Divorced and Remarried Catholics Cannot Receive Communion, Asserts Cardinal

The indissolibilty of marriage is among the hardest Catholic teachings for its members to accept.  One Cardinal in Rome recently upheld this teaching, asserting that divorced and remarried Catholics(without an annulment) cannot receive Holy Communion.  Any thoughts on how this opinion will go over in the U.S.?

Comments

[RegularRon]

Rules are Rules. Only in the US would this anger some. With some groups in our faith, activly trying to destory everything we have been taught and believe in. I believe it's time, for the Holy Father and the rest of the Vatican higher ups, to really start bring-ing the Hammer down on the "Liberal" eliment in our chruch.

I say good for the Vatican.

And on your other artical about attending "non-catholic serivces"...The only time I believe we are allowed to go to thoughs false worshiping centers, is for weddings and funerals. That's it.

In di namo the Patre et Fili, Spirit ou Santi.

Regular Ron...Defender of the Faith

[Jeff Miller]

Probably the same way the Apostles received it - skeptically.

"he disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry." But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given."

Though it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody that those in objectively grave sin can't receive Communion.

[Thom]

How will it be received? Might the question be better phrased: "How will it NOT be received?"

I suspect that most of the faithful to whom it applies will ignore it, just as they have ignored instructions on artificial contraception and voting pro-choice.

Conscience, they will tell you, trumps catechism.

[Kevin]

Regular Ron,

Is it permissible for Catholics to attend non-Catholic matrimonial services? Just wondering....

[Kelly]

Just send them to Old Saint Pat's in Chicago. They give out Holy Communion to Dick Durbin!

[Broken Messenger]

How is this biblical? Where in the teachings of Christ or his apostles is there justification for the church not forgiving such sins? Does the RCC claim that Christ does not forgive one who is divorced? I'm not trying to be inflamatory, and consider the source of this question from a sincere Protestant, but this is where I struggle so much in understanding such justifications in the Roman Catholic Church today.

Brad

[bearing]

Brad, the answer is in the form of a question:

Can a person be "forgiven" (your word --- it's not the one I'd have chosen) for a sin they are in the midst of committing, and don't intend to stop?

This is the situation that a REMARRIED Catholic is in, until and unless the first marriage is declared not to have been a valid marriage. They are living with and presumably engaging in sexual intercourse with someone not their spouse. There can be no absolution for this until the situation is rectified. When the remarried person has not even attempted to seek an annulment, one can hardly blame the church for withholding communion --- an act meant at least in part to underscore the seriousness of his sin, and to plea for him to return to faithful Christian practice.

Consider our position to be the strictest interpretation of Matthew 19.

[bearing]

Incidentally, Brad, the ban on communion doesn't apply to the merely divorced --- civil divorce is indeed justifiable in many situations. It applies to the remarried.

[The Gray Tie]

Ooops, I think I trackbacked to the wrong post? Sorry.

[Jennifer Cullen]

My husband left me. He did not want to reconcile our 13 year marriage. I was divorced and did not get my marriage annuled. An annulment in the church says that my marriage did not exist. I have two children who on a daily basis remind me of a marriage that did exist. I have been remarried in another christian faith. If the catholic church does not want me. Then so be it. No great loss

[Margie Gerow]

Hey folks:

Check out www. authorhouse.com book store. Type in gerow,click on search, click on each of the Margie and the School of Hard Knocks series and get previews. The first one is out. The second one should be of some interest and enjoyment to you; particularly the parts about Catholicism, nuns, priests and going to Catholic school.

[Karl]

The Catholic Church encourages divorce, remarriage, adultery and annulments and to say or believe otherwise is either ignorance or pure evil.

I have been through the annulment process and the tribunal system and it is an entirely corrupted instituion, including the priests bishops and the Pope.

[Sandy Petrucelli]

I would say if the ruling of the church was inforced to all like it used to be we would not find ways around a law that has been a law in my relgion since I was born. If a priest knows you have divoriced, Councel them but they can not receive communion.