Should homosexuals receive communion?

[dshix]

Maybe I am misunderstanding you.

That’s all right, let’s just call it a truce.

 

[triumphguy]

That’s all right, let’s just call it a truce.

Truce:thumbsup:

 

[KellyPalmer]

I was calling for people to be a little more charitable to the OP, and you have just, essentially, reiterated what I was saying.

People instantly chose to judge the OP.

I’m not quite sure who you are disagreeing with.

I’m looking back over the responses and not seeing this judgment in most of the responses, nor am I seeing such a lack of charity but rather honest answers to the OPs questions. I guess it’s easy for people to take things differently.

 

[faithfully]

I think the question has been answered. I do wonder how the OP knows they are a sexually active homosexual couple?

Is is possible these are two brothers? I see this all the time at my church. 2 twenty somethings that turn out to be brothers. Or friends. Today’s fashion styles might not really make things as obvious as they “appear”.

Yesterday, I went to Mass with my sister. We look nothing a like. At the sign of peace, as in tradition within our family a hand shake is exchanged with a kiss on the cheek. She’s not married. I don’t wear my wedding ring. I wonder how many people assumed we were “together”.

 

[Metropolis]

I think the question has been answered. I do wonder how the OP knows they are a sexually active homosexual couple?

Is is possible these are two brothers? I see this all the time at my church. 2 twenty somethings that turn out to be brothers. Or friends. Today’s fashion styles might not really make things as obvious as they “appear”.

Yesterday, I went to Mass with my sister. We look nothing a like. At the sign of peace, as in tradition within our family a hand shake is exchanged with a kiss on the cheek. She’s not married. I don’t wear my wedding ring. I wonder how many people assumed we were “together”.

It is funny, people think my sister and I are “together” all the time because we look very little alike and we are from an affectionate family.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

It is funny, people think my sister and I are “together” all the time because we look very little alike and we are from an affectionate family.

That’s got to feel a little awkward

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Like anyone else, if he is properly disposed he may receive communion. It would be hard to determine that status for someone else.

Excellent response. The OP is not living with this couple and certainly not hearing their confessions, he has no way of knowing.

 

[ellen42]

Other people have covered this, but I want to reiterate – don’t go pointing out the splinters in other people’s eyes

 

[Schism_hater]

Im a little bit surprised that no one besides the OP seems at all concerned with avoiding public scandal. Let’s change the scenario a little; a man with a swastica armband goes forward to recieve communion? Or how about a man wearing a t-shirt with an inverted cross on it? Different now?

 

[EasterJoy]

1. If one is in a state of grace then one should receive communion, if not one is not in a state of grace then one should not receive common. The have to follow the same rules as anyone else, no more, no less.
2. How do you know they are a homosexual couple as opposed to close friends?
3. Assuming they are a “homosexual couple” how do you know they are sexually involved?
4. Assuming they are a “homosexual couple” and are sexually involved to some degree how do you know that the one who received communion did not make a valid confession since the last time he committed a mortal sin?

These are excellent points…that is, it is fair to ask why he thinks that. We can’t assume that this is a couple in which one of them introduced himself as the other one’s partner (which is what I meant by “giving scandal”), just because people we would describe as homosexual partners would have done that before we drew that conclusion. I knew a fellow who kept his hair very neat and trimmed his mustache just so who was constantly being hit on by gay men who thought they knew another gay man when* they* saw one, so you just can’t say when no one is telling you as much up front.

Even if they introduce themselves as a “couple”, you don’t know. (Yes, there are homosexual couples who never have sex, just like the heterosexual ones.)

 

[dshix]

Metropolis;10267975:

It is funny, people think my sister and I are “together” all the time because we look very little alike and we are from an affectionate family.

That’s got to feel a little awkward

Awkward indeed!!

 

[KellyPalmer]

Im a little bit surprised that no one besides the OP seems at all concerned with avoiding public scandal. Let’s change the scenario a little; a man with a swastica armband goes forward to recieve communion? Or how about a man wearing a t-shirt with an inverted cross on it? Different now?

Yes and no. No, because either way its still not my job to determine who recieves and even if a distraction, I should work towards focusing on the Mass not others. Yes, because those things are evil. There’s nothing evil about simply being homosexual.

 

[vera_dicere]

There’s a couple of older gentlemen at my church and to rely on all sterotypes, they look, act and sound homosexual.

