Hi, I duno if I have posted this query on the correct forum. My question is: If a divorced single mum, who is going through RCIA, is pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby, and the boyfriend left her. She decided to keep the baby. Can she still be baptized? Will it consider adulterly? Her previous marriage is not annulled. Will her unborn baby be able to be baptized as well? Will she able to receive communion?
anyone going through RCIA must be brought to understand that they are not taking a class or course of instruction, they are undergoing a process of conversion from any aspect of their life and behavior that separates them from God. Sadly in our society, sexual sin is the cause of much of that separation. If she is unbaptized, all former sin of any kind in her life will be erased. However, she must change her way of living to be in accord with God’s will for her.
The various Rites that comprise RCIA which are celebrated along the way, with their various blessings, exorcisms, etc., are intended for just that purpose: to aid inward searching and scrutiny of one’s soul, to aid in making necessary changes, to enable one to escape the grip of evil and sin. The Sacraments of Initiation, especially the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthen and fortify the new Christian for this continual fight against sin.
She will be ready for baptism when she has discarded all elements of her past life that are standing in the way of her unity with God and His Church. In RCIA the individual celebrates Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion at the same time. If she is not ready for one she is not ready for all.
The state of her own soul does not put a barrier for her child’s baptism but she must give satisfactory evidence to the priest that she intends to raise the child as Catholic.
If she is not currently married or living together or involved in an adulterous relationship she has no barrier to reception of the Sacraments. If she wishes to marry at some time in the future all previous marriages must be brought to the Tribunal of the diocese for an investigation and judgement on their validity. This is a great time to apply for an annulment because the process itself is healing, and if indeed former marriages are declared null, it will leave this young woman free to marry in the future.
She should visit the priest without delay to get his advice on how to proceed with the RCIA process, taking care of her child’s needs, resolving any marriage issues, and pastoral counsellling to help deal with the reasons for entering into past relationships that have proven to be unhealthy. She should also ask for and receive support for her pro-life decision to keep her baby rather than take the easy way out of abortion.
