Nuanced approach towards divorced and remarried Catholics

A close friend and former student of Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) has emerged as a key ally of Pope Francis. He is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

Apr 22, 2017

By Christa Pongratz-Lippitt
A close friend and former student of Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) has emerged as a key ally of Pope Francis. He is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

At the Synod of Bishops, he helped Pope Francis develop a renewed pastoral approach towards people who fall short of Church teaching on marriage.

In fact, Francis tapped the Austrian cardinal to be the main presenter of his post-synodal exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, when it was released last year to the press in the Holy See’s press hall.

The papal document has aroused debate over its nuanced approach towards divorced and remarried Catholics.

When Wiener Zeitung asked the cardinal if he would give communion to remarried divorcees, he said he would never refuse anyone communion. However, he warned against oversimplifying the discussion.

Cardinal Schönborn said, the first question in his mind was not whether remarried divorcees could receive the Eucharist, but how they have coped with their situation.

He said, that includes how they have treated their children, for example, whether they had used them as hostages during the divorce proceedings.

How divorcees have treated their former spouses also comes into play, he said.

“The question of communion comes right at the end and includes the Sacrament of Reconciliation, something which is often forgotten,” he said.

“The real question is whether the couple concerned just want the Church to confirm that everything is fine or whether are they genuinely seeking help for their new lives,” he insisted. --La Croix

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