Question on my marriage and receiving Eucharist

[Ellen_Mary]

I have just today had my first confession for around 30 years. I wish to return to my Church after a very long absence.

I was married in 1980’s to a man who wasn’t Catholic and we married outside the Church. This marriage broke down after I had our daughter, as he didn’t want children (didn’t tell me that though) This marriage was annulled by my priest in early 1990’s.

I then met my husband to whom I’m married now 20 years later. He is Catholic, but was previously married to a lady in a Catholic Church (I believe it was in a Catholic Church). This marriage failed after his first wife left him and left their 2 young children with him, and she set up home with another man. She subsequently went on to marry this other man, and had two more children. She then left this second husband and also left her two other children with the second husband.

My husband divorced his first wife. My husband then met and married again, but his second marriage only lasted 6 or 7 days as his wife (who had mental illness - kept controlled by tablets until their wedding day) tried to kill both my husband and her own two children. This marriage he told me was annulled or void (I dont know the correct term).

When my husband and I married we married outside of the Church as he’d been divorced, but I have now decided I want to go back to Church but he doesn’t wish to.

So now I have made my first confession for around 30 years, can anyone advise me am I barred from receiving communion forever? I would like to receive communion but dont know what I need to do to make this possible? Thank you for any advice offered, I truly wish to make things right between me and the Church. I am also praying for my husband to feel the need to return to Church the way I have.

 

[MichaelHowling]

Congratulations on your choice! Beautiful!

You were in the proper disposition to be married…but you don’t know if your current marriage is valid due to your husbands past and because you were married outside of the church.

This isin’t my area of any expertise…although I caution you in getting an answer about this on a forum. I highly suggest you get to a good priest to see what you need to do. There’s a few twists and turns in this story where it could go several ways…so you really need to sit down with a priest (make an appointment) and offer the church a few answers to some questions.

For now, I wouldn’t be taking Holy Communion because you are activley living a marriage you are unsure is acceptible.

God bless !

 

[Ellen_Mary]

Congratulations on your choice! Beautiful!

You were in the proper disposition to be married…but you don’t know if your current marriage is valid due to your husbands past and because you were married outside of the church.

This isin’t my area of any expertise…although I caution you in getting an answer about this on a forum. I highly suggest you get to a good priest to see what you need to do. There’s a few twists and turns in this story where it could go several ways…so you really need to sit down with a priest (make an appointment) and offer the church a few answers to some questions.

For now, I wouldn’t be taking Holy Communion because you are activley living a marriage you are unsure is acceptible.

God bless !

Michael, Thank you once again for your answer you are truly a great help to me today I will definately speak to my priest, I shall also ring the number that he gave me today after my confession.

I forgot to write in my first post, that my husband and I live as brother and sister and have for around 4 years now. I dont see this changing and as I’m married am happy to stay faithful within my marriage and live a celibate life. When I married my husband I didn’t know it would mean my marriage made it impossible for me to recieve communion

Coming back to the Church after such a long absence brings a lot of questions, and a lot of sorting out. Although I would love to recieve communion, I would not go up to recieve sacraments until this whole mess is sorted out. My priest during confession said I could recieve a sacramental blessing instead of communion, I think that means I can go to the alter with the rest of the congragation, but with arms crossed so I dont give the impression I want the sacraments. But I’m worried about doing so in case I have the wrong impression

Thank you again for your advice, I really appreciate it. I am just going out to mass again this evening :extrahappy: God bless.

 

[1ke]

Ellen, talk to your pastor. Make sure you tell him you are currently living in continence. You should be able to receive the Eucharist as long as you continue doing so. Your pastor will advise you on this matter.

You and your husband need to go see the priest about working through your prior marriage(s) to determine freedom to marry in the Church and subsequent convalidation of your marriage to each other.

Take it one step at a time, your pastor will guide you.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Ellen, talk to your pastor. Make sure you tell him you are currently living in continence. You should be able to receive the Eucharist as long as you continue doing so. Your pastor will advise you on this matter.

You and your husband need to go see the priest about working through your prior marriage(s) to determine freedom to marry in the Church and subsequent convalidation of your marriage to each other.

Take it one step at a time, your pastor will guide you.

This:thumbsup:

But also WELCOME HOME:dancing::clapping::extrahappy:

 

[MichaelHowling]

yes that’s what your priest means for you to do.

However, since you are living as brother and sister… I would think you could actually recieve so long as you went to confession and were in the state of grace (but best to do what your priest says.

 

[Spudbynight]

Speak to your parish priest about this.

There are questions he will ask that are not appropriate for a public forum.

God bless you

 

[Ellen_Mary]

Thank you for your advice and kindness. I will speak to my priest and hopefully start to unravel this situation. My first marriage was annulled, but it is my husbands first marriage that I believe was divorced but not annulled.

I hope that as we live as brother and sister that maybe I can share in the full Mass experience of Eucharist.

Thanks for your advice and kindness.