SPSA Church Giving (opens in a new tab)

Questions & Answers

Holy Communion

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › The Sacraments › Holy Communion

The question

If you are clean the night before church, but in the morning, you are unclean for a man such as expulsion of semen. Are you forbidden to take Holy Communion?

The answer

According to the biblical instructions stated in the Old Testament, which continues to be observed in the New Testament: "If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening" (Leviticus 15:16). We do not interpret these instructions as defilement, but rather as if his fasting was broken. Thus, he cannot partake of Holy Communion on that day.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2517 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.