Priest gave friend OK to receive communion without annulment. What should I do?

[ksrmarsh1]

You can read Vatican documents on this topic here, wonder no more!

2000:
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/intrptxt/documents/rc_pc_intrptxt_doc_20000706_declaration_en.html

1998:
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19980101_ratzinger-comm-divorced_en.html

1997:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1997/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19970124_plenaria-pc-family_en.html

1994:
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_14091994_rec-holy-comm-by-divorced_en.html

1981:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio_en.html

Thanks, I will read over these for more direction.

 

[maryjk]

True story about someone I know…

Woman married civilly to her husband. Attends Mass every Sunday and Holy Day with their son. In fact, teaches Sunday School, 2nd grade, Confession and First Communion prep.

Woman has no idea that she needs to be married in the Church. Sorry it wasn’t taught to her when she was young.

Finds out in January, while preparing the children for their first Confession. Finds out during her Confession.

Immediately takes steps to make it right.

Told by priest to continue receiving.

Why? Because the priest believed that if she stopped receiving, it would cause scandal among her students. They would question why she no longer received. And in turn she would have to talk about something that was reveled during a Confession.

She was married in the Church as soon as she was allowed.

 

[AnneTeresa]

True story about someone I know…

Woman married civilly to her husband. Attends Mass every Sunday and Holy Day with their son. In fact, teaches Sunday School, 2nd grade, Confession and First Communion prep.

Woman has no idea that she needs to be married in the Church. Sorry it wasn’t taught to her when she was young.

Finds out in January, while preparing the children for their first Confession. Finds out during her Confession.

Immediately takes steps to make it right.

Told by priest to continue receiving.

Why? Because the priest believed that if she stopped receiving, it would cause scandal among her students. They would question why she no longer received. And in turn she would have to talk about something that was reveled during a Confession.

She was married in the Church as soon as she was allowed.

Yes, and this is exactly why WE should not be questioning what a priest told another person. It is up to the priest who knows the whole story.

 

[Elizium23]

True story about someone I know…

Woman married civilly to her husband. Attends Mass every Sunday and Holy Day with their son. In fact, teaches Sunday School, 2nd grade, Confession and First Communion prep.

Woman has no idea that she needs to be married in the Church. Sorry it wasn’t taught to her when she was young.

Finds out in January, while preparing the children for their first Confession. Finds out during her Confession.

Immediately takes steps to make it right.

Told by priest to continue receiving.

Why? Because the priest believed that if she stopped receiving, it would cause scandal among her students. They would question why she no longer received. And in turn she would have to talk about something that was reveled during a Confession.

She was married in the Church as soon as she was allowed.

Hopefully, this woman was also told by her priest to abstain from marital relations with her husband and live as brother and sister until her situation was regularized. The fact that she was living in a state of adultery is the true cause of scandal, and if this were rectified, then she could truly receive Holy Communion.

In any other case, sorry, but the Church does not teach that the ends justifies the means: it is not good to commit sacrilege to avoid giving scandal.

 

[maryjk]

Hopefully, this woman was also told by her priest to abstain from marital relations with her husband and live as brother and sister until her situation was regularized. The fact that she was living in a state of adultery is the true cause of scandal, and if this were rectified, then she could truly receive Holy Communion.

In any other case, sorry, but the Church does not teach that the ends justifies the means: it is not good to commit sacrilege to avoid giving scandal.

Adultery?

As far as I know, she wasn’t married to anyone before her civil marriage. Maybe you know her better than I do.

And since no one knew she had not been married in the Church, what was the cause of the scandal?