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The Catholic Church needs to develop a strong pastoral approach to people who are divorced, two Vatican officials have argued.
Cardinal Julian Herranz, the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts-- the Vatican’s top body for the interpretation of canon law-- spoke to reporters on February 8 after introducing Dignitas Connubii, the new Vatican instruction on the norms for Church marriage tribunals.
The Spanish cardinal remarked that divorced Catholics are not excommunicated, and “should participate in ecclesial life,” even if a subsequent remarriage makes it impossible for them to receive Communion.
Divorced and remarried couples “belong to the ecclesial community,” Cardinal Herranz observed. He admitted that it is a “very delicate” matter to find the proper pastoral approach to these Catholics, since a failure to recognize the objective problems with their situation could undermine the force of the Church’s teaching regarding the indissolubility of marriage. Nevertheless, he continued, they “can and should participate in the life of the Church” insofar as that it possible, and pastors should seek to ensure that they do not feel “marginalized” or forgotten by the Church.
Questioned about the ban on reception of the Eucharist by Catholics who are divorced and remarried, Cardinal Herranz said that pastors cannot administer Communion to people who are in “a situation of public and continued sin”-- including those who are living together in an invalid marriage. In such cases, he said, admitting divorced Catholics to Communion would be “harmful to the good of the Church.”
Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, added his own observation that it is “clearly a priority” for pastors to address the needs of Catholics who are “suffering in unhappy marital situations-- sometimes separated and divorced against their wills.” The pastoral needs of these Catholics must be addressed with care and with a commitment to justice, he said
cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=35139
Cardinal Julian Herranz, the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts-- the Vatican’s top body for the interpretation of canon law-- spoke to reporters on February 8 after introducing Dignitas Connubii, the new Vatican instruction on the norms for Church marriage tribunals.
The Spanish cardinal remarked that divorced Catholics are not excommunicated, and “should participate in ecclesial life,” even if a subsequent remarriage makes it impossible for them to receive Communion.
Divorced and remarried couples “belong to the ecclesial community,” Cardinal Herranz observed. He admitted that it is a “very delicate” matter to find the proper pastoral approach to these Catholics, since a failure to recognize the objective problems with their situation could undermine the force of the Church’s teaching regarding the indissolubility of marriage. Nevertheless, he continued, they “can and should participate in the life of the Church” insofar as that it possible, and pastors should seek to ensure that they do not feel “marginalized” or forgotten by the Church.
Questioned about the ban on reception of the Eucharist by Catholics who are divorced and remarried, Cardinal Herranz said that pastors cannot administer Communion to people who are in “a situation of public and continued sin”-- including those who are living together in an invalid marriage. In such cases, he said, admitting divorced Catholics to Communion would be “harmful to the good of the Church.”
Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, added his own observation that it is “clearly a priority” for pastors to address the needs of Catholics who are “suffering in unhappy marital situations-- sometimes separated and divorced against their wills.” The pastoral needs of these Catholics must be addressed with care and with a commitment to justice, he said
cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=35139