Topic: How can I tell who can receive communion?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: December 9, 2002

Moderator who originally posted this source: Fr. Robert

Question:   A family with 8 children, friend of one of our committed Catholic couple, comes to Mass on Sunday and they say they have been attending an Orthodox church in a large city 70 miles away. I know they were not raised in the orthodox church. The mother has been sick after the last pregnancy and they are not able to drive the distance. They want to come to the Catholic Church in this small town. What do I do at Communion time? Can I give them a blessing as we do with people who cannot receive the Eucharist? What do we do if they ask to receive Communion after a while? Some type of RCIA?I appreciate your advice before approaching them in the near future.Fr Francois.

Answer: 

I would begin, as I am certain you have already done, with welcoming them, getting to know them, and asking them about their religious background (Are they baptized, in what faith?, does the Orthodox Church consider them to be Orthodox, etc.) I would then call the Diocese in which I was working for guidelines or suggestions.
Advent Blessings,
Father Robert