Refused communion?

[Zundrah]

This thread is for someone else. Please read the below quote from Jasmine;

Jasmine_Nyonya:

My Catholic friend, K, has a married son who unfortunately got divorced. He recently remarried another woman in a Temple. Our parish priest told K that he and his whole family cannot receive Holy Communion from now onwards! K is understandably bitter and has stopped attending Mass or going to church. Why should K and the rest of his family be punished for what one grown son has decided to do? What do you all think?

Rgds,
Jasmine Nyonya

 

[clmowry]

This thread is for someone else. Please read the below quote from Jasmine;

Sounds pretty ulikely to we. Somehow I don’t think this is the whole story.

 

[brb3]

Priests have that call to make. They can bind and loose us of sin. Looks like he cast a broad net.

Just like the Priest here in USA, who recently denied a lady living in sin [a professed gay] from receiving the Eucharist. Looks like this priest cast a narrow net.

And, the HHS head in Obama administration, Kathelene Sebelius, … has reportedly been refused the Eucharist by the Bishop in her area. Right on … Right on !!!

 

[Zundrah]

Sounds pretty ulikely to we. Somehow I don’t think this is the whole story.

I was a bit taken back too.

 

[Zundrah]

Priests have that call to make. They can bind and loose us of sin. Looks like he cast a broad net.

Just like the Priest here in USA, who recently denied a lady living in sin [a professed gay] from receiving the Eucharist. Looks like this priest cast a narrow net.

And, the HHS head in Obama administration, Kathelene Sebelius, … has reportedly been refused the Eucharist by the Bishop in her area. Right on … Right on !!!

I once remember finding out that a “catholic” I knew was actually Anglican and that she thought she was Catholic. May sound off the topic, but I wonder if this is the case here? Do Anglican churches hold communion back from whole families just because of one person?

 

[LilyM]

This thread is for someone else. Please read the below quote from Jasmine;

Priests rarely refuse communion, even in some situations where they should.

Refusing a whole family like this is close to unheard of. Perhaps there are other things the rest of the family has done, either as individuals or as a group, and the priest is not only refusing because of the son’s remarriage.

 

[Zundrah]

Priests rarely refuse communion, even in some situations where they should.

Refusing a whole family like this is close to unheard of. Perhaps there are other things the rest of the family has done, either as individuals or as a group, and the priest is not only refusing because of the son’s remarriage.

Just maybe, in a private appointment with their priest they argued that the priest withheld communion from the son? So the priest decided that they all should refrain until they come to a clear understanding that what the priest is doing is legit? I don’t know, but I knew this was weird.

 

[JReducation]

This thread is for someone else. Please read the below quote from Jasmine;

Either the person misunderstood or there are missing pieces here.

Canon Law is very explicit on this. Every Catholic who is not guilty of PUBLIC sin has the right to receive the sacraments. The minister of Holy Communion cannot presume to know the conditions of the person’s soul. That’s the first part.

The second part is equally logical. You cannot penalize one person for the sins of another.

In this case, I would call the son and privately explain to him that he cannot approach Holy Communion. I would not make a scene on the Communion line; but I would not deny Holy Communion to his Catholic relatives. It makes no sense. We have some priests who are not to clear on when and when not to deny Holy Communion or how to go about it without creating a scene, so the shy away from it and pass the matter on to the bishop to deal with privately. But I know of no priest who has “excommunicated” an innocent person.

In this case, even the children of the man who married outside of the Church may receive Holy Communion, if they are Catholic. The sins of the parent are not commuted to the son.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[tafan]

Priests rarely refuse communion, even in some situations where they should.

Refusing a whole family like this is close to unheard of. Perhaps there are other things the rest of the family has done, either as individuals or as a group, and the priest is not only refusing because of the son’s remarriage.

It is unheard of, I do not believe the story.

 

[clmowry]

Just maybe, in a private appointment with their priest they argued that the priest withheld communion from the son? So the priest decided that they all should refrain until they come to a clear understanding that what the priest is doing is legit? I don’t know, but I knew this was weird.

IF this actually happend at all, the only thing I could imagine would be that the “whole family” put forth in the defense of the son something heretical that they are obstinately continuing to publicly profess.

