The Withholding of Holy Communion

The Withholding of Holy Communion

A Crime Against God

PLEASE NOTE: Before you write to us with negative and/or vitriolic remarks regarding what we present in this document and those linked to it and beyond, prayerfully read what we have written and do not embarrass yourself and misrepresent Christianity with incoherent statements which clearly show that you: (a) Have not fully read and understood what we have written; or (b) Are a fanatic.

In either case, we could not even comment/respond to your communication in our Public Forum because it would not be charitable to publicly expose your incoherence and ignorance of the basic teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, our only option is to delete the message the moment we realize that either (a) or (b) applies.

Introduction

We have received much correspondence regarding the legalistic approach of the Roman Church regarding the issue of withholding communion from certain individuals. Time has come that miguel de Portugal publicly pronounce himself, in the Name of God, about this heart wrenching situation.

To this end we will utilize a letter from a truly faithful lady who has suffered the consequences of being spiritually undernourished. We will utilize the Question and Answer format that we normally use in our Public Forum.

May the Holy Spirit of God light your path as you journey through this document.

The Question

Dear friends:

I have a very important question that I hope you will answer publicly, as I am sure I cannot be the only one in this situation.

The question has two parts

(1) I heard a teaching on confession from Father C. He said that if you go to confession and leave a sin out on purpose, that it negates the whole confession. Is that true? Are there extenuating circumstances?

(2) Can I still receive communion, if my husband was married in the church before. I have read your document on a valid marriage and I don't believe that it was.

Situation Background

Before my husband stopped going to church (and this is why he stopped) it was brought to the attention of our priest that my husband was married before. The priest told us that we could no longer receive communion. Father J was very upset over this. He even said if there was ever anyone he didn't want to deny communion to it was us, but he was bound by Church Law.

He even tried to help my husband get a annulment, however the paperwork was tremendous and you needed all of these witnesses and it was over 20 years ago and he had none. He felt defeated before he even really got started. He decided to leave the church. I remained, but no longer received communion.

Without Jesus inside of me strengthening me it was not long before I strayed as well. I still had my faith, but my soul was not being fed and I am sorry to say I strayed far and got myself into some really bad things.

I kept crying out to God and kept trying to reach for Him, but the more I tried the more I failed.

Years later, and after searching for God in all kinds of churches, He led me back to the Catholic Church. I had since moved and joined a new church and I knew I could not do this on my own.

I started to receive Jesus as often as I could and little by little He pulled me out of the gutter that I had gotten myself into.

My husband no longer cares whether he gets an annulment and I will never be able to obtain one without his help.

I am so afraid to confess this. I am so afraid to let go of Jesus, and to stop receiving Him. I know if I do my soul will die and I will go to hell. I would rather spend 1000 years in purgatory than one day separated from Jesus.

But Father C said I am hurting Him!!! I have already caused so many of the wounds on His body already, and I spend every moment trying to make amends.

If it is true that I am hurting Him, than I will stop, no matter what the cost. I would rather die and go to hell than to ever offend my Lord again.

Please answer me as soon as you can. I know you are very busy, and I know this is so long.

Thank you so much for all you do for us and may God continue to bless you and the work you are doing.

Love, Peace, and Blessings

LL

The Response

May the Peace of God and the Consolation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary be with you and your husband!

We praise God for propitiating the golden opportunity to address a number of issues which He has wanted us to address and which miguel de Portugal has been delaying action on.

Regarding your Marriage

First of all: Our complete response to you concerning your spiritual life and state is based on the fact that there is no Sacrament of Matrimony binding your husband to someone else as we have defined in our document regarding the validity of a matrimony.

Being that the case, there is no sin to report, thus no incomplete Sacrament of Reconciliation.

As to the legalistic technicalities that the Roman Church is so fond of, we quote the Maximum Authority, Our Lord Jesus Christ through St. Mark and St. Matthew in regards to the criticism leveled against Jesus and His disciples by the legalistic Masters of the Temple, The Vatican of His time, regarding the technicality of breaking the Law of the Sabbath:

Matthew 12:3-4 "Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry - how he went into the house of God and they ate the loaves of the offering although neither he nor his followers were permitted to eat them, but only the priests?"

and further

Mark 2:27 "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath..." (for St. Mark's complete statement refer to Mark 2: 25-28)

[Our Lord Jesus Christ was referring to past events/situations that you may read about in 1 Samuel 21:3-7 and Leviticus 24:5-9]

That is, from a purely technical and legalistic point of view, a grave sin was being committed when, in Divine reality, was not!

