Holy Communion Question.

[Stuffed]

DH and I have a friend was Christened (Catholic) but never his First Holy Communion as a child. DH and I knew this (can't remember how it came about now) then saw him taking communion during mass one Sunday. We asked him about it, and he said it seemed "rude not too". At the time we had a chuckle about it; we were having lunch with a glass of wine. I didn't really think that much more about it.

Then today - I went to Mass with DH and DC's. We took DC's up for a blessing.-

Some background Info;DH and I were married in a Civil ceramony - We had already had DC1, and DH felt too embarrassed to go to the priest and ask to get married in church - esepecially as he hadn't attended for years. -

Anyway - DH was carrying DC3, and took communion from the priest. I was as I understood DH couldn't do this due, to our civil wedding? Am I wrong? Is DH actualy ex-communicated?

When I asked DH about it he said "Well X does, and I was holing DC3 so I couldn't cross my arms".

Has he commited a massive sin.(TBH - personally don't think he has)

Sorry I'm not Catholic myself, so don't know about these things.

my mother has recently begun recieving Communion again after nearly 19 years- she was extremely upset about what the Parish priest wouldn't do when my father was seriously ill.

Thanks for the link TartanKnickers.....Sounds like DH will never be in a fit state to recieve comminion....

stuffed, I would be very surprised if many of th epeopel who actually go up for communion are actually fully worthy or recieving the sacrament.

here are the "rules"

I'm not RC, but I think I'm right in saying that as you have not had a RC marriage/blessing then you are in effect "living in sin" in the eyes of the church...so I would suggest your DH talks to the priest about the best way to resolve the situation.

One of many reasons why I could never be RC - I'm with Pinkfluffyslippers - would Jesus really be hung up on the small print of doctrine or would he see more of the BIG picture.

I don't get it.... who decided who can dictate those that can and can not partake in the remembrance?

The bible doesn't say "and Jesus said "this is my body... do this in rememberance of me - but make sure you follow the man-made small print and by the way, if you don't, it's hellfire and brimstone""!

Don't get me started on the Pope! with all due respect, etc., etc how can ANYONE sanction the banning of condoms when the lives of innocent women & children are at stake? From my (limited) experience of Africa, men often have to take itinerant jobs which means they can't (or shouldn't) have sex for months or years as they're away from their wives & so they have sex with other women, who are already ill with AIDS from previous partners. The men then unwittingly infect their wives & thus also their yet to be born children.

The Catholic Church has to get over the fact that all creatures, human beings included, have a sex drive & to deny that drive is wrong. Priests should be allowed to marry if they wish to. No man or woman should be denied such a basic impulse. The results are catastrophic... who hasn't heard of a case of paedophilia in relation to priests? I'm not saying that all or even most priests are paedophiles but did Jesus actually command that priests & nuns should live without sex? I don't think so! But that sex should occur within "the sanctity of marriage" - yes. Sorry for the rant.

Ok Cariboocondoms in Africa are a whole different thread.

You see - how can I talk to the priest about having our marriage blessed or whatever, so we are not living in sin, if DH keps taking communion, and refuses to go to confession?

It seems DH is doing his own pick and mix style of Catholicism - which, while I'm sure lots of people would be at, it seems to suit him.

Hi, I am Catholic and the rule is that you do have to be received into the church to take communion. It's not a mortal sin to do so without reception, of course, just a mistake. The priest will understand that it's that, though he may reaffirm the rule. If you and or DH want to be in communion, he'll probably be delighted.

As for your wedding, lots of converts have to be reblessed - but if neither of you was baptised at the time you were married then it IS a valid marriage, and thus requires only a blessing. If you were a baprtised RC at the time then just talk to your priest about it. Ignore all the stupid press hysteria - the RC church is for people who make mistakes, not for Perfect People. We all make zillions of mistakes.

Hi - im a practising Catholic and I cant see this would be a major problem at all in coming back to the church.
Afterr all if we were all perfect we wouldn't need the church
I saw this advertised in our porch:

Ministry to alienated Catholics

----------------

posted on 19 March 2007
Fr Francis Wahle was appointed as the Diocese of Westminster?s representative for Catholics who feel alienated from the Church at the end of 2005. His aim is to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, do not feel that they are part of the Church any longer, to listen to them and to offer them pastoral care

It probably worth googling it and having a chat with him.
In our Church there are people with children not married / civil marriages- second marriages - gav people - im divorced - all welcome and involved
Don't be put off
Good luck

Never heard of wafer dipping but then I've only got to drink from the chalice at my wedding

If you have made your communion you can take communion but I do think you are supposed to go to confession regular, and also I know that my aunt who is married to a divorcee is suppossed to just go up for a blessing and not recieve Communion,

tbh though nobody ever sits down and teaches you allthe rules and regulations anyway so they can't complain if we all get it abit wrong

I learnt in school all about the exact way a christening should be done, you are supposed to wait by chapel doors with baby wrapped in a coloured blanket and then the priests meets you there and then you go on through the christening, I've only ever been to one like this and its never happened with my dcs

Oh yes - the priest insisted we meet him outside when the DCs were Christened.

Thanks Theteacherspet - I'll Google.

Hmph! reminds me of another bone I have to pick with the Catholic Church:

When dh was married the 1st time, his wife-to-be was pg & his RC parents didn't attend, his mum arranged nevertheless for a RC priest to be present at the Lutheran church but never asked dh & dw1 if that was fine with them nor informed them of this plainclothed priest's presence! Dh & dw1 eventually divorced on the grounds of her falling in love with someone else. When dh & I were planning our wedding, dh wanted us to be married in a Catholic nuptial mass. It was impossible due to his mother's (well-meaning but underhanded) interference. We were therefore married in "my" church, CoE, where we didn't actually have the right to more than a blessing but due to the circumstances of dh's 1st marriage, were granted a full CoE ceremony. Fine with me but such a fuss! Dh was furious with his mother & rightly so, imo.

Ahhh, it's good to be able to air my grievances!

Your MIL sounds like a nutter!

Yep the MIL is definitely bonkers... it sounds like it 'd make a great movie though....The mad monk skulking around in a wedding.
Who would play the MIL -- Bette Davies ( yes I know she's dead)..

This is wonderful! And dh is always accusing my family of being odd.