|
|
 |
Lyn
Lord
wrote:
|
|
Hello,
I am attending RCIA classes and am new to the
Catholic faith.
- Can a woman who is pregnant and not married receive
Holy Communion?
Lyn
|
|
{
Can a woman who is pregnant and
not married receive Holy Communion? }
|
|
Eric replied:
|
Hi Lyn,
If she:
- repents of what she has done
- goes to Confession, and
- abstains from further
sexual intercourse until she is married, that is, refrains from illicit sexual intercourse.
Eric
|
Terry replied:
|
Hi, Lyn —
The requirement to receive Holy Communion is to be in a state of grace.
Past misdemeanors, or serious sins which have been forgiven in a sacramental
Confession put the soul back into a state of grace. Like many things it
is difficult to give a short answer, but if the sexual intercourse which
resulted in the pregnancy was not seriously sinful (even though it might
have been objectively sinful) then the person (may) be in a state of grace.
The Priest administering the sacrament of Confession will help the penitent
in this matter so the answer is simple: go to the sacrament of Confession,
receive absolution, and try to remain faithful to the grace received from
God.
That way there is no bar to receiving Holy Communion
God bless,
Terry
|
Lyn replied:
|
HI guys,
- What about the father of the child?
- Does the same answer apply?
They
are very young people who live together as well.
- How does this affect
them?
Lyn
|
Eric followed-up:
|
Lyn —
The same would apply to him. They should not be living together, in either
sense of the term, although to have sex would be a sin, and to dwell together
merely very unwise. That premarital sex is wrong is plain from the teaching
of Scripture and of the Catechism. Let no one try to convince them otherwise.
It is also destructive to the person and damages one's sexuality.
I would encourage them to consider marriage if they truly love each other
enough to live together and be in a long-term relationship. That kind of
environment has a lot to offer the child but they should consult a good
priest.
Nevertheless, they are to be commended for not having an abortion.
I encourage you to refer them to chastity.com, formerly the pureloveclub.com.
This is an excellent site for young people on the topic of chastity. It
will help explain why premarital sex is wrong and answers other questions.
Eric
|
Mary Ann replied:
|
Huh?,
If she is still in RCIA, she can't receive Communion until she is
received into full communion with the Church. If she isn't baptized, but
is in RCIA, her baptism at the Easter Vigil takes away all sin, and then
she can receive Communion immediately, without Confession.
If she is already
baptized and in RCIA, then Confession will be a part of her reception into
the Church. In any case, her sin, if any, is forgiven when she repents
(and, for a Catholic, with the intention of confessing when they are able to).
Hope this helps,
Mary Ann
|
|
|
|
