Noted theologian says Church could allow Communion for divorced/remarried without changing doctrine

[OraLabora]

Presumably the jilted spouse already tried some years ago, but was told by the Church the marriage was valid. How can the Church reverse what theyve already declared as a valid marriage?

Meanwhile the guilty spouse who re-married in opposition to Church teaching, comes around now that the Church is offering mercy in abundance, and he’s perfectly fine in the eyes of God all of a sudden with the wave of a hand.

Im with Corki on that one. Not just or merciful to the innocent spouse.

But the same mercy would be available to the jilted spouse as well if it were needed…

 

[Tomdstone]

Some people seem to think that all or most marriages can be found invalid if the annulment process is pursued. But that’s not really the case. There are lots of remarried people whose first marriages are really valid. Sure, some marriages break up due to a defect in the original attempt but other break up due to nothing more than sin (adultery, unfaithfulness, abandonment) which isn’t by itself grounds for annulment.

What percentage of applications for marriage annulment in the USA are rejected by the marriage tribunal, i.e., the marriage is declared to be valid?

 

[Dawnia]

My problem with this is that it creates the situation of “better to ask forgiveness than ask permission” and gives legitimacy to divorce. What is the point of bothering with an annulment if the end result is the same?

 

[JimG]

I suppose that one might well agree that the “Church could allow Communion for the divorced and remarried without changing doctrine,” as long as the first marriage is found to be invalid. That would not be a change of doctrine.

 

[Corki]

What percentage of applications for marriage annulment in the USA are rejected by the marriage tribunal, i.e., the marriage is declared to be valid?

The number is low because of the pre-screening process. Many cases never make it to the tribunal. They are either abandoned without completing all the steps or after meeting with the parish advocate, the would-be-petitioner is convinced that the process would not be successful. By the time a case gets to the tribunal at least two well-trained professionals have been convinced that the marriage has a likely chance of being found null.

Edited to add: this was not always the case. Using trained parish advocates is a step that has only been around a few decades.

 

[Corki]

But the same mercy would be available to the jilted spouse as well if it were needed…

Not really. If the innocent spouse had not remarried yet, to remarry now (assuming a change in discipline) outside of the Church would be the additional sin of presumption. As Dawnia said, it opens the door for more invailidly contracted marriages based on the presumption of asking for forgiveness later.

 

[JimG]

Not really. If the innocent spouse had not remarried yet, to remarry now (assuming a change in discipline) outside of the Church would be the additional sin of presumption. As Dawnia said, it opens the door for more invailidly contracted marriages based on the presumption of asking for forgiveness later.

I know of a couple who were married for long period of time, several decades. The husband then began having an affair and eventually abandoned his wife and applied for annulment. I’m not familiar with the details so I can’t speak to them. He was granted the annulment and married the new woman. The wife never wanted an annulment and considered her vows to be binding and permanent, so she never remarried.

 

[Tomdstone]

I know of a couple who were married for long period of time, several decades. The husband then began having an affair and eventually abandoned his wife and applied for annulment. I’m not familiar with the details so I can’t speak to them. He was granted the annulment and married the new woman. The wife never wanted an annulment and considered her vows to be binding and permanent, so she never remarried.

I know of a similar case.

 

[Brendan]

True theoretically, but in Africa, there are Catholic families where the husband has 2 wives.

If so, they are doing so in violation of what the Church is telling them, and they too are prohibited from Holy Communion.

I have very first hand knowledge of this. I am a regular visitor to a rural diocese in Tanzania ( there twice last year alone).

During that time, I am fortunate to stay in the residence of the bishop of the diocese. During my various stays, we have often talked about the challenges that he faces. His diocese is split about 50\50 Christian (mostly Catholic) and African tribal religious. There are also a small set of Muslims.

One of the biggest challenges that he faces in conversions is the fact that some of men have multiple wives (or wish to have multiple wives).

But he is very clear in his teachings, your single wife is the first one that you married. The convert does NOT get to consider multiple women to be his wife nor does he get to choose which one will be the wife and which will be considered to be like sisters.