When I watched them go to communion one Sunday I wondered to myself, are they actually gay or just effiminate? Maybe they have medical problems affecting hormones so they sound “gay”? Maybe they’re brothers? Roommates? If they are gay, maybe they live a chaste life, as brothers and are more than able to take communion? Maybe they car pool and that’s why they arrive together, and gay or not have no actual relationship? The list in my head went on and on…

In the end, I figured if I was that worried about their apparent homosexual behaviour I should just pray for them.

I have met men who I thought were the gayest of the gay, so outwardly homosexual it makes those guys on queer eye for the straight guy seem hetro, and then it turns out those men were actually straight, church going individuals with wives!

There’s too many variables, so you just end up getting all worked up over what’s probably nothing. If you still feel unsettled, prayer for them. Only God and only those people know how they’re living.

 

[faithfully]

Im a little bit surprised that no one besides the OP seems at all concerned with avoiding public scandal. Let’s change the scenario a little; a man with a swastica armband goes forward to recieve communion? Or how about a man wearing a t-shirt with an inverted cross on it? Different now?

While I’d be floored to see a nazi, or a satanist in church, I probably wouldn’t assume they are there for more than a shock factor. I’d also assume, unless my priest is blind that he sees such images and makes a decision at the time of distribution. I surely don’t see how my interpretation of such a display would be more valuable than a priest’s.

You can’t assume that 2 men arriving together, and perhaps even acting as though they are in a relationship are sexually active. What of the unmarried man and woman? Do you assume they are sexually active and shouldn’t rec? I mean really in this day in age? Why would you assume an unmarried man and woman in a chaste relationship but not 2 gay appearing men?

I have a problem with public scandal. Are you really to avoid living your life in case someone interprets wrong because they are quick to assume? This whole, “what will people think” drives me batty. Sounds a lot like gossip and spreading false witness.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

While I’d be floored to see a nazi, or a satanist in church, I probably wouldn’t assume they are there for more than a shock factor. I’d also assume, unless my priest is blind that he sees such images and makes a decision at the time of distribution. I surely don’t see how my interpretation of such a display would be more valuable than a priest’s.

You can’t assume that 2 men arriving together, and perhaps even acting as though they are in a relationship are sexually active. What of the unmarried man and woman? Do you assume they are sexually active and shouldn’t rec? I mean really in this day in age? Why would you assume an unmarried man and woman in a chaste relationship but not 2 gay appearing men?

I have a problem with public scandal. Are you really to avoid living your life in case someone interprets wrong because they are quick to assume? This whole, “what will people think” drives me batty. Sounds a lot like gossip and spreading false witness.

Depending on the person an inverted cross could be an oblique to Peter.

See dshix’s post above

 

[triumphguy]

Im a little bit surprised that no one besides the OP seems at all concerned with avoiding public scandal. Let’s change the scenario a little; a man with a swastica armband goes forward to recieve communion? Or how about a man wearing a t-shirt with an inverted cross on it? Different now?

Well since the Pope himself has said that homosexuals should be treated with respect, and whereas successive popes have called Nazism hateful, oppressive etc I don’t think it’s the same at all.

When the pope starts writing that we should accept the Nazi but hate Nazism then you might have a point. Same with satanism.

So, it is “different now.”

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

Well since the Pope himself has said that homosexuals should be treated with respect, and whereas successive popes have called Nazism hateful, oppressive etc I don’t think it’s the same at all.

When the pope starts writing that we should accept the Nazi but hate Nazism then you might have a point. Same with satanism.

So, it is “different now.”

The inverted cross is a symbol of St. Peter, if it was an inverted crucifix he might have a point.

 

[Seamus_L]

Members of the openly homosexual Rainbow Sash movement have been denied Communion in various Dioceses such as Chicago, St Paul, Sydney Australia. etc.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Members of the openly homosexual Rainbow Sash movement have been denied Communion in various Dioceses such as Chicago, St Paul, Sydney Australia. etc.

People wearing rainbow sashes, like the hypothetical t-shirt wearer above, are making political statements and their behavior can be judged.

That’s different from the random church-goer who you think is homosexual, but has done nothing to publicly disagree with church teachings. You, as another random church-goer, have no basis for determining that the other person should or shouldn’t receive communion.

 

[dshix]

People wearing rainbow sashes, like the hypothetical t-shirt wearer above, are making political statements and their behavior can be judged.

That’s different from the random church-goer who you think is homosexual, but has done nothing to publicly disagree with church teachings. You, as another random church-goer, have no basis for determining that the other person should or shouldn’t receive communion.

This is correct.