you take it that the condition of her soul is between her and the priest, but yes objectively she is unable to receive communion, but you don’t know her individual condition. She needs to see her priest. All the discussion in the world is not going to help her if she does not take that step.
I don’t think a question of whether it will last or not will matter, as they have been married for more than twenty years. However, her husband is extremely anti-Catholic, so if he heard about this he may pull the plug. In fact, the first date they ever had (Or was it a phone call?) he said, “I hope you’re not one of those bleeping Catholics.” How she was able to get all of her children baptized, I do not know. Her two boys are in college and they are going through a college program that will get them confirmed, thankfully.
Well, she said that she talked to a Priest, and he said that she was fine. However, she said she talked to a Priest that is now dead, so we cannot ask him if she really did. This seems a little too convenient for us, but even if she did, the Priest’s advice was unfortunately wrong. I told my mother all that I learned and I think she’s going to tell her, but I think my mom is a little lax about the whole situation because she’s pretty sure that our friend is simply going to tell her what the Priest she claims said, and will not go through with it. She’s most likely right, as she’s known her almost all of her life. If she is right, and if our friend wants to go through life believing something this Priest allegedly said and not the Catechism, than it’s not our problem, I suppose.
who is “we” who wants to do the asking and why is it their business? the only “we” is the lady and her spouse, and her priest, why is anyone else involved?
My friend;
My friend, I believe you’ve been misinformed. According to the Church (Which speaks on behalf of God) they don’t have a real marriage. According to the Church, they have had an illegitimate marriage for twenty-three years. She must have the marriage convalidated, or leave him. Otherwise, she will have to deal with the fact that she cannot receive the Eucharist, or any other sacrament except Last Rites. The reason? She was not given a dispensation for her Baptist ceremony. She didn’t talk to a Priest, and a Priest wasn’t present. It would’ve been valid if she had been a Baptist, or if she had at least gotten a dispensation and had a Priest present, but she didn’t, and she was Catholic, therefore it’s not a marriage in the Church’s eyes. I don’t mean to sound harsh, as she is a very good friend that has helped us many times, and I’m glad we’re friends with her. But she must do this, otherwise she’s outside of the Catholic Church.
What’s interesting to me is that she loved him enough to forego her catholic duty and got married in a baptist church… but he doesn’t appear to love her enough to help her in her faith.
His consent isn’t needed for a radical sanation. Which would validate the marriage. He’s not even required to be told!
She can attempt a having her marriage validated through Radical Sanation, as other’s have suggested. Her husband does not even have to know.
I know this. But a Radical Sanation would have it convalidated, which is what I was trying to get across that she needed to do.
