This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-long-awaited-document-on-the-family-pope-francis-offers-hope-to-divorced-catholics-says-no-to-gay-marriage/2016/04/07/87be6dae-fb42-11e5-813a-90ab563f0dde_story.html

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Pope Francis offers hope to divorced Catholics, says no to gay marriage Pope Francis offers hope to divorced Catholics, says no to gay marriage
(about 1 hour later)
He called for divorced and remarried Catholics to participate more fully in church life. But he closed the door on gay marriage. He quotes Jorge Luis Borges and Jesus Christ. There is an entire chapter on love. Pope Francis on Friday offered his most complete airing yet of the social issues affecting family life, encouraging his clergy to embrace sinners as well as saints and extending an olive branch of mercy to divorced and remarried Catholics long barred from the highest sacrament of the church: Holy Communion.
But more than anything, Pope Francis’s long-awaited document on family life, released Friday by the Vatican, amounts to an exultation of traditional marriage while recognizing that life, in his own words, isn’t always “perfect.” Yet rather than judging, he commanded, the church should be a pillar of support. Francis rejected outright the notion of same-sex marriage. But he laid out the church’s warmest welcome in modern times to divorced and remarried couples, saying they should not be judged, discriminated against or excluded from church life. And he encouraged their priests to be merciful in considering whether such Catholics can receive communion.
After two years of anticipation, Francis’s pronouncements on family life came in a pragmatic, romantic document that encouraged a range of practices from sex education to beefed-up premarital counseling. In a paper clearly aimed at guiding couples on their journeys through life, he intriguingly sidestepped the church’s typical rejection of artificial birth control. But he stopped short of changing church laws, while strongly hinting that he wanted to.
The 256-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation and titled Amoris Laetitia, or “the Joy of Love,” delved into the hot-button issues that have deeply divided his senior clergy during two major theological slugfests in Vatican City. As the pope himself appears to have feared, no issue was garnering more attention than his reflections on divorced and remarried couples — who, under church law, are living in adultery and technically unable to receive Communion.
[Read: Pope Francis releases first major paper on the family][Read: Pope Francis releases first major paper on the family]
Some two years in the making, the 256-page document known as an apostolic exhortation and titled Amoris Laetitia, or “the Joy of Love,” amounted to his most sweeping pronouncement to date on the social issues that have deeply divided his senior clergy. In practice, however, many already do, and throughout his document, Francis seemed to be begging his clergy to start dealing with the world they live in, and not the one they want. Yet the document’s carefully phrased wording sketched out a Solomonesque solution that seemed to generally abide by church laws while suggesting a new approach for wooing such couples back to Mass.
The reformist pope often appeared to strike a pragmatic balance and offered no changes in church laws — either to the status of gay people or those who divorce and remarry outside the church. There would be no blanket change in law, the pope said. But in some cases, he suggested, a priest could work closely with them on a path to redemption that may ultimately include a return to the Eucharist.
But his words on whether select divorced and remarried Catholics could take Holy Communion immediately set off division and debate over whether and how much he had expanded the freedom of Catholics and their priests to make that call. Though observers had hoped for clarity, the pontiff’s ambiguity on access to the sacrament could sow tensions as a divided church hierarchy parses his words like so many tea leaves. Apparently on purpose, according to a senior cleric, Francis buried his suggestion, perhaps knowing it would overwhelm the rest of his teachings. He mentioned that people who are living in an “objective situation of sin” can “also grow in the life of grace.” Then, in this footnote for priests, he importantly noted:
Although the pope did not explicitly call for a rule change, he seemed to suggest that such cases should be studied and ruled on one by one. At one point, he mentions that people who are living in an “objective situation of sin” can “also grow in the life of grace.” Then, in this footnote for priests, he notes: “I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.’”
