“Marriage Outside the Catholic Church Without the Bishop’s Permission”
Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary
Time
We hear in
our first reading from the Prophet Malachi “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like
an oven”
Next weekend
is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before beginning the new Church year with
the First Sunday of Advent. The
readings, as the Church year comes to a close every year, focus on the end of
the world and the 4 last things…death judgment Heaven and Hell.
There is one
thing I would like to focus on this weekend.
Sister Lucia, who died in 2005, was one of 3 visionaries at Fatima, and
she said toward the end of her life: “The final battle between the Lord and
the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family.”
And so I
would like to address one specific situation this weekend and that situation is
this: if you were Catholic at the time of your marriage, and were married
outside the Catholic Church without the Archbishop’s permission, please do not
take Holy Communion but rather set up a meeting with me so that I can help you
work through the process to have your marriage recognized by the Catholic
Church. There is one exception, but I
would like to explain that exception privately.
So, again,
there are two conditions that I would like to stress:
1) If you were Catholic at the time of
your marriage
2) And were married outside the Catholic
Church without the Archbishop’s permission
Please do
not take Holy Communion but rather see me so that I can help you work to have
your marriage recognized by the Catholic Church.
Again, as our
First Reading says, “the day is coming, blazing like an oven” and combined with
Sr. Lucia’s prediction that the final battle will be over marriage and the
family, I beg you to see me if you have been married outside the Catholic
Church without the Archbishop’s permission.
Please know
that I pray daily for all of you, my parishioners, and for all the marriages in
my parishes.
What about being married in a Greek Orthodox Church without the permission of the bishop? Would you have the same advice regarding Holy Communion in that case as well?
ReplyDeleteThis is Fr. Hollowell. I would talk to your parish priest.
ReplyDeleteDear Father,
ReplyDeleteRichard Cowart from NC - just want to tell we love you and pray for you. Miss you on YouTube - I have been watching Fr Meyer, you guys are superheroes !
I had a accident last year that damaged my spine. The accident caused a pre-existing condition already in my spine to worsen faster.
I pray for you daily, sir. Hollowell your a good man ! I'm very proud to have you guys on my six - wish you would post on YouTube - I totally understand - Fr Meyer still does those sign homilies - well, just wanted to hit you up, love you very much - God Bless You !
Richard, this is Fr. Hollowell. Thanks for the encouraging words, and I just said a prayer for your spine condition
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