MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS

Dear Friends:

Surprisingly enough, there are a number of myths and misconceptions that Catholics live with and even perpetuate. I thought that this week I’d chose a few of the more popular ones and attempt to dispel them. Here goes:

1. If you are divorced, you can’t go to Holy Communion. This is a classic half-truth. If you are divorced and remarried outside the Catholic Church or if you are not living chastely, you cannot receive Holy Commu-nion. But if you are simply divorced and are trying to live in accord with the Law of God, you can go to Com-munion.

2. It is absolutely necessary to be confirmed if you wish to be married in the Catholic Church. The truth is that you should be confirmed before marriage if it is reasonably possible; it is not absolutely necessary.

3. A good act of contrition is good enough to receive Holy Communion. Many people have the idea that confession is no longer necessary at all. For one reason or another (maybe wishful thinking), they imagine that a mortal sin need not be confessed before communion as long as there is a good act of contrition. The general rule is that a person who is conscious of a definite and certain mortal sin is not to receive Holy Communion until he or she receives the Sacrament of Penance. Some even believe that the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass takes away all sins so that confession is no longer necessary. This simply is not the case.

4. If you have the money, you can get an annulment. An annulment is granted by the Church on the merits of the case. The fee for an annulment case to be processed in the Diocese of Rockville Centre is $ 1000. If anyone cannot afford this (and monthly payments may be arranged) there is an accommodation made by the Diocese and there is either no fee or one the person can easily afford. In this parish anyone who cannot afford the fee will be helped either by the Diocese or the parish. No one is to be kept from the sacraments because of money.

5. It is perfectly all right to practice artificial birth control. The truth is that artificial contraception is gravely wrong and always has been. The further truth is that Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae said that priests should show to those who suffer from this problem the merciful Heart of the Redeemer.

There are many misconceptions about the Catholic Faith. I thought I’d try to dispel a few this week. You can be sure that in the future I’ll get to some more. Believe me, they’re out there!

In Jesus and Mary,