SPLIT: Why can't I receive communion if civilly married?

[adsoma]

What happen in this scenario:

A couple baptized by Catholic Church, Then in the adult life one of them became Jehova Witnesses (Before get the Civil married).

That means Only one Catholic and One JW.

How come the Catholic person can not receive the Holy Communion? just because is not married by Catholic Church? We cannot obligate to the JW to get married in the Catholic Church if my partner don´t want.

Who lose? The Catholic person… That is not fair.

I was reading the Bible and I couldn’t find something about it. Obviosly I am talking about a happy marriage, no cheat, etc,.

I really will appreciate you comments, please be nice, the last time thatI post a question in a spanish Catholic forum, was disappointed, I quit right away…

 

[Brigid34]

I’ve wondered about receiving Holy Communion too if civilly married. If the couple were to live as brother and sister and the relationship were for legal purposes only (elderly needing benefit of marriage status).

I realize that this might be a problem with scandal, but not if neither of the couple were known by any in the parish.

 

[adsoma]

What happen in this scenario:

A couple baptized by Catholic Church, Then in the adult life one of them became Jehova Witnesses (Before get the Civil married).

That means Only one Catholic and One JW.

How come the Catholic person can not receive the Holy Communion? just because is not married by Catholic Church? We cannot obligate to the JW to get married in the Catholic Church if my partner don´t want.

Who lose? The Catholic person… That is not fair.

I was reading the Bible and I couldn’t find something about it. Obviosly I am talking about a happy marriage, no cheat, etc,.

I really will appreciate you comments, please be nice, the last time thatI post a question in a spanish Catholic forum, was disappointed, I quit right away…

Just to clarify, the couple never lived together until they got married

 

[Jean_Anthony]

aaa

 

[Joan_M]

What happen in this scenario:

A couple baptized by Catholic Church, Then in the adult life one of them became Jehova Witnesses (Before get the Civil married).

That means Only one Catholic and One JW.

How come the Catholic person can not receive the Holy Communion? just because is not married by Catholic Church? We cannot obligate to the JW to get married in the Catholic Church if my partner don´t want.

Who lose? The Catholic person… That is not fair.

I was reading the Bible and I couldn’t find something about it. Obviosly I am talking about a happy marriage, no cheat, etc,.

I really will appreciate you comments, please be nice, the last time thatI post a question in a spanish Catholic forum, was disappointed, I quit right away…

Well now, first of all, since you stated that both parties had been baptized in the Catholic Church, even though one left and became a Jehovah Witness, actually both are Catholic, although one is a lapsed Catholic. Once Catholic you remain Catholic no matter what you do, and are still bound by the laws of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church requires that all Catholics get married in the Catholic Church, unless they obtain permission to marry somewhere else. This couple, obviously did not get that permission. So, they are invalidly married. They are, of course, legally married under civil law, but that does not make them validly sacramentally married.

Therefore, they are living in an objective state of mortal sin. So, the spouse who has remained a practicing Catholic cannot receive Communion and remain in that state.

Who is losing out - actually both are. The one who left the faith is also losing out. It is never too late to set things straight. If this is a first marriage for both then all that needs to happen is to have the marriage convalidated and go to confession, confessing all the mortal sins committed since the last valid confession - that includes marrying outside the Church, and living in an invalid marriage.

We simply cannot do what ever we like and not face consequences. This couple ignored the Church and now thinks the Church is unfair? I am being very “nice” - what you have done is endanger your immortal soul.

Oh, and by the way, not everything is in the Bible. Jesus instituted the Church through the Apostles (the first Bishops) and gave them the power to make the rules “whatever you bind on earth is bound in Heaven; whatever you loose on earth is loosed in Heaven”

I pray that you will visit a priest and talk about you situation with him, with the purpose of fixing what needs fixing.

 

[1ke]

What happen in this scenario:

A couple baptized by Catholic Church, Then in the adult life one of them became Jehova Witnesses (Before get the Civil married).

They are both considered to be Catholic, even the one who left the Church.

That means Only one Catholic and One JW.

Not according to Catholic teaching.

How come the Catholic person can not receive the Holy Communion? just because is not married by Catholic Church?

We are not talking about being married in a particular building, when someone says “married in the Church” what they really mean is married validly according to the laws of the Church.

The laws of the Church do allow, in some cases, for a Catholic to be married somewhere other than in a Catholic Church and even without a witness from the Church such as a priest. This is called a dispensation from form.

If a Catholic receives the proper permission and dispensation from their bishop, it would be possible for them to marry validly and receive the sacraments.

We cannot obligate to the JW to get married in the Catholic Church if my partner don´t want.

You should really reconsider marrying someone who no longer practices the Catholic faith, especially someone who has left for a false religion that is hostile to Catholicism. How can you raise your children Catholic in such an environment?

If you insist upon marrying this person, you will need permission from your bishop. You should go talk to your pastor.

Who lose? The Catholic person… That is not fair.

The Catholic person needs to consider all of the problems that can occur when marrying someone who is hostile to the Catholic faith, and their eternal soul and that of future children, before choosing a marriage prospect.

The Church is looking out for us. That is why the Church encourages us not to marry those who are not Catholic. The Bible tells us not to be unequally yoked.

I was reading the Bible and I couldn’t find something about it. Obviosly I am talking about a happy marriage, no cheat, etc,.

Christ gave authority to the Bishops. Go see your pastor and he can explain it to you.