Can I take communion if I use contraception?

[mollysmum82]

I've recently done the RCIA and found it wonderful, but I still have so many questions!

I had a look on a Catholic Answers forum after a few months of attending mass, to try and get some answers to my questions. I was really saddened when someone said I was committing a mortal sin by using contraception and I must not take communion, or I would be "desecrating the host". They said there was no point in saying confession if I continued to use contraception, as I clearly wasn't sorry. There's a lot of reasons that we don't want any more children at the moment, the main one being I had such severe pnd I was suicidal, and just don't want to put my family through that again :( How do other catholics reconcile this? Thanks so much for any advice.

[ethelb]

I'm catholic. My family is catholic. We use contraception like there is no tomorrow and take communion.

Yes I may be a massive hypocrite but I am happy and comfortable with my choice.

[sieglinde]

Hi, yet another RC here to say that if you are taking the pill for an illness you are not committing any kind of sin.

The Holy Father confirmed this quite recently in terms of condoms and AIDS prevention. So it should be utterly uncontroversial.

[Gingerdodger]

In my opinion it is a matter for you and your conscience. Like many Catholics I don't agree with the official line on some issues but I have always taken the view that as long as I can say the creed and believe in that the rest is for me and own conscience to work through. This includes the use of contraception and I know that many other Catholics take the same stance.

[becstarlightstarbright]

I'm CofE but my opinion for what it's worth - God is a loving Father. As a loving Father He wants you to have a family with all the love and joy that brings. But as a loving Father He doesn't want you to be suicidally depressed - imagine His pain at seeing one of his children going through that kind of pain. God loves you, if you take care of yourself you are doing as God wants - He doesn't want you to suffer, He wants you to be able to enjoy this beautiful world He created for us, and to be happy in your marriage and in your life. He didn't put you here to suffer, He wants to see us all free and joyful, taking care of ourselves and each other - and anyone who thinks differently is praying to a different God than I am.

So to sum up - in my (not very expert, but heartfelt) opinion take communion, and save your repentance for actual sins.

[MareeyaDolores]

Online lists of 'the right' Catholic Answers lifted directly from the catechism are not a substitute for talking to your priest.

Dumping a conversion you are otherwise comfortable with on the basis of one rule you can't live up to at the moment, seems mistaken to me. Denying the Church's teachings altogether would be a reason not to convert, but not being unable to follow them... well, if we could all do that unaided then there's no need of any Church at all .

Talk to your priest, about your well-founded fear of severe PND recurrence, which is a major mitigating circumstance. And forbidding yourself from participating in the Eucharist because 'computer says no' definitely is a sin (pride, scrupulosity, giving scandal to non-Catholics,

[MareeyaDolores]

posting too soon )

Btw, I am RC, and a fairly traditional one.

[Tortington]

my priest once asked - whilst i was in confession, if i was using contraception. i had not long had a baby and i said "father, if i didn't take contraception, i would take my own life, as i can't have another baby"

he was old school priest - a canon actually, and he was fine with that.