I was wondering if a priest or a deacon can or should refuse the Eucharist to someone who is known to be living immorally.

For example, if a person is known to be a practicing homosexual or if a person is known to be divorced and living with another partner and if either of these approach the priest or deacon for Communion what is the priest or deacon to do? Should he refuse the sacrament and prevent sacriledge and desacration of the Eucharist, or is he required to administer communion and leave the situation up to the person in question, his/her conscience and God.

Thanks for your advice, Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 23, 2003

Answers

Yes. If the pastor or deacon knows for a fact (not merely as a supposition) that the person is de facto in a state of sin, he has the right and obligation to refuse to give this person Jesus Christ.

The reason to do something that is extraordinary and humiliating to someone in a public setting is two fold: first, for their own spiritual health. St Paul warned us from approaching the bread and wine while unworthy - doesn't matter one whit if you "feel good" about yourself. Objective sin such as abortion, fornication, adultery, and "gay" (active) homosexuality needs to be healed and the place to do it is Confession, not the Eucharist.

The second reason is pastoral: sometimes a shock is needed to wake the person up from a stupor - naturally refusing communion will make the person angry, so the deacon or priest NEEDS to say "See me after Mass and we'll talk" or something similar to give the person the reasons for the refusal.

It should be obvious that "communion" is not just a liturgical action to make people feel good. It's a sign and reality - you don't "commune" in sign if de jure and de facto you are not morally or spiritually "in communion" with either the Church or Christ! That would be hypocrisy - the sin that every "conservative" is ceaselessly accused of by "liberals". Well, then they DO believe hypocrisy is wrong then huh? If you believe one thing but do another, you are a hypocrite - and should be woken up and corrected for your own good!

Hope this helps. No doubt some "liturgists" or "theologians" may take umbrage with my take on this. Fine. Hope they have some good reasons for helping someone not only commit sacriledge but also hypocrisy.

-- Joe Stong (joestong@yahoo.com), January 23, 2003.

Joe,

My understanding of Canon Law is that the precondition for refusing Communion to someone is scandal - causing others to sin. Certainly, active homosexuality and cohabitation would fall under those categories. However, it is the responsibility of the pastor to meet with and discuss the matter with the people involved. It should be noted that, particularly in a culture mired in loudly asserted autonomy and individualism, care should be taken by the pastor to see to it that his actions bring about more good than harm. The actual form that such pastoral leadership would take may vary according to the disposition of the priest, but, as in all things, it will require divine strength to bring together the reality of the law and the love for those who misunderstand it. This is impossible without a constant appeal to and dependence on Christ, whose own success in this area left him crucified.

-- Skoobouy (skoobouy@hotmail.com), January 23, 2003.

I would be very hesitant to recommend not giving someone communion, not that it falls to me to decide! The reason being: how does this priest know that the parishoner didn't go to confession right before mass?

Of course if someone was a person who had quit practicing his faith to continue his/her sins and the priest had discussed this with them and they *refused* to go to confession, show remorse, or by other means were obstinate in their desire to sin, the priest probably should. This is just my personal, off-the-cuff opinion though. My job is not to decide these matters, thankfully.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), January 23, 2003.

One of the best examples for refusing Holy Communion to a communicant would be if the communicant was a staunch pro-abortion politician, who had helped set public policy which had taken perhaps millions of innocent lives. Thus he has publicly rejected the Church's laws and gives widespread public scandal. While practicing homosexuals are living in sin, how "public" is their scandal? I suppose it would be up to the pastor to decide. Yet even the most grave offenders are given Holy Communion to date. The American Life League has just launched an attempt to have 12 bishops of 12 "Catholic" pro-abort senators consider refusing them Holy Communion. For info: http://www.all.org/crusade/campaign.htm Hope it's ok to post this link! Pax Christi

-- Anna <>< (FloweroftheHour@hotmail.com), January 23, 2003.

I have been disappointed for years with the public silence of the Church regarding American politicians who are supposedly Catholic and yet are loud supporters of the Pro-choice laws. One is either Catholic or they are not. To have the tacit approval of the Church via non-action against this behavior is abhorrent. Can anyone picture St. Augustine handing out the Eucharist in such a fashion??? It's about time the church stepped up to the plate with this one and put a FIRM foot down...I was so completely gratified to read last week that the vatical has begun to move in this direction. Pope John Paul II once again, has shown himself to be one of the STRONGEST leaders of the Church in many, many years. He has such incredible wisdom.

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), January 23, 2003.

How timely! An American bishop has just publicly addressed a pro- abortion politician's reception of Holy Communion! Sacramento Bishop William K. Weigand has publicly announced that California Governor Gray Davis should cease his support of abortion rights, or cease receiving Holy Communion! For more info: http://www.sacbee.com/ips_rich_content/664- 0123weigand125x155.jpg Pax Christi

-- Anna <>< (FloweroftheHour@hotmail.com), January 24, 2003.

Human respect - it takes alot of courage and alot of moral support for a pastor of a Senator or congresswoman to call her up and let her know that Yes, she should go to Sunday Mass, but No, she can not receive communion until she goes to confession and refuses to vote Pro-abortion again.

Ideally though the whole parish family should be "in" on this - positive peer pressure... but until the pastor actually behaves like a pastor... (I know...it's tough. The poor guys are overworked and underpaid). All the more reason for parishoners to organize themselves and look out for the pastor's needs - invite him to dinner, offer to take over menial tasks for him, send him away on vacation/spiritual exercises... etc.

Then there's our canonical rights to confront our neighbors - say in the vestibule or in the Church hall over coffee and donuts and ask them "Say, Senator Boxer, why do you vote pro-abortion?" "Ah, so a woman has a right does she? Where do human rights come from? Majority rule? A document written up by dead white men? Human nature perhaps... well if its human nature, then civil laws can't override human rights then, can they? etc.

-- Joe Stong (joestong@yahoo.com), January 24, 2003.