When I recently treated the question, “Can a divorced fellow who is a Catholic receive Holy Communion?”, many further questions followed. I promised to take them up one after another as time permits. Today, we begin with this:
Can a baptised and confirmed Catholic who married in a Pentecostal church continue to receive Holy Communion?
The simple answer is: it depends on the status of the marriage in the eyes of the Church. The important question is not merely whether the wedding took place in a Pentecostal church, but whether the Catholic observed, or was lawfully excused from observing, what the Church calls canonical form.
What is canonical form?
In simple language, canonical form is the ordinary legal form through which a Catholic contracts a valid marriage. Canon 1108 provides that, ordinarily, a Catholic marriage must be celebrated before the competent Catholic authority, priest or deacon, and two witnesses. Canon 1117 makes this requirement binding when at least one of those marrying was baptised or received into the Catholic Church (CIC, 1983, cann. 1108, 1117).
This does not mean that the Church is saying that every marriage outside a Catholic church is invalid. The rule applies particularly to Catholics who are bound by Catholic law. In certain circumstances, especially in mixed marriages, the local bishop or competent ordinary may grant a dispensation from canonical form, allowing the marriage to take place validly before a non-Catholic minister or in another recognised public form (CIC, 1983, can. 1127 §2).
Therefore, a Catholic who received such a dispensation before marrying in a Pentecostal church may have a valid marriage. In that case, the location of the wedding alone does not prevent the person from receiving Holy Communion.
But where a Catholic simply leaves the Catholic Church and marries in a Pentecostal church without obtaining the required dispensation, the fact that he or she left the Church does not remove the obligation of canonical form. The present law binds a person baptised or received into the Catholic Church even if that person later abandons Catholic practice (Benedict XVI, 2009; CIC, 1983, can. 1117). Such a marriage ordinarily suffers from what canon law calls a defect of form.
What does “regularisation” mean?
Regularisation simply means putting the marriage in proper order according to the law of the Church. It does not necessarily mean repeating an expensive wedding or organising another public celebration. The first step is to speak honestly with a parish priest or diocesan marriage office. The Church will examine the circumstances of the marriage and determine what is required.
In many cases where the problem is simply a defect of canonical form, the marriage may be convalidated, that is, “made valid” according to the Church’s law. Canon 1160 provides that a marriage which is null because of a defect of canonical form must be contracted anew in canonical form in order to become valid, without prejudice to the provision of Canon 1127 §2. In some circumstances, the competent authority may grant a sanatio in radice, commonly called radical sanation, which can validate the marriage without a new exchange of consent, provided the required conditions are present (CIC, 1983, cann. 1160–1161).
So, what should a Catholic who married outside the Church do if he or she wishes to return to Holy Communion?
The answer is straightforward: do not assume that the door is closed, but do not ignore the marriage either. Return to the Church. Speak to a priest. Explain how and where the marriage took place and whether any Catholic permission or dispensation was obtained. The Church can then determine the person’s actual marital status and guide the couple towards the appropriate solution.
Pope Francis insists that people in difficult marital situations are not to be treated as problems to be pushed aside. They deserve careful accompaniment and responsible discernment (Francis, 2016, nos. 300, 305). But accompaniment must also be truthful. The path back to full sacramental life may require the marriage to be regularised first.
Thus, the Catholic who married in another church should neither despair nor simply return to Communion without addressing the situation. The Church’s invitation is clear: come back, speak with the Church, allow the facts to be examined, and take the necessary steps towards full sacramental communion.
Thanks for reading.
Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos Is not a canonist or ecclesiologist. Thus, more fitting answers to this pertinent issue can be gotten from experts in the aforementioned specialisations.
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