yourself. We have no authority to judge such. A priest within the confessional has that authority,

You never have the right let alone a duty to judge such a thing.
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Hi Brother Dave,

Gossip IMHO is a every real issue all need to make a sincere effort to avoid. Unfortunate I do not believe most is intentional, but it does seem to have this re-surfacing element to it for conversation sake I suppose.

Happy Easter
 
GaryTaylor said:
Hi Brother Dave,

Gossip IMHO is a every real issue all need to make a sincere effort to avoid. Unfortunate I do not believe most is intentional, but it does seem to have this re-surfacing element to it for conversation sake I suppose.

Happy Easter
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How is it gossip if someone is confiding in you?

I don’t know if it is a male female thing, but a lot of female friends have at least one close friend they are very open with. We need each other’s support as human beings.
 
TrueLight said:
How is it gossip if someone is confiding in you?

I don’t know if it is a male female thing, but a lot of female friends have at least one close friend they are very open with. We need each other’s support as human beings.
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Well, let me give you example. I went to the eyedoctor and happened to run into a member of my parish there. So while waiting he “started” to tell me an extrodinary story about a Catholic Priest at another local parish whom I have met and have been to his Mass. Who I like and find zero issues with.

I cut the conversation short for one, I seen the path it was headed, for two I wasn’t their place to speak on another in this capacity or situation, and finally had any such extrodinary event happened, why share that with me?

I don’t believe souls do things such as this with a bad intention, but what good comes of it?

IF such an event happened which I highly doubt, then by gossip we begin the game of telephone. When the conversation hits the final person its so distorted a daily occurance became a mortal sin.

There is the solid foundation of the “why” to the confessional.

Just my opinion. 🤷
 
GaryTaylor said:
Well, let me give you example. I went to the eyedoctor and happened to run into a member of my parish there. So while waiting he “started” to tell me an extrodinary story about a Catholic Priest at another local parish whom I have met and have been to his Mass. Who I like and find zero issues with.

I cut the conversation short for one, I seen the path it was headed, for two I wasn’t their place to speak on another in this capacity or situation, and finally had any such extrodinary event happened why share that with me?

I don’t believe souls do things such as this with a bad intention, but what good comes of it.

IF such an event happened which I highly doubt, then by gossip we begin the game of telephone. When the conversation hits the final peron it so distorted a daily occurance becama mortal sin.

There is the solid foundation of the “why” to the confessional.

Just my opinion. 🤷
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Oh I agree with you, but we are speaking about someone confiding to someone else about his or her own life.
 
TrueLight said:
How is it gossip if someone is confiding in you?
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I think the scandal involves unnecessary gossip. Certainly one being called to testify in a courtroom or before a lawyer has a little leeway but when people start referring to someone else as “a gay” or “a slut” or “a glutton” it does border on unnecessary and scandalous.
 
As with what happens with many of these threads, the original poster’s comments have been obscured. The original poster admitted to presuming certain things, saying he was almost sure–but not completely sure. This has transitioned into a subtly different topic; it has become the issue spoken about in Galatians 6:1: *Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. *

Common sense, the Church, and scripture all urge extreme caution when taking on the task of correcting others. Scripture here warns that the one doing the correcting should proceed with extreme care; and if that correction is not offered through the love and power of the Holy Spirit, the corrector is in danger of sinning himself. The sin of pride certainly comes to mind.
 
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