Pope Francis has suggested a Lutheran spouse of a Catholic should “talk to the Lord” in discerning whether or not to receive Communion with her husband. Francis made the remark during a Q&A at a visit to Rome’s Evangelical Lutheran church on Sunday. A Lutheran woman said she is married to a Catholic man and Read more
The recent synod opened, but didn’t enter, a door on the issue of civilly remarried people being admitted to the sacraments, says Cardinal Walter Kasper. Speaking in Germany on October 29, Cardinal Kasper said the synod “stated the general principle, but not the possible consequences”. “That was the only way to achieve the necessary two-thirds Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said the final report of the recent synod did not make an opening for the divorced and civilly remarried to receive Communion. Cardinal Pell said the text of the report has been “significantly misunderstood” and has no direct reference to the matter. Cardinal Pell said that “the discernment that is encouraged Read more
New thinking about how some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion could be the start of a breakthrough at the synod on the family. In a report back to the synod, the German-speaking small group presented another way of looking at the issue. They argue that the Church might be able to use Read more
A UK archbishop has signalled that the circumstances under which Anglicans can receive Communion at Catholic Masses could be broadened. Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, who is Catholic co-chair of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) stressed he was expressing a “personal view”. In an interview with the Church of Ireland Gazette, he said Read more
A US archbishop has given priests in his diocese strict guidelines on which people should not receive Communion. Newark Archbishop John Myers also ordered parishes and Catholic institutions in his diocese not to host people or organisations that disagree with Church teachings. Catholics who publicly reject Church teaching or discipline and those whose marriages are Read more
A “path of conversion” suggested for civilly remarried Catholics would see them abstain from sexual relations for a week at Easter. Italian canon lawyer Fr Eugenio Zanetti’s idea was one of those mooted in a book “Family and Church, an indissoluble bond”, published in Italian in June. The book contained lectures by theologians and lawyers Read more
A Maltese bishop has appealed for pathways for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics who want to experience God’s mercy. In a pastoral letter, Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo wrote that “God’s mercy is not only a doctrine alongside the doctrine of marriage and the family, but is at the heart of Christian doctrine”. The pastoral Read more
A US archbishop has softened his tone on Catholics who support same-sex marriage receiving Communion. In 2013, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron wrote that that Catholics who back same-sex marriage and receive Communion would “logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury”. But this month he told the Detroit Free Press: “Whenever it Read more
The prefect of the pontifical household has questioned why some pastors want to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. Archbishop Georg Ganswein told a university publication he didn’t know why some pastors want to propose what is not possible. “Perhaps they give in to the spirit of the time; perhaps they allow Read more