Nearly 500 priests call on synod to uphold moral teachings

Friday, March 27th, 2015

Nearly 500 priests in England and Wales have signed a letter calling on the synod on the family to uphold the Church’s “unchanging” moral teaching.

The letter also calls on the synod, to be held in October, to resist any moves to allow Communion for the divorced and remarried.

A draft text of the letter and another one explaining the reasons behind it were published in The Tablet last week.

A dozen conservative-minded clergy were behind the initiative, which was signed by 461 clergy.

The number of signatories represents about 12 per cent of priests in England and Wales.

The Catholic Herald described the move as “ an unprecedented step”.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster subsequently issued a statement saying every priest in England and Wales has been asked to reflect on the synod discussion and that their pastoral experience and concern are of “great importance”.

He added, however, that the “dialogue between a priest and his bishop, is not best conducted through the press”.

One signatory, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Catholic Herald there “has been a certain amount of pressure not to sign the letter and indeed a degree of intimidation from some senior Churchmen”.

The first letter, which priests were urged to sign and send to a “support of marriage co-coordinator”, stated fidelity to the Church’s traditional doctrines of marriage and sexuality.

It also affirmed the traditional discipline of the reception of the sacraments.

Another priest who signed the letter, who also asked not to be named, said the issue of Communion for the remarried was “a matter of pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel”.

He said: “Mercy requires both love and truth. There’s a lot at stake.”

“Not all priests would be comfortable expressing themselves in an open letter, but I’d be very worried if there were priests who disagreed with the sentiments it contains.

“The letter calls for fidelity to Catholic teaching, and that practice should remain ‘inseparably in harmony’ with doctrine.”

Sources