I am Catholic (single) and my fiance is Presbyterian (divorced). We plan to marry in a Presbyterian church. Is communion given to us during the ceremony?

-- Marie Kinlaw (snoopymh67@hotmail.com), July 13, 2004

Answers

If it is, it is merely Presbyterian communion - a piece of bread and a sip of wine, nothing more. What you should be concerned about is not whether you receive some sort of "communion", but whether you would in fact be validly married, which as a Catholic you would not be after going through a Protestant service before a Protestant minister.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 13, 2004.

Normally, a wedding in at a congregation of the Presbyterian denomination does not include the "Lord's Supper" (i.e. Protestant "communion"). Even though the Catholic Church considers reception of the Eucharist a public declaration that you are a member of the Catholic Church, most Protestant groups of the "mainline" type consider it a "nice snack" (as one Protestant once described it to me) and invite anyone present (even non-Christians) to receive. I assume that you have a dispensation from your bishop "from form" so that your wedding will be considered a marriage by the Church. I also assume that your divorced fiance has had his previous marriage annulled or declared void by your bishop. If this is not the case you will not be married in the eyes of God and the Church. You will be "living in sin." You should speak with your local pastor as soon as possible to make sure that this is not the case. If all this has been done, and, by some chance, the minister decides to hold a "Lord's Supper" service, you should not receive, unless you intend to declare yourself a Presbyterian. If that is the case, mention it to your Catholic pastor. You will no longer need to get any dispensations because you will have jointed the Protestant religion and not longer be a member of the Catholic Church.

-- observer (nospam@notmail.com), July 13, 2004.

There is no dispensation from form that allows a Protestant minister to preside over the marriage of a Catholic. If a Catholic priest or deacon is available, even with considerable inconvenience, such minister MUST preside at the wedding of a Catholic. If a Catholic priest or deacon is absolutely unavailable, and it appears that this situation will continue for a month or more, then the Bishop who exercises jurisdiction may approve a Catholic layman to preside at a wedding, serving in the capacity of official representative of the Catholic Church. However, the Bishop cannot approve a non-Catholic to preside over a Catholic wedding. A Catholic layman would always take precedence over a Protestant clergyman.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 14, 2004.