- Feb 5, 2002
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Q: If someone were in an abusive marriage, if they divorced would they still lose their right to Communion?
A: The short answer is no, the simple fact of being divorced does not in any way hinder or cut off a Catholic’s access to the sacraments.
For some background, we as Catholics do believe that on a theological level, divorce as such is not truly possible. While the Church does recognize and respect the purely secular legal effects of a civil divorce (e.g., things like property divisions and child custody arrangements), at the end of the day the Church understands divorce as somewhat of a “legal fiction.” That is, a consummated marriage between two baptized adults who entered the union with the proper intention and with full knowledge and freedom cannot be ended by anything other than the death of one of the spouses. We can find a scriptural basis for this teaching in Matthew 19:1-12.
It is possible that there could have been a problem at the time of the wedding — such as a mental health issue that prevented one of the parties from being able to consent, or a party having the wrong intentions — which prevented a true marriage from occurring in the first place. This is what the church’s marriage nullity process exists to discern. Yet we should keep in mind that declaring an apparent marriage invalid is very different from holding that an actual marriage bond can be broken.
Continued below.
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A: The short answer is no, the simple fact of being divorced does not in any way hinder or cut off a Catholic’s access to the sacraments.
For some background, we as Catholics do believe that on a theological level, divorce as such is not truly possible. While the Church does recognize and respect the purely secular legal effects of a civil divorce (e.g., things like property divisions and child custody arrangements), at the end of the day the Church understands divorce as somewhat of a “legal fiction.” That is, a consummated marriage between two baptized adults who entered the union with the proper intention and with full knowledge and freedom cannot be ended by anything other than the death of one of the spouses. We can find a scriptural basis for this teaching in Matthew 19:1-12.
It is possible that there could have been a problem at the time of the wedding — such as a mental health issue that prevented one of the parties from being able to consent, or a party having the wrong intentions — which prevented a true marriage from occurring in the first place. This is what the church’s marriage nullity process exists to discern. Yet we should keep in mind that declaring an apparent marriage invalid is very different from holding that an actual marriage bond can be broken.
‘Danger in delay’
Continued below.
Can a divorced abuse victim receive Communion?
Divorce doesn't affect Communion; only remarriage without an annulment does. A divorced person living chastely can receive the sacraments.
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