What Happens If Someone Receives Eucharist In A State of Mortal Sin

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Just a question, but is someone who receives the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin excommunicated? I know that people are if they desecrate the Eucharist, but are you if you receive it in a state of mortal sin? Does that fall under the category of desecration? Just curious.
 
RHIC12 said:
Just a question, but is someone who receives the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin excommunicated? I know that people are if they desecrate the Eucharist, but are you if you receive it in a state of mortal sin? Does that fall under the category of desecration? Just curious.
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No but they are committing another grave sin of sacrilege.
 
Scripture tells us that in the Celebration of the Eucharist if we eat or drink unworthily we bring damnation onto ourselves.

We compound sin upon sin if this is done knowingly, with free will. Likely you can toss in the sin of presumption “oh well, I can just go to confession for this as well as the other things”.

Go to confession.
 
for Little Lady: I am not trying to be snarky but I wish to learn; Where does Scripture say that? I would like to read it. Not trying to be a smart a.s, but always trying to learn more. Peace.
 
1 Corinthians, chapter 11.

Different translations use different words

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.*28A person should examine himself,* and so eat the bread and drink the cup.29For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment* on himself.30That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.31If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment;32but since we are judged by [the] Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.m

[26] For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. [27] Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. [30] Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
 
Receiving Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin would not be apart of the desecration for which one would incur excommunication.

Nevertheless, it is a mortal sin.
 
It’s a mortal sin, but doesn’t “excommunicate” you (oftentimes, you’re the only one who knows you’re receiving unworthily).
 
It really depends if they are knowing or ignorant. This type of question is between the person and the Priest.
We do not know if the person was doing this knowingly or not.

I really do not see how anyone can comment on this thread without knowing further details.
First of all, does the person know they are in mortal sin. Did they commit a sin that can be considered a mortal sin for their specific circumstances,
Does the person fully understand what the Eucharist is? Does then the person fully understand what being in a state of Grace is all about.
 
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This is the actual canon, and it can’t be applied to receiving the eucharist unworthily (except perhaps when done with the most convoluted of actions and malevolent of intentions).
Can. 1367 A person who throws away the consecrated species or takes or retains them for a sacrilegious purpose incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; moreover, a cleric can be punished with another penalty, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state.
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[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P52.HTM]
 
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What happens then?
That is something I have thought about. I have come to rralize that it doesn’t harm God. Though God has laid Himself open to the possibility of this happening.
The great result is that the person receiving communion who is in mortal sin doesn’t hurt God–he hurts himself by a great sin. It’s too bad they don’t understand this.
 
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I have three answers: 1.) the church’s answer, 2.) my own confusion, and 3.) a strange sort of conclusion.

First: The church’s answer to your question is - you commit a grave sin.

Second: What confuses me about it is - what does it matter? If you have already committed one grave and mortal sin, then you’re already damned to hell. And, if that is the case, why even go to mass - let alone receive communion?

This actually is a very big problem for me because I (regrettably) have habitual mortal sins, and so I have had to stop going to communion, unless I have previously confessed.

Confessions arent available like they used to be, so that means a reduction in communion.

To boot, some confessors think I am being scrupulous.

Further, sometimes, if I go up to the Priest with my arms crossed over my chest just to receive a blessing instead, the Priest will still give me communion - even if he knows why I may be just seeking a blessing instead of the sacrament.

Third: “a sacrament is an outward sign that confers grace…”

The problem here seems to be perceptions of “outward” and “grace”…

St Theresa of Avila speaks of a situation where something similar happened in her convent, where everyone thought they would literally die from receiving communion without being in the proper graces. She somehow realized the opinion was the work of the devil. I’ll have to research the text and how she resolved the problem, though. But, strangely, it didnt seem to be in agreement with the catechism, which is why I kind of set it aside - although I did tend to agree with her take on it. It might be an interesting passage to review.

In my own experience, when I have received unworthily, I usually feel angry. Perhaps it is because there is a spiritual strife that results; or perhaps it is because the sacrament is said to strengthen ones spirit, but a spirit in a state of sin is not something one wants strengthened.

I dont know. I honestly find it very confusing. I do believe, however, if (as prescribed) I say an act of contrition with a strong intention of going to confession asap; or I simply offer up a “non-communion” to God, then maybe some heavenly authority will invisibly still grant me the grace of both a confession and communion, although not physically. So I wont actually and deliberately receive unworthily, but I will still ask for it in prayer somehow, and then let the heavenly authorities figure it out. And, if some Priest “force feeds” it to me, I wont argue with him right there in the middle of the aisle because I wont want to cause a disturbance. I will just have to do my best to get and stay in a peaceful mood and go to confession asap.

I honestly don’t know what else to do. We’re all pretty sinful, and Catholic ideals are hard to live by sometimes, so the rule seems very myterious to me.

God’s Blessings,
Pax,

wm
 
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Wm777 said:
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I dont know. I honestly find it very confusing. I do believe, however, if (as prescribed) I say an act of contrition with a strong intention of going to confession asap; or I simply offer up a “non-communion” to God, then maybe some heavenly authority will invisibly still grant me the grace of both a confession and communion, although not physically. So I wont actually and deliberately receive unworthily, but I will still ask for it in prayer somehow, and then let the heavenly authorities figure it out. And, if some Priest “force feeds” it to me, I wont argue with him right there in the middle of the aisle because I wont want to cause a disturbance. I will just have to do my best to get and stay in a peaceful mood and go to confession asap.
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That all sounds good to me, and you’ve thought it through well.

It seems unlikely to me that a priest would choose to give you the sacrament despite your arms being folded because he’s thinking of something said in the confessional. Perhaps the priest has a practice of always giving communion to adults who he knows (from outside the confessional) to be observant Catholics, or even he always gives communion to adults in the line. Whatever the reason, I strongly agree with your practice of receiving communion in this circumstance.

Pax 🙂
 
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TheLittleLady said:
As one cannot commit a mortal sin without intent and knowledge, then, yes everyone who is in mortal sin knows they are in mortal sin.
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I absolutely disagree with this statement. Especially in light of the question asked on this thread. Statements like this can feed badly into a scrupulous nature also.

One can think they are in mortal sin, and be wrong. One can think they are not in mortal sin, and be wrong. One of the roles of a Priest is to accurately judge and absolve, or reassure.

This person, new to the forum, is also asking advice about the morality of looting during crisis such as zombie crisis. That suggests this person is exploring the limits of morality and good and evil as far as the Catholic Church is concerned. And as such , is being formed.
 
1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent . It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1859.htm
 
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