Receiving Communion not in State of Grace

[yinekka]

My son has been told by a priest that it is ok to receive Holy Communion when not in the state of grace i.e. with a mortal sin on your soul as long as you make an act of contrition before Communion and go to Confession asap after Mass. The “embarrassment factor” is the reason given for going to Communion i.e. you wouldn’t want your family knowing that you’d done something which would preclude receiving Communion.

I have tried to explain to him that this is incorrect but because I am just mum what would I know.

Am I incorrect? If not please state some source which he can check for himself.

Thank you

 

[Jan_Wakelin]

Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church disagree with the advice your son received:

“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” (1Cor 11:28-29).

“Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1415).