The Catholic Church’s restriction on allowing women who have given birth out of wedlock to receive Holy Communion is based on its teachings and traditions. The Catholic Church views marriage as a sacrament and holds that, sexual relations outside marriage are considered sinful according to its doctrine. The Church teaches that unmarried women who have given birth have engaged in behavior that is contrary to its teachings on sexual morality.
The Catholic Church’s position reflects its emphasis on the sanctity of marriage and the moral framework within which it operates. While the Church emphasizes compassion and support for all individuals, including unwed mothers, its sacramental discipline reflects its adherence to traditional teachings on sexual morality and the sacrament of marriage.
However, recently, the Catholic Church has guided in regards to single mothers receiving Holy Communion. The church now pardons and gives chance to the single mothers because Jesus Christ in the New Testament simplifies the law and shows God’s immeasurable grace to forgive sin.
Jesus’ act in the bible, in John 8:7 where Jesus he forgave and told the woman who was caught in adultery to sin no more, is an indicator that the single mothers are supposed to be forgiven and given a chance to straighten their Christian way of life.
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” he said.
While speaking to our reporter, Fr. Dr. John Baptist Masayi of St. Augustine’s Institute Nsambya (UCS), he said that the sacrament of confession of sins allows the person to approach communion, adding that, each case is handled differently and not collectively.
“When each single case comes and seeks to be reconciled and get back to the altar, depending on each case not general, they are granted permission to receive the Holy Eucharist,” Fr. Masayi said.
In a recent communication, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández quoted part of Pope Francis’ 2016 letter while referring to mothers who must raise their children alone saying that, they should be shown mercy and not harshly judged.
“Pope Francis reminds us that in such difficult situations of need, the church must be particularly concerned to offer understanding, comfort and acceptance rather than imposing straightaway a set of rules that only lead people to feel judged and abandoned by the very mother called to show them God’s mercy,” he noted.
According to Lydia Gasana of St Mary’s Mutolere Catholic parish in Kisoro district, the church should value the fact that single mothers welcomed and defended the gift of life they carried in their wombs for the nine months and endured the storms life.
“These single mothers you see around go through a lot of pain and hardships to give life to these children. They struggle every day to raise their children despite society judging them. Do you know that some of these girls and women terminate these pregnancies? Then why not give the ones who have given life to innocent children a chance to reconcile with God,” Gasana said.
It is important to note that the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices vary by region and may be subject to the ongoing discussions and potential changes within the Church. The reasons for specific practices, such as the restriction on Holy Communion for unwed mothers, are deeply rooted in the Church’s theological and moral principles.
