Remarried divorcees’ right to Communion is sparking a conflict in Germany. On one side, several members of the Council of German Bishops endorse Communion for the divorced and remarried. On the other, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, the Vatican’s doctrinal chief, says Communion for divorced and remarried people is impossible. “For us marriage is the expression Read more
I haven’t written in this space for some time, but now that the election is over some additional interventions seem necessary to capture what’s happening in Roman Catholicism’s remarkable period of controversy. My Sunday column talked a bit about the way in which varying interpretations of “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation on the family, have Read more
Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro says the Pope’s refusal to directly answer the questions put to him by four cardinals is emblematic of how Francis effects change in the Catholic Church: he doesn’t deal in the doctrinal nitty-gritty but goes straight to the people — via his priests — regardless of the rules. In an op-ed Read more
Disagreement is emerging about an open letter four cardinals wrote asking for clarification from the Pope on his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia Bishop Fragkiskos Papamanolis, the president of the Greek bishops’ conference has written an open letter accusing them of heresy and scandal. In the letter Papamanolis says: “If you are “deeply concerned for the Read more
Conservative Cardinals have gone public with a letter they wrote to the Pope in September, because he hasn’t answered it. The letter asked him to clarify Church teaching about love and the family. The Cardinals are Raymond Burke, Carlo Caffarra, Walter Brandmüller and Joachim Meisner. The “dubia” (matters they say need specific yes/no answers from Read more
Watching the USCCB meeting this week was frustrating. The conference seems stuck. At a time when the country desperately needs a strong moral voice, the united voice of the bishops is sidelined, fretting about things that don’t matter and tepidly addressing the things that do. And, it was apparent to all that the concerns of Read more
Divorced, remarried Catholics can receive communion. German Cardinal, Walter Kasper, says Amoris laetitia allows for a “changed pastoral practice”. He also says “We must make Amoris laetitia an awakening of family pastoral ministry. Marriage and family must be the central theme in pastoral care because the family is the way of the Church.” Kasper is Read more
A children’s book on the family has just been released. It is the latest book for children written by Pope Francis. “The Caress of God”, is aimed at children ages six to 10 years old. It summarizes 27 catecheses (religious education topics). Pope Francis delivered these between his two Synods on the family, in October Read more
Amoris Laetitia came out while I was sitting in a hospital with my Tio (Uncle) Roy when he was dying in the ICU. At the time, my husband and I were on very shaky ground as far as our marriage was concerned. After many years of struggle that caused a lot of damage, pain and Read more
Amoris Laetitia is a ‘consensus document,’ says Washington’s Cardinal Donald Wuerl. He says the document – in English: The Joy of Love – was the result of a two-year process of consultation. He says despite its detractors, it fits appropriately amid the teaching of the church since the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council. Read more