CDF prefect nixes German archdiocesan policy on Communion for divorced/remarried Catholics [CC]

[Emerite]

Tigg:
Therefore, one can safely assume that this divorced and remarried couple, who claims to be living in celibacy and receives the Holy Eucharist, has repented, cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, and has “taken on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.”

 

[Elizium23]

Therefore, one can safely assume that this divorced and remarried couple, who claims to be living in celibacy and receives the Holy Eucharist, has repented, cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, and has “taken on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.”

Celibacy is the state of being unmarried. Your quote about continence gets the term right.

 

[Lochias]

I was told by my Priest that one can actually be aided by the Church in obtaining a legal divorce in the case of abuse. I wouldn’t submit such a blanket statement claiming there are no exceptions, just mitigating factors, for divorce. Sure, your average joe divorcing because he “fell out of love” is likely a grave sin, but legal divorce is not always a sin. Divorce in the case of abuse is not a “lessened” sin; it is in fact not a sin at all and does not need to be confessed.

But the divorced person cannot then re-marry and expect to receive the Sacraments with no problem. Both parties take a vow in marriage before God, and one person breaking that agreement does not mean the other suddenly can.

That’s what annulment is for, in those cases that are judged as needing it.

 

[fulbert4605]

Communion for divorced/remarried couples is a grey area. But this is the Body of Christ we are talking about here. If you REALLY believe it’s the Body of Christ wouldn’t you defer if you were divorced/remarried? Very little bad can come from not receiving the Body of Christ unworthily or worthily. However, much evil can come from receiving the Body of Christ unworthily. Yet you see people at Mass just follow all the other people in receiving the Body of Christ just because everyone else is doing it. It’s the human condition.

 

[Emerite]

I believe that some priests were advising divorced and remarried-to-another Catholics, that they could receive the Sacraments provided they lived together as sister and brother, and not conjugally as man and wife. I need to research this in the Catechism.

 

[glendab]

Dear Lupus,

if you ask me it seems some here in America aren’t used to seeing actual actions by the CDF which is probably the nature of your misunderstanding and shock at them doing what they’ve done. As has already been stated this instance is a perfect example of the very nature of the CDF. They are doing here exactly what they are called to do - help others in the Church to remain within the bounds of Church teaching and yes as has also been said, they derive their Authority from the Pope and their word is as good as his. I am personally relieved and hopeful as I see this sleeping giant wake. There is much that needs correcting and I do quietly pray for the day when all abuses and misunderstandings are cleared up. I have wept more than once in Church watching and listening to the things I’ve heard some say and do. Praise God for all the CDF does. They are if you ask me, the instrument of God’s justice and His mercy.

Glenda

 

[LupusCatholicus]

Update:

It would seem that the German Bishops have chosen to ignore the CDF and gone ahead with their decision- they believe that what they are doing is in the spirit of Pope Francis and that he supports their stance. Note that this is not just the Diocese of Freiburg, but appears to be the majority of the German Bishops’ Conference.

Also, Cardinal Marx, who is on the Pope’s Council of Cardinals, agrees with me that Abp. Muller was out of bounds in what he did, saying that the Prefect could not “end the discussion” and apparently criticized his stance. I know you folks don’t like NCR, however you’ll note that the man reporting it is reporting for the Catholic News Service. Here it is in black and white:

ncronline.org/news/global/german-bishops-eye-guidelines-divorced-catholics-take-communion

Keep in mind that Cardinal Marx is one of the eight Cardinals tasked by the Pope with helping him reform the Curia. We shouldn’t take what he says lightly.

 

[YoungTradCath]

This seems to be turning into a free-for-all. I shall bring the fruit salad.

 

[Elizium23]

The National Schismatic Reporter is right to jump on this story because it is being called a schism in the making.

Will German bishops defy Rome, ignore teaching on indissolubility of marriage?

Iran, and other countries, are more than likely emboldened by the Obama-inflicted weakness of these USA. They will be flexing their muscles, sure that the President won’t do anything.

In Germany, and probably other places, some bishops, emboldened by a new Pope’s new style, will be flexing their muscles, guessing that the Pope won’t do anything to them.

Here is an interesting way to engage in the New Evangelization.

 

[commenter]

Update:

It would seem that the German Bishops have chosen to ignore the CDF and gone ahead with their decision- they believe that what they are doing is in the spirit of Pope Francis and that he supports their stance. Note that this is not just the Diocese of Freiburg, but appears to be **the majority of the German Bishops’ Conference. **
.

A national bishops conference does not oversee the Catholic Church in that country. Each diocese is under a bishop-ordinary, who is responsible to the Holy See - including the head of the (Pope’s) CDF, subject to the oversight of the Pope himself. The president and officers of the German, or American bishops conference, only oversees that organization - essentially, a few dozen employees; not the Catholic Church in that country, nor the bishops themselves.

Bishops often belong to many organizations, sometimes with other bishops, with laity, or with non-Catholics for various purposes. None of this eliminates either their role in the diocese assigned to them by the Holy See, nor the role of the Holy See acting in Germany; sometimes through Francis’ appointee as head of the CDF.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

The National Schismatic Reporter is right to jump on this story because it is being called a schism in the making.

I highly doubt this is a “schism in the making.” The German bishops are showing no signs of seeking/threatening to break communion with Rome.

 

[commenter]

I highly doubt this is a “schism in the making.” The German bishops are showing no signs of seeking/threatening to break communion with Rome.

But the media will always try to divide and conquer. It takes things out of context to try to portray Francis as different from Benedict; to make it appear the curia is internally divided, or divided from the Pope, or divided from the German bishops. If there is a difference between the Vatican and bishops in a country, the media will always make the bishops out to be heroic; if there’s a split between a bishop and local parishes, it will then make the bishop out to be the villain.

The media’s goal is to weaken authority in the Catholic Church so that no pastor will have more authority than any parishioner, and ultimately no parent will have much authority in their home.