Church and Holy Eucharist...

Church is more promoting rather than discriminating the faithful to receive the Holy Eucharist

Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Eucharist on the Holy Thursday. He instituted it with the intention of being with the people throughout the ages. Therefore, we celebrate the Holy Eucharist as the commemoration of the last supper. At the same time, the code of canon law (c.915) states that Catholics are not to be allowed to receive Holy Communion if they are in grave sin. Therefore, can we conclude that forbidding the Eucharist to some is a discriminatory gesture!

          We know that Jesus instituted the Eucharist to remember his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. The Church encourages its faithful to receive the Eucharist frequently. At the same time, the Church guides its faithful to hold the blessed Eucharist in the highest honor. Because Jesus said, “this is my body and this is my blood.”

When the bread and wine is consecrated at the mass, the bread becomes body of Christ and wine becomes blood of Christ. Therefore, Church sets out specific guidelines regarding how the faithful should prepare themselves to receive the Lord’s body and blood.

The faithful should receive the sacrament with great devotion (C.898). Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (1385) “anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to the Eucharist.”

Jesus is merciful and forgiving; at the same time, we should make ourselves worthy to receive his mercy. Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “woman, yours sins are forgiven, do not sin any more.” The Church, the bride of Christ is concerned with three interrelated points:

1.     Personal and spiritual well being of a Catholic: It is a part of formation to promote a person spiritually with deep faith in Jesus and practice his teachings. It transforms a person more dedicated to the paths of Jesus Christ.

2.     The need to maintain reverence toward the most Holy Eucharist: The Eucharist is the very channel of eternal life. To receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner, a person must receive sacrament of confession through perfect contrition.

3.     The need to avoid public scandal.

But question remains: for example, one catholic spouse is divorces by the other spouse, without the will of first. Can he/she receive Eucharist? The spouse is the innocent victim of a divorce, decreed by civil law of other spouse. This spouse therefore has not contravened the moral law. We have to make it clear distinction that there is a reasonable difference between a spouse who has sincerely tried to be faithful to the sacrament of marriage and on the contrary, one who through his own grave fault destroys a canonically valid marriage (CCC 2386). Such person can’t be excluded from the sacraments simply because their spouse chose to divorce him/her.

There are also other situations; like a battered wife who seeks to protect her children from an abusive situation; or if one spouse is bankrupting the family with compulsive gambling, the other spouse obtains a civil divorce in order to safeguard the financial well-being of the rest of the family; but both the cases, they are not married again.

When we take these particular cases, the church does not teach that Catholics are forbidden to receive Holy Communion if they are divorced. But, it teaches that a Catholic who has been divorces and remarried, without having first obtained an annulment of the first marriage, is not permitted to receive the Eucharist.

The Catholic Church holds, in fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ, “whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” If the divorces are remarried civilly, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists (1650).

If a divorced and remarried Catholic wishes to receive Holy Communion, what can he do? Church condemns the reception of the Eucharist by a Catholic who persists in an adulterous union. He/ She must first repent of his adultery, and receive sacramental absolution. But in order to be truly sorry for his sins, a Catholic must have the resolution to avoid them in future. Thus the adultery has to end.

If the civilly remarried catholic repented and lives as brother and sister (not as husband and wife) for the well-being of minor children, it may lead to public scandal. In this situation, the parish priest, in consolation with the bishop and the spouses, can make an effort to ensure that these parishioners can receive the Eucharist in a more discreet way.

Most of the time, the Catholic Church tries her best to balance different situations and takes a decision on these background: reverence toward the most Blessed Sacrament, respecting the right of Catholics and avoiding public scandals.

We can finally conclude that Church is a mother who always concerns towards its children. As a mother, it promotes its children to receive the sacrament of Eucharist. At the same time, as a mother, it also guides its children to receive sacrament of divine gift in a worthy manner. The mother knows what is the best for each child: an adult or a child; handicapped or healthy; prodigal or obedient child.