May a gay person receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

Catholic AnswerA person who has emotional feelings towards a person of the same gender and who is a member of the Catholic Church, baptized, and has received First Confession, and First Holy Communion, may of course receive Holy Communion as long as they are in good standing, in other words, in a state of grace, with no unforgiven mortal sin on their soul. To receive Holy Communion with mortal sin on your soul, or to receive Holy Communion while not a member in good standing (either you haven't received the appropriate sacraments or you do not believe in everything that the Church teaches) is to seriously endanger your soul to the point of eternal damnation should you die in that state.

Answer

Yes, homosexuals may receive communion in the Catholic Church. However, the same rules apply to them as to everyone - they must not have any unconfessed serious sins and that would include homosexual sexual relationships.

Answer 2

Catholic AnswerA few qualifiers here so we know what we are talking about. When you ask about gay people, the normal assumption one would make is that you are asking about people who accept and lead a gay lifestyle, as opposed to a person with homosexual inclinations. The Church is the body of Christ, and as such accepts all people. However It accepts all people with the assumption that they are trying to live a Christian life. In other words a person receives Holy Communion in the Catholic Church because it is the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ has commanded us to eat His Body. Anyone who eats the Body of Christ in a state of sin, or without recognizing the Body, as Scripture plainly tells us is condemning themselves. Therefore the Church wisely puts down the law that you may not receive the Body of Christ unless you are in a state of grace, in other words, you have been to Confession before receiving Holy Communion.

A person accepting and leading a gay lifestyle has a few problems. They are not living in a state of grace. They are not accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ, and they are not listening to the Church. In other words, they are not even trying to lead a Christian life as defined by Christ through His Church.

Therefore, they have put themselves outside of the Church, of their own volition and choice. In other words, a gay person would not want to receive Holy Communion in a Catholic Church and if they did then there would be something serious wrong in the way they were looking at things. Like a person who got married, but insisted on leading a "single" lifestyle while having a wife. The two things are incompatible in and of themselves.