Abortion and Holy Communion

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Is an unrepentant person who has willingly received an abortion, or willfully forced an abortion then to be publicly barred from receiving Holy Communion?

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), March 09, 2004

Answers

Generally speaking, no. Those persons should not partake of Holy Communion of their own accord, but the (only) situations that people are to be publically barred from reception are listed here:

Canon 915 Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.

Abortion can result in excommunication, but judging exactly when that happens can only be done by the sinner themselves (usually with the assistance of a confessor). However, if the person publically announces (without retraction) that they have been excommunicated because of having an abortion, then Holy Communion can be denied by the priest.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 09, 2004.


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