Your previous marriage is an issue if you have remarried. If you are in a second marriage then that needs to be resolved. I don’t know if all parishes/dioceses handle things the same way, but we don’t bring divorced and remarried people into the Church until their marriage situation is resolved with a declaration of nullity for the first marriage and convalidation of the current marriage.I am soon to be a catholic and am going through RCIA now. I am divorced and my previous marriage has not been annulled. I was told by a coworker that although I will then be able to take the Eucharist, I will not be able to carry the offertory, hosts to the alter, nor can I read or sing since I am still married in the eyes of the church. Can anyone help me on this?
is the person who told you this your pastor? no? then why would you believe her? ask your pastor about your status. In general a divorced Catholic who is otherwise in a state of grace (not conscious of any unconfessed mortal sin, not remarried or otherwise living out of harmony with Catholic teaching) may not only receive communion and the other sacraments but may engage in any ministry or apostolate open to lay Catholics. Make sure your pastor knows all aspects of your personal situation, including and especially your marital history, so he can advise on your personal situation, since I don’t know where you are in this RCIA process. If he has not told you there is something about your situation which would bar you from sacraments, neither is there any barrier to other ministry once you are received into the Church. There are so many variables that come into play when assessing the marital situation of an individual in RCIA it is impossible for someone not part of the process to make a determination, and that includes us lay RCIA directors. These are pastoral matters for the pastor to answer.I am soon to be a catholic and am going through RCIA now. I am divorced and my previous marriage has not been annulled. I was told by a coworker that although I will then be able to take the Eucharist, I will not be able to carry the offertory, hosts to the alter, nor can I read or sing since I am still married in the eyes of the church. Can anyone help me on this?
Are you divorced or are you divorced and remarried?I am soon to be a catholic and am going through RCIA now. I am divorced and my previous marriage has not been annulled. I was told by a coworker that although I will then be able to take the Eucharist, I will not be able to carry the offertory, hosts to the alter, nor can I read or sing since I am still married in the eyes of the church. Can anyone help me on this?
If you are divorced and not remarried, there is no issue. You can do all those things, including receive Communion as long as you are in a state of grace (have confessed).I am soon to be a catholic and am going through RCIA now. I am divorced and my previous marriage has not been annulled. I was told by a coworker that although I will then be able to take the Eucharist, I will not be able to carry the offertory, hosts to the alter, nor can I read or sing since I am still married in the eyes of the church. Can anyone help me on this?
Then she is still married to her “first husband”. Assuming that she is not living as brother and sister in her new “marriage,” she is committing adultery. Therefore she is not in a state of grace and may not receive the Eucharist.Thanks to everyone for your help. I have told my fellow RCIA’ers to access this site. Very helpful. I love this site! And I also subscribe to Catholic 5 a Day newsletters. Super help too.
After seeing some of these posts, I asked her why she was told this. She said that she should have clarified it a bit for me; that indeed she is remarried to a NON-catholic from a NON-catholic ceremony and has not had her previous marriage annulled. So I believe that was their reasoning to her personally. My situation is completely different and I am not sure she was aware of the many differences until I delved bit further. Thanks to all and God Bless!