Receiving the Eucharist when not in the state of grace

[Simon Carrington]

a catholic priest told me today, that if you are not in the state of grace, but are sorry for your sin and desire to receive our lord in the eucharist, He understands, because he wants to come into my life when i am in most need, of his help!

i thought it was a gravely mortal sin to receive christ in the eucharist, if your soul is unworthy, by being out of the state of grace/cut off from God?

what is the church's teaching on this!

[Stephen Spiteri]

*DANGER WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! DANGER!*

It appears this priest does not know their Code of Canon Law or their Catechism of the Catholic Church very well:


Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible. - http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P39.HTM

If a person is aware that they are not in a state of grace, then they must abstain from receiving the Holy Eucharist until they have made reparation for their sin(s) by the sacrament of Reconciliation.


1415 Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance. - CCC, par. 1415; http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm

It is not made any more black and white than that.

Perhaps show these to your priest and gently ask him if what he is telling you is congruent with what the Church actually teaches.

[DavidObeid]

Hi Simon,

The priest was mistaken.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph 1385 (with my emphasis):


To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.


(http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P42.HTM)

The teaching, as can be seen from the quote, is consistent with St. Paul's and is also echoed in the teaching of the older Roman Catechism.

In other words, it has ALWAYS been the teaching of the Church that one cannot approach for the Sacrament of Holy Communion whilst in a state of mortal sin, even if a deep act of contrition has been made.

[Simon Carrington]

Thankyou very much, that is exremely helpful, i will bring this up with my priest this sunday!!

[DavidObeid]

This from the Roman Catechism (aka the Catechism of the Council of Trent)


The Council of Trent has defined that no one conscious of mortal sin and having an opportunity of going to confession, however contrite he may deem himself, is to approach the Holy Eucharist until he has been purified by sacramental confession.

(http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/trent/tsacr-e.htm)

The definition it is referring to is this:


ON THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST

CANON XI.-lf any one saith, that faith alone is a sufficient preparation for receiving the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist; let him be anathema. And for fear lest so great a sacrament may be received unworthily, and so unto death and condemnation, this holy Synod ordains and declares, that sacramental confession, when a confessor may be had, is of necessity to be made beforehand, by those whose conscience is burthened with mortal sin, how contrite even soever they may think themselves. But if any one shall presume to teach, preach, or obstinately to assert, or even in public disputation to defend the contrary, he shall be thereupon excommunicated.

Strong words eh?



(http://www.thecounciloftrent.com/ch13.htm)

[Lionel Andrades]

ST.FAUSTINA KOWALSI SAW JESUS IN PAIN WHEN A LADY IN MORTAL SIN RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST AT HOLY MASS
St.Faustina Kowalski, the Divine Mercy sister, saw Jesus in painting when a lady in mortal sin received the Eucharist at Holy Mass.(Diary)

Jesus feels.
The Archbishop of Boston gives the Eucharist to pro abortion politicians.

The Archbishop of Washington gives the Eucharist to pro-abortion Americans.

The English Cardinal gives the Eucharist to pro abortion Tony Blair and his wife Cherie. He permits practising homosexuals to receive the Eucharist.

They give Jesus pain.