Chuck

 

[Skeptic92]

This thread is for someone else. Please read the below quote from Jasmine;

If this is true, then your friend is holding part of the story back, her Son should be refused Communion (unless he sought Annulment of his first marriage, and it was granted) but the whole family should not. So if this is true, your friend is holding details back, Priest rarely refuse Communion, and on such a wide base for one persons actions? Any Priest would realize canon law doesn’t allow it, so we need ALL the details.

 

[DavidFilmer]

Do Anglican churches hold communion back from whole families just because of one person?

That question is practically impossible to answer. There are MANY Anglican churches, and they are not united by any sort of common belief, leadership, or law.

But I have not known of any Anglican communion which does not practice open Communion for Baptized Christians who are not Anglican. More traditionally-minded communions might impose a requirement that the person also possess some sort of vague belief in a “real presence.” Even so, such policies are much more permissive than Catholic policy. I cannot imagine an Anglican communion (or a Catholic communion) which would impose the limits described by the OP.

I agree with other posters that the story has not been told fully or accurately. Something is missing.

 

[Todd_Easton]

As long as the family did nothing and is doing nothing to aid the son in his remarriage, I see no reason for the refusal of communion to the family. However, I can see the possibility of denying communion to the family if they all participated in the son’s second wedding and are now allowing him and his second wife to life together in the family’s home, as that would seem to indicate their ongoing cooperation in their son’s sin.

 

[JReducation]

As long as the family did nothing and is doing nothing to aid the son in his remarriage, I see no reason for the refusal of communion to the family. However, I can see the possibility of denying communion to the family if they all participated in the son’s second wedding and are now allowing him and his second wife to life together in the family’s home, as that would seem to indicate their ongoing cooperation in their son’s sin.

Even if that were to happen, that would be very shaky grounds to refuse someone Holy Communion. You can’t be held responsible for your adult relative’s choice and there is the fact that remarried or not, this remains your son or daughter. A canon lawyer can argue that point and probably win it arguing that the greater good is the unity of the family, while refusing to receive your son with his new spouse is not going to change his choice.

In the case that he was cohabiting with a partner, of either gender, the greater good is to encourage the separation. But once they are married, the likelihood of a separation is remote to none. You must always strive for the greatest good that you can achieve.

The other part, the participation in the marriage itself may have some grounds, except that again a canon lawyer will argue that it is very difficult for a parent to refuse to attend the wedding. The emotional and family pressure is great and probably diminishes culpability, as you are there because you see no other choice other than have a full scale rebellion in your household. The priest has to take this factor into consideration.

There is something missing here that either the parent did not understand or the priest did not understand. One piece that may not have been said here is that the parents encouraged the alliance. The parent does have a duty to explain the moral truth to the adult child in a manner that is respectful and clear at the same time. He does not have to disown the child once he has fulfilled this obligation, nor does he have to close his doors, unless the situation is going to bring a disruption into the family’s life. This is more common in the case of same sex unions. Those are obviously very divisive in families. Heterosexual marriages a much less divisive, it at all. If the parent encouraged the union, the priest may have reasons for reservation. It would be up to the bishop to decide if it warrants a permanent exclusion from Communion.

Denying Holy Communion indefinitely is one step short of excommunication. The bishop has the final say in that matter. The person is not saying whether they appealed to the bishop or not. That’s another missing piece. Different dioceses have different procedures for dealing with these situations. In some, the burden to report it to the bishop is on the pastor and in others it falls on the communicant.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Jasmine_Nyonya]

Hi all!
I am overjoyed that I received so many responses to my query about K’s whole family being refused Holly Communion because his divorced son remarried into a different faith. Thank you all and especially to Br.JR OSF and Zundrah. Rest assured that this is a genuine case. I will take all your advice into consideration and some day convey them to K. BTW, K is a gardener in a social/family club of which I am a member. I promised to Google for an answer and that was how I registered with CAF!!
I don’t understand this bringing in of the Anglican Church because K and I belong to our local Catholic Church. Anyway K said that on Saturdays he is now earning overtime pay by serving as a waiter in the Club restaurant instead of attending Sunset Mass with his family! So sad.
Will find out more about this case so that the CAF can be more informed to give relevant advice.
Thanks again and May God bless you and your families.
Jasmine Nyonya,( Malaysia)