Here is a situation. We have a friend who’s husband and father of their five children has decided to walk away from his family and start a new family with a woman half his age that he had an ongoing affair with.
Both our friend’s Priest and myself told her that she was still able to receive Holy Communion, because, at the time I gave her this advice, she was still hopeful that their Marriage would work out.
But, since then her husband has moved in with and has had two more children with the mistress.
Three months ago, they legally divorced (his wishes not hers). This was three years coming.
A few weeks ago, she told us that she had met a “Catholic” man who is also recently divorced and neither of them have sought an Annulment as of yet (and that is not to say that both, one, or either will be granted a decree of nullification).
Our friend asked my Wife if she can still receive Holy Communion. His Priest says no, her Priest says Yes. Maybe @CanadianPriest has some input, though I know he is limited to what he can say, as he knows neither of these two parties.
My response was that as long as this new guy and she are just companions (going on hikes and spending time together, forming a friendship, and not getting serious) she can still receive (assuming she is in the state of grace).
However, I think she is moving too quickly and there are red flags with this man. I have not met the man, and I am simply going off of what she has told us about him, but he has been Married twice. He has one teenage son. My Wife has tried snooping on his Facebook profile, but he is either not very active on there or you must be friends with him to see more of his posts. It would be kind of suspicious if we requested to be his friend prior to meeting him.
They have gone to Mass together a few times. He has rightly abstained from receiving, per his Priest’s pastoral care, as his case is slightly different than hers, though similar.
I am posting this question to help others who may be in a similar situation to help them take the right steps moving forward from an awful predicament.