Therefore, legalistic nit-picking is not of God. The Church was established for man, not man for the Church!

Regarding Communion

On the withholding of Holy Communion

Your situation stems from a grave problem which the Roman and Eastern Church continue to ignore. They insist in "punishing" the repentant, but weak, sinner by withdrawing the only assistance that can bring their souls back to health and maintain it there - Holy Communion.

They seem to have conveniently forgotten what the Maximum Authority, Our Lord Jesus Christ, said through St. Matthew:

Matthew 9:12-13 "It is not the healthy who need the doctor but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners."

In clearly stated words through miguel de Portugal:

To those who are truly repentant from their sins and who want to change their lives, yet, are weak, therefore, are having difficulty breaking away and staying free from the yoke of satan - Courage! The Eucharistic Jesus awaits for you with open arms so that He may bring you back to spiritual health and keep you safely there.

Remember, however, that anyone can fool a priest - something that is quite obvious from the state of the world today; however, no one, but no one, can fool God since He can and does read our hearts. Therefore, the faithful must be sure that the conditions set above are true in their particular cases; otherwise, they will be drinking and eating their own condemnation.

Regarding scandal

Once a priest has been informed of a situation which, on a superficial evaluation, Church Law prevents him from giving the Eucharist to the individual involved, he must act exactly as Father J did. Otherwise, he would cause scandal, detrimental to many of the faithful, even when doing something that is looked upon by God with approval.

The procedure then to follow is to participate in the Eucharist in other parishes where such action will not cause scandal within the faithful.

For extensive explanations by St. Paul on the avoidance of scandal and the justification of certain unorthodox behavior to avoid it, we refer you to: Romans 14: 1 and 13; 1 Corinthians 8:13, 10:30-33; Galatians 10:1-12

In Conclusion

Any soul who truly desires not to offend God; a desire which burns like a living torch of love in his/her heart will never, better yet, cannot ever offend God. Such burning desire transforms itself into a burning love, and true love blocks the nefarious consequences of our fallen nature.

What about satan?, some will ask. Could he trick me? satan cannot do anything which is not allowed by God. Lucifer, who fell from the Glory of Heaven for refusing to serve God, must, nonetheless, serve Him for God is the Only and Supreme Creator and Absolute Master of all!

May His Name Be Thrice Glorified as the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!

Epilogue

In remarks that could influence the U.S. presidential race, Cardinal Francis Arinze, a top Vatican cardinal, said Friday (April 23, 2004) that a Roman Catholic politician who unambiguously supports abortion rights should be denied Holy Communion at Mass.

Cardinal Francis Arinze spoke amid a debate over whether Democrat John Kerry should be denied communion, which Catholics believe is the body of Christ, because he supports abortion rights.

Cardinal Arinze conveniently forgets, as it is customary amongst the Roman Curia, that a politician is elected to represent the constituency which elected him AND NOT the Church. The elected official may, and should, make clear his position regarding matters of his Faith but he must vote in accordance to those whom he represents.

Arinze's foundation is another of those erroneous and deadly pillars upon which the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei has been built upon.

If the Cardinal feels that such politician needs spiritual assistance he should encourage him to nourish his soul with the Eucharistic Body of Christ AND NOT deny him/her of It. For their own benefit, Arinze and those of his ilk, must remember that, most likely, the individual is in need of spiritual assistance as a result of a failed Evangelization led by the Roman Church, an organization whose Administrators were more concerned in pillaging and plundering the faithful than in bringing them to God.

But what should we expect from these allegedly "learned men"... The Roman Church Hierarchy had to consult with psychologists to determine if the sexual abuse of children by the clergy was something truly serious.

However, if he insists in such position, he must, to avoid duplicity, forbid all Roman Catholic politicians, members of the hierarchy, clergy and religious orders, who directly or indirectly support capital punishment, those who practice adultery, raise false testimony and steal, from receiving Holy Communion as well.

How appropriate for today and now are the Holy Words of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ:

Mt 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Mt 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Mt 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Mt 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Mt 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. ...

Mt 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Mt 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Mt 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes...

miguel de Portugal
+by the Grace of God
[Acts 5:34-39]