Holy Communion and Divorce

The Body of Christ. Amen.

It is a painful sight to behold when during mass, pews are still full but the communion line is very short. I am talking about the divorced and the civilly remarried who go to mass but for some grave reasons cannot receive Holy Communion. On one hand, I admire these people for their humility and bravery despite the embarrassment. On the other hand, it pains me to see these people who because of an error would be deprived of what nurtures spiritually for the rest of their mortal lives.

While the issue rages on, the Church as a mother empathizes with the suffering of her children who are prohibited to receive Holy Communion. Nevertheless, the prohibition to the divorced and civilly remarried stands. Why? The Church does not have the freedom and right to alter the Gospel. Jesus taught, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mark 10:11-12). Adultery is a grave sin that makes one unworthy to receive communion and to receive the Lord unworthily does not confer the graces that it can give but all more the makes the person deep in sin. St. Paul wrote, “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27). In a way, to deny them communion can be seen as the Church’s way to protect her children from further harm that is from committing more serious sins.

The Church also upholds that marriage is a sacrament of unity between a husband and a wife. Jesus affirms this when he said, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mark 10:19). Marriage reflects the union between God and his people. It is the same union that is expressed in the Eucharist because by partaking of communion, Jesus gathers us into one body. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio number 84 says, "They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and his Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist.” They maybe prohibited receiving communion but that does not mean that they are shunned away from the Catholic Church. While they cannot receive communion they are not forbidden to attend mass.

Admittedly, the issue about the reception of Holy Communion by divorced and remarried couples is a complicated one. The issue has become a pastoral emergency in the Church but to give in to the demands to allow them to receive Holy Communion out of mercy will not address all the issues involved. Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller said, “One can draw close to God by turning to him in faith, hope and charity, in repentance and prayer. God can grant his closeness and his salvation to people on different paths, even if they find themselves in a contradictory life situation.”