“I would also point out that the Eucharist ‘is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.’ ” Yet his words were ambiguous enough to spark division and debate over their meaning — and they appeared to fall short of pleasing both liberals and conservatives. Even representatives of the Catholic Church in the United States declined Friday to say what impact, exactly, Pope Francis’s words would have on divorced and remarried Catholics.
The pope seemed to say that the church must deal with the world it lives in, not the world it wants. He sometimes sounded less like a pontiff than a marriage counselor. “The teaching is not changing,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “He’s not giving new regulation or new rules, but he is giving a mindset in which we see people first.”
Single women get pregnant, and need the support of those around them, he wrote. Children sometimes need punishment — and, he notably added — sex education. Gays and lesbians deserve protection from “unjust discrimination.” And while he clearly upholds his church’s teachings of marriage as only between a man and woman, he notes that unconventional unions do indeed form. And they are not, he writes, without their “constructive elements.” “It is matter of reaching out to everyone,” Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna told a news conference in Rome. Acknowledging that some church members had hoped for a blanket rule change on divorced and remarried Catholics, Schönborn added: “Many people expected such rules, but they will be disappointed, and persuaded that this is the necessary choice made by our pope.”
Perhaps most importantly, he exhorts the church — specifically its clergy — to use “discernment” and not paint with a broad brush. Do not, he warned, wield “moral laws” like a weapon.
“This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teachings,” he scolds, comparing such moralizing to “sitting on the chair of Moses and judging at times with superiority.”
“The pope does not overlook the fragility of families, and even their failure,” Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, told a news conference at Vatican City on Friday.
“It is a matter of reaching out to everyone,” Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna told a news conference in Rome. He later added, “no one is condemned, no one is scorned.”
Nodding to the fact that many hoped for a blanket rule allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to take communion, Schönborn said “many people expected such rules, but they will be disappointed, and persuaded that this is the necessary choice made by our pope.” But he suggested that the pope did offer “renewed encouragement” for a pastoral path in “particular cases.”
[The key points you should read in Pope Francis’s major new document on family issues][The key points you should read in Pope Francis’s major new document on family issues]
Monsignor Fred Easton, who led the Indianapolis Archdiocese’s tribunal for 31 years, said Friday morning that the pope’s document was not offering the divorced and remarried a path to the Eucharist, but rather encouraging laypeople and priests to find every possible other way to include them in church life. He acknowledged the wording might prompt different analyses. Some argued the pope was not pushing for a real shift at all. Monsignor Frederick C. Easton, who led the Indianapolis Archdiocese’s tribunal for 31 years, said the pope’s document was not offering a path to the Eucharist but rather was encouraging such couples, along with their priests, to find every way possible way to include them in church life.
“This is a communications problems we have,” he said. “He’s giving us a new way of approaching moral decision making. It’s not a wooden approach. It has to relate to the situation of the people. He’s giving us priests at the parish level an encouragement to look for the wide spectrum of possibilities that are there . . . unlike his predecessors, he is telling us not to cut off dialogue so quickly as we had in the past, to see if there is a legitimate path to keeping them in church. That’s the direction he’s going in.” But he conceded that the wording might prompt different analyses.
Cardinal Baldisseri of the Synod of Bishops said he believed “there is difficult work envisioned here. We are not used to such a work, everything was imposed from above before and now we have to apply discernment. We have to apply it to each and every case.” “This is a communications problems we have,” he said. “He’s giving us a new way of approaching moral decision-making. It’s not a wooden approach. . . . He’s giving us priests at the parish level an encouragement to look for the wide spectrum of possibilities that are there.”
Austen Ivereigh, a prominent Francis biographer, wrote Friday that Francis basically punted in the document in terms of the very specifics of who gets Communion and when. For an institution used to a top-down approach, the latitude appeared somewhat vexing.
“In effect, Francis has cleared the ground for maximum pastoral flexibility, refusing to treat civilly remarried divorces as a category,” he wrote on the Catholic site Crux. “There is difficult work envisioned here,” said Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, a senior Italian cleric in the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops. “We are not used to such a work. Everything was imposed from above before, and now we have to apply discernment. We have to apply it to each and every case.”
