"Your shock that a priest makes ..."
I am not shocked. I wonder simply as to the reasoning behind it.
Are you also worried about what human rights an Imam extends to women? Does that keep you up at night?
Human Rights? If you want to go there, of course I concern myself with what, if any, human rights are extended to women under Islam. But neither that, nor the question I posed "keeps me up at night".
"...even if your question is just an attack on the Church and Priest."
Okay, asking a question about this is automatically an attack on the church and the priest - next thing you know, it'll be racist too!
"...if I don't go to confession at least once a year, I'm not suppose to go up for communion. "
That, and what follows is actually what I am asking about. As I understood it, it was "similar" to the way Lutherans handle it. IOW, the person recieving it is supposed to be clean at the time of receiving communion.
However, the priest knows that the person who confessed will likely continue to sin in the same manner in the future - no matter how hard they try not too.
Can he then deny communion because the person "will sin again"?
Or is it more a "lifestyle" based decision, for example:
If the woman had instead been married and in an adulterous relationship with another man - is the priest obligated to also deny her communion? If so, then there is nothing more to discuss as the case is clear then.
Lastly, it is really discouraging that any attempt to learn something about someone elses point of view, religious teaching, or whatever, is automatically assumed to be an attack.
It’s a matter of having acknowledged one’s sin, regretted it and having a change of heart with the sincere intent of not committing the sin again. Repentance.
Or, as I understand Catholic belief and practice, doing or having done penance, which apparently involves recitations and activities assigned by a priest as a result of confession.
No, communion isn't denied because a “sin may be committed in the future”. If one has repented and asked for forgiveness for this sin, the church is a loving and caring place that assumes the good in people and that they will not sin in this way again.
But take gay marriage. You couldn't confess you were a married homosexual, expect to stay married, and then receive communion. That's not a “sin of the future” but an ongoing one you are not sorry for or even admitting is wrong, you can't be forgiven for something you think is ok by continuing
the practice and showing no remorse.
Now, remember, Priests are human, too, and they want to be able to give a person communion. Some will give it when they really shouldn't be, but I think that's mostly out of compassion although some are openly quite liberal. But we need more Priests like this one that stands up for what is right. This post is just from a person in the pews, so any one can correct me if I am wrong.