En kirkerettsekspert – om kommunion for samboende

En kirkrettsblogger jeg ofte leser fortalte sist uke at han var blitt utnevnt av pave Benedikt XVI til Referendarius (Referendary) of the Apostolic Signatura. As one of some dozen international consultants to the Church’s highest administrative tribunal, it will be my privilege and responsibility to advise*, on an as-needed basis, the officials of that dicastery regarding matters impacting the administration of law and justice within the Church.

Han skriver også om en katolsk verdensnyhet (som jeg ikke har sett på norsk ennå) at biskoper på Malta har bedt samboende par om å ikke motta kommunion. Om dette skriver han:
It’s been chuckle time, again, reading some secular press characterizations of the Maltese bishops’ recent statement against reception of holy Communion by cohabiting couples. One would think, to judge from various secular headlines, that the bishops of Malta and Gozo had hurled some kind of anathema at quivering couples whose only sin was to love too much. Balderdash.

The bishops’ statement is, instead, a model of pastoral solicitude and firm but gentle recollection of the saving truths taught by Christ and his Church. …. Han viser så hvilken paragraf i kirkeretten som uttaler seg tydeligst om dette spørsmålet, canon 916: A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession …

Og her kan vi lese hva den maltesiske bispekonferansen selv skriver:
Lately, several people have been questioning whether couples who are unmarried and who cohabit are able to receive Holy Communion.

We wish to affirm that everybody – these couples included – is welcome in the Church, who shall continue to offer all the spiritual support that is necessary. As your Bishops, we encourage you, among other things, to participate in the life of the Church and attend for the celebration of the Mass.

However, the Catholic Church reiterates that those couples who live together outside of marriage are not to receive the Eucharist. The Church does not impose this as a form of punishment, but rather because their way of living is not in conformity with the Sacrament of Christian marriage. Besides this, their life-style is not consistent with the Church’s teaching regarding the Eucharist and their situation does not manifest the moral disposition which is proper in order to receive the Eucharist. The teaching of the Magisterium of the Church states that in order to receive the Eucharist, a person must be in full communion with God and the Church. … …

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