Ivereigh said this of the changes that might come as a result: “Yet while this is a significant development, it is unlikely to affect that many people.” The heart of the document, where there will be real change, he said, comes in the section about the importance of marriage preparation. The document addressed myriad other issues, and in it, Francis sounded sometimes less like a pontiff than a marriage counselor. He quoted Jorge Luis Borges and Jesus Christ. He included an entire chapter on love.
More than anything, it amounted to an exaltation of traditional marriage while recognizing that life, in his own words, is not always “perfect.” Yet rather than judging, he commanded, the church should be a pillar of support.
Single women get pregnant, and they need the support of those around them, he wrote. Children sometimes need punishment — and, he notably added — sex education. Gays and lesbians deserve protection from “unjust discrimination.” And while he clearly upheld his church’s teaching that marriage is only between a man and woman, he noted that unconventional unions do indeed form. And they are not, he wrote, without their “constructive elements.”
[Pope puts foot forward on inclusion of women][Pope puts foot forward on inclusion of women]
“Our most important pastoral task with regard to families,” he says later, in a reference to the “evil” of divorce, “is to strengthen their love, helping to heal wounds and working to prevent the spread of this drama of our times.” Perhaps most importantly, he exhorted the church — specifically its clergy — to use “discernment” and not paint with a broad brush. Do not, he warned, wield “moral laws” like a weapon.
Some conservatives were clearly unnerved by the document, dubbed “the Joy of Sex” by at least one Catholic site known for its criticism of church liberals. “This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teachings,” he scolded, comparing such moralizing to “sitting on the chair of Moses and judging at times with superiority.”
In what was seen as a preemptive strike before the document was released, Walter Brandmüller, a retired German cardinal, lashed out on a Catholic website at the notion of granting communion rights to divorced and remarried couples, even on a case-by-case basis. Contrary to Pope Francis’s informal quips on the road, the document is written in sometimes-indirect papal language. It is highly nuanced in parts, a fact the pope himself seemed to note by stating: “I do not recommend a rushed reading of the text.”
“What is fundamentally impossible for reasons of faith, is also impossible in the individual case,” Brandmüller said. Some Catholics, however, immediately viewed the pope’s words as an example of loose discipline. Rose Sweet, a U.S.-based Catholic marriage counselor and writer, suggested that the pope was treating sinners like coddled children.
Contrary to Pope Francis’s informal quips on the road, the document is written in sometimes-indirect Popese. It is highly nuanced in parts, a fact the pope himself seems to nod to by stating: “I do not recommend a rushed reading of the text.”
For a pope known for changing the tone but not necessarily the substance of Catholic teachings, the document contains one very important element. In a roundabout way, he appeared to side with progressives clamoring for change on divorced and remarried Catholics, who under church teachings are committing adultery and thus technically barred from the highest sacrament of the Catholic Church: Holy Communion.
[Watch: Bernie Sanders calls Francis a “socialist.”]
Two highly contested synods — or meetings of the hierarchy — failed to come to a clear consensus on whether such parishioners should be granted access to the sacrament. Conservatives see banning them as vital to preserving the church’s moral bar, while progressives view change as key to avoiding blanket judgments.
The pope, in the document, was not explicit on his specific position regarding communion. But he wrote that priests must use their individual relationships with such parishioners to determine their level of access to church life. The Rev. Bruno Forte, a senior Italian archbishop and a top official at last year’s synod, said the pope seemed to be saying that such decisions should be made by priests on a case-by-case basis.
“In some cases, integration can be realized as far as allowing participation to the sacraments,” he said.
He further interpreted the pope by saying, “there’s a need to be faithful to doctrine but at the same time, to be faithful to real people, especially those living in situations of failure and in the wounds of love.”
Others immediately viewed the