That is one of the reasons that the African bishops are so outspoken on this issue in relation to the Synod. In is an issue that they deal with daily and in which they forcefully teach the Catholic view on marriage, even in the face of social opposition.

This bishop has also told me that he is saddened by many of the statements made by European bishops. Such proposals would make his work much more difficult. A potential convert would argue that he SHOULD be able to keep multiple wives if the Europeans can have multiple wives too.

And he has a point.

But to your point, if such men exist, they do so in DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE to the clear teachings of the bishops of Africa on this. And such a bishop would not hesitate in denying them Holy Communion as adulterers.

If you have personal knowledge of such men, please inform their bishops, the bishops will most certainly take corrective action.

 

[Tomdstone]

If so, they are doing so in violation of what the Church is telling them, and they too are prohibited from Holy Communion…
But to your point, if such men exist, they do so in DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE to the clear teachings of the bishops of Africa on this. And such a bishop would not hesitate in denying them Holy Communion as adulterers.

If you have personal knowledge of such men, please inform their bishops, the bishops will most certainly take corrective action.

According to what a native African priest, visiting the US, has told me, the bishop has allowed it in certain tribal areas, for older men who, together with their wives, have converted to Catholicism. I don’t know anything more about it except that.

 

[Sy_Noe]

Glad to see an actual theologian sees a way. Will be interesting to see where the synod and Pope Francis take the CC. If in a new direction and understanding or none at all. Time will tell.

 

[Brendan]

According to what a native African priest, visiting the US, has told me, the bishop has allowed it in certain tribal areas, for older men who, together with their wives, have converted to Catholicism. I don’t know anything more about it except that.

In every case, the man is still financially responsible for the woman and they may continue to live together under the same roof. But there can be no sexual congress between any woman other than his true wife.

Did the priest you mention make clear if the bishop was allowing the first (which is common, you cannot turn the women out) or allowing the second ( sexual relations).

As I mentioned, I work in a ‘tribal area’ alongside a bishop of a ‘tribal area’, as I know from personal experience that in the conversion process, the requirement for sexual fidelity to a single woman is made VERY clear.

 

[ToeInTheWater]

That is one of the reasons that the African bishops are so outspoken on this issue in relation to the Synod. In is an issue that they deal with daily and in which they forcefully teach the Catholic view on marriage, even in the face of social opposition.

This bishop has also told me that he is saddened by many of the statements made by European bishops. Such proposals would make his work much more difficult. A potential convert would argue that he SHOULD be able to keep multiple wives if the Europeans can have multiple wives too.

I have heard this before, and it does seem to be inconsistent. There seems to be almost a type of cultural imperialism going on in the European Church, prioritizing the needs of the (shrinking) flocks there over that of the global Church.

Anyway, it seems to me that the theologian is essentially proposing a variant of the Internal Forum Solution, which so far has been “ruled out by the Holy See” per EWTN:

Internal Forum. Sometimes it is suggested to individuals or couples that they can resolve marital issues concerning a first marriage in the “internal forum.” This means essentially in the confessional or in the privacy of their conscience.

Someone who is divorced and remarried will be told that they do not have to seek a Decree of Nullity to validate the present marriage, rather being convinced in their own conscience that their first marriage was invalid they can return to the sacraments.

This is not, however, the case. Marriage is not a private affair but a social institution, one safeguarded by the Church according to the will of Christ. The Holy See has ruled out the internal forum solution as a valid way of resolving marital validity questions. Such issues must be submitted to the Church’s canonical processes (a marriage tribunal).

.

 

[PaulinVA]

Quote:
The second case involved a couple that converted after a 2nd marriage. In such cases, the Dominican theologian suggested, the Church could allow for the reception of Communion without endangering the principle that marriage is indissoluble.

I saw nothing in the article as to why this would theologically so, unless this is reference to a Petrine Privilege case.

If so, it would have been nice if they had mentioned that.

Yes, I was wondering if this was some backhanded way of saying that non-Catholic marriages aren’t really valid.