Unwed Mother and Holy Communion (Teachings of the Orthodox Church) Christianity. Orthodoxy. Catholicism. Sense of life. Articles for Christians.
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.                If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing.                If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.                Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with.               
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Unwed Mother and Holy Communion (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)
   

QUESTION:

Can an unwed mother (single, not divorced) receive Holy Communion? If not, how is her sin different from, say, an adulterer's?

ANSWER:

The matter about which you write is a delicate, pastoral matter, the answer to which would be dictated by a variety of considerations.

If the individual involved is truly repentant and has made a honest attempt to properly raise her child while recognizing that there is a need to prevent such things from happening again, then it is my opinion that she may receive Communion.

If, however, the individual involved sees nothing whatsoever wrong with her situation and, in fact, would go so far as to state that she would do it again, then it is my opinion that she should not receive Communion until she has had a change of heart and mind.

Please understand that, at best, I can only give a general answer based on the very broad question you have asked. It is only my opinion, but any definitive answer on behalf of a specific individual in this situation must be rendered by the individual's Father Confessor alone.






Published in January 2011.









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