Posts Tagged ‘Divorce’

In Amoris Laetitia, Pope calls for compassionate Church

Tuesday, April 12th, 2016

In a new document, Pope Francis has called for renewed efforts to strengthen marriages, while being compassionate and close to people in their frailty. The 325-paragraph document, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), draws together almost three years of consultation with Catholics around the world, including synods in 2014 and 2015. Among the many topics Read more

Pope invites divorced and remarried to private audience

Friday, February 12th, 2016

Pope Francis has invited a group of divorced and remarried Catholics to a private audience, ahead of the expected release of a document on family life. Sixty members of the Italian group L’anello perduto (“The Lost Ring”) had sent a letter to the Pope to share their experience of divorce. “In separation we have suffered Read more

Stats reveal the 14 year itch is a reality

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

Most New Zealanders getting divorced are in their mid-40s and don’t have kids, and the “seven-year itch” is a myth. In fact, Statistics New Zealand figures show couples are most likely to call it quits after about 14 years. Figures from 2014, the latest year reliable statistics are available, show that couples most commonly filed Read more

Prelate links pastoral approach with evangelical collapse

Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

A US archbishop has put the collapse of evangelical life in some European churches down to certain pastoral practices on the sacraments. In an article to be published in the journal First Things next month, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia criticised pastoral approaches that ignore the call to conversion. He wrote about divorced and civilly Read more

Kasper says synod opened door but didn’t enter

Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

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

Vatican denies Pope said all divorced can have sacraments

Friday, November 6th, 2015

The Vatican has dismissed as “in no way reliable” an interview which quotes Pope Francis saying “all divorced who ask will be admitted” to Communion. Veteran journalist Eugenio Scalfari wrote in La Repubblica that the Pope made the comment during a phone interview. According to a translation by traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli, Pope Francis said: “The Read more

Synod final document seen as ‘historic step’ of inclusion

Tuesday, October 27th, 2015

The final document of the synod of bishops on the family has stressed that the Church must involve the divorced and civilly remarried in all ways possible. While the document does not mention Communion for such people who are baptised, it calls for their integration into the Church community, while “avoiding every occasion of scandal”. Read more

Synod breakthrough over divorce and Communion?

Friday, October 23rd, 2015

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

Synod tackles issue of sacraments for divorced, remarried

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015

Bishops at the synod on the family last week grappled with the issue of access to the sacraments for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. In 93 interventions at the synod on Wednesday and Thursday, widely different views were expressed. A key issue is whether there could be any possibility for divorced and remarried people to Read more

US archbishop at synod stresses role of conscience

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015

A US archbishop has said the Church must respect the decisions divorced and remarried people make in good conscience about their spiritual lives. Speaking to media at the synod on the family in Rome, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich said he had always respected the inviolability of people’s consciences. “I try to help people along the Read more