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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
ABSENCE FROM THE SACRAMENTS	John	Friday, May 30, 2008
Question: I am a convert to the Catholic Faith and I wholeheartedly embrace and love everything our Church practices and teaches. I devoutly attend Mass every Sunday and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation every two or three weeks. I am physically disabled and am now confined to a wheelchair - because I now have great difficulty commuting to and from church, I am now becoming more and more housebound. Taxi services are very unreliable - and I've been informed by our parish priest that he won't allow Holy Communion to be brought to me because I am not actually ill. He says there are so many ill people in our parish, there aren't enough extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist to take Communion around to everyone. So he says that because I am not ill (even though I'm confined to a wheelchair) he won't allow Communion to be brought to me. This also now applies to Reconciliation - if I want to avail myself of the Sacraments, I have to rely on people to give me a ride in their car (and this isn't always possible). This means I am now faced with the prospect of being absent from the Sacraments (against my will). What am I to do? Will this mean I am in a state of mortal sin if I miss Mass on Sundays (and I can't have Communion brought to me)? I've even been tempted with the thought of returning to protestantism where one is not obliged to receive the Sacraments. Please know that for me, the Sacraments and Mass are not an obligation - they are a JOY and a privilege! I simply couldn't conceive of going back to protestantism. But what am I to do if I no longer can access the Sacraments? I look forward to hearing from you. God bless - JOHN
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear John: I am sorry to hear about this. Your priest is obligated to work this out. The one thing you cannot do is defect from the Church and return to Protestantism, which I know you will not actually do. But to be clear on the point, to leave is a grave sin and it abandons Christ in the Eucharist. You would risk your soul to do such a thing. If you miss Mass because you legitimately cannot get to Mass, then you do not sin. If the situation is a regular one, then the Eucharist needs to be brought to you. That is the duty of your priest to do this. If there are not enough priests or extraordinary ministers to bring you the Eucharist weekly, then they can do it every other week, but to refuse completely is absolute nonsense. I would advise that you call your diocese and explain to them the situation. You have a RIGHT under canon law to receive the Eucharist if properly disposed and to receive Confession even if you are disabled and cannot make it to the parish building. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

ABSENCE FROM THE SACRAMENTS

John

Friday, May 30, 2008

Question:

I am a convert to the Catholic Faith and I wholeheartedly embrace and love everything our Church practices and teaches. I devoutly attend Mass every Sunday and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation every two or three weeks.

I am physically disabled and am now confined to a wheelchair - because I now have great difficulty commuting to and from church, I am now becoming more and more housebound. Taxi services are very unreliable - and I've been informed by our parish priest that he won't allow Holy Communion to be brought to me because I am not actually ill. He says there are so many ill people in our parish, there aren't enough extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist to take Communion around to everyone. So he says that because I am not ill (even though I'm confined to a wheelchair) he won't allow Communion to be brought to me. This also now applies to Reconciliation - if I want to avail myself of the Sacraments, I have to rely on people to give me a ride in their car (and this isn't always possible).

This means I am now faced with the prospect of being absent from the Sacraments (against my will). What am I to do? Will this mean I am in a state of mortal sin if I miss Mass on Sundays (and I can't have Communion brought to me)?

I've even been tempted with the thought of returning to protestantism where one is not obliged to receive the Sacraments. Please know that for me, the Sacraments and Mass are not an obligation - they are a JOY and a privilege! I simply couldn't conceive of going back to protestantism. But what am I to do if I no longer can access the Sacraments?

I look forward to hearing from you.

God bless -
JOHN

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear John:

I am sorry to hear about this. Your priest is obligated to work this out.

The one thing you cannot do is defect from the Church and return to Protestantism, which I know you will not actually do. But to be clear on the point, to leave is a grave sin and it abandons Christ in the Eucharist. You would risk your soul to do such a thing.

If you miss Mass because you legitimately cannot get to Mass, then you do not sin.

If the situation is a regular one, then the Eucharist needs to be brought to you. That is the duty of your priest to do this.

If there are not enough priests or extraordinary ministers to bring you the Eucharist weekly, then they can do it every other week, but to refuse completely is absolute nonsense.

I would advise that you call your diocese and explain to them the situation. You have a RIGHT under canon law to receive the Eucharist if properly disposed and to receive Confession even if you are disabled and cannot make it to the parish building.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum