Sexual abstinence before Holy Communion?

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My rule of thumb is to give the Church (and the Church Militant) the benefit of the doubt, and try to understand why things were the way were. There might be value in the way things were done. Or, at least, value at the time they were done that way.

I’m not sure, but I think there is a tradition of abstaining from marital relations prior to reception of Holy Communion among the Eastern Orthodox. Can anyone confirm? And is there a similar tradition among other Catholic Rites?

P.S. Which is why I would hesitate to call this “absurd”. I recall the sadness I felt when I encountered a group of Catholics making fun of churches that contained many relics, esp. full bodies or parts of bodies. It was “grotesque” and “sick” and “weird” to them. Maybe it is to the modern mind, but it was not so to our forefathers in the faith.

VC
 
atassina said:
Before we follow this advice, we need to know whether of not daily communion was a practice back then. If not, then this advice does not apply because there would be no living Catholics if it had been followed.
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Obviously, if married Catholics abstained from “marital relations” (“sex” is easier to type) for three days before communion, children could only be conceived early in the week… when men had to go to bed on time so they could get to work on time in the morning. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ponyguy/Shrug.gif
Results: Very small Catholic families, dwindling church population.

Along came Pope Pius X, with fresh ideas… 👍
 
Ponyguy said:
Obviously, if married Catholics abstained from “marital relations” (“sex” is easier to type) for three days before communion, children could only be conceived early in the week… when men had to go to bed on time so they could get to work on time in the morning.
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Hmmmm. But, I would have thought that men worked Monday through Saturday AND had to get up early for Sunday Mass. Which means they had to get up early every day, no?

VC
 
Verbum_Caro said:
Hmmmm. But, I would have thought that men worked Monday through Saturday AND had to get up early for Sunday Mass. Which means they had to get up early every day, no?

VC
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We have Sunday Masses until 12:30 at our parish… and at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening, too.

My earlier reply was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, if you didn’t quite catch my bit o’satire…

I still think a 3 day abstinence from sex before communion is a crummy idea, though.
 
I agree. Have we clearly established that this was an actual teaching of Trent or just a suggestion?
 
BobObob said:
The disciplines at the time of Trent, which were probably influenced by the approach they had to receiving Holy Communion then, has been changed. If one is only going to receive Holy Communion at most once a month, than it might as well be a major event that you substantially prepare for by fast and abstinence.
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I agree that it was likely more of a major event. I’ve always assumed there was a reason they had to make a law saying the minimum you must receive is once a year. Such a law indicates to me that they had a problem with people receiving even less often than that.

Also, a more general point (not to BobObob). Fasting does not indicate that something is a bad thing. The Church is not saying that food is bad by asking us to fast. Neither would they have been saying that marital relations were bad by requesting a fast.
 
Verbum_Caro said:
I’m not sure, but I think there is a tradition of abstaining from marital relations prior to reception of Holy Communion among the Eastern Orthodox. Can anyone confirm?
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Just like any other type of fasting, it is the ideal to strive for, but it is not required for those who aren’t able to handle it yet.

More information: abbamoses.com/fasting.html
 
atassina said:
I agree. Have we clearly established that this was an actual teaching of Trent or just a suggestion?
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Does anyone have the translation of the actual text from Trent that addresses this (if Trent even did address this)?

Even if what was posted in post 6 from the Roman Catechism reflected what Trent taught regarding discipline, there is nothing there to make the three day period mandatory.
 
BobObob said:
Does anyone have the translation of the actual text from Trent that addresses this (if Trent even did address this)?

Even if what was posted in post 6 from the Roman Catechism reflected what Trent taught regarding discipline, there is nothing there to make the three day period mandatory.
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I have only seen it in that catechism, not the actual text of the Council of Trent. Trent itself does address preparation for receiving, but it mentions the sacrament of reconciliation, not abstaining from relations. Perhaps someone else knows of a passage that I do not, of course. I am thinking of the thirteenth session chapter VII and its corresponding canon.

Trent will, however, encourage people to follow the rules for feasts and fasts. Or, rather, encourage the pastors to encourage the people, etc. Here is the online translation of that:
The holy Synod furthermore exhorts, and, by the most holy advent of our Lord and Saviour, conjures all pastors, that, like good soldiers, they sedulously recommend to all the faithful all those things which the holy Roman Church, the mother and mistress of all churches, has ordained, as also those things which, as well in this Council, as in the other oecumenical Councils, have been ordained, and to use all diligence that they be observant of all thereof, and especially of those which tend to mortify the flesh, such as the choice of meats, and fasts ; as also those which serve to promote piety, such as the devout and religious celebration of festival days; often admonishing the people to obey those set over them (Heb. xiii. 17), whom they who hear, shall hear God as a rewarder, whereas they who contemn them, shall feel God himself as an avenger.
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Therefore, this appears to be what a catechist at that time thought a good idea. Perhaps for his time and culture. But for us, no. If God wanted man to abstain from marital relations he wouldn’t have put zippers in pants.
 
I say that if this teaching isn’t in any of the current catechism books, then why worry about it? If it were mandatory, the church would make it known.
 
That may have been a practice of the faith, but it was not a doctrinal teaching.
Just as fasting prior to receiving the Eucharist is a practice of the faith – and can be changed by our leaders. The practice of fasting used to be from midnight, then three hours, and now one hour before receiving the Blessed Sacrament. We are bound to Church practice, but the Church can change her precepts.
 
Discipline changes…

There is no such requirement currently in the Latin (Roman) Church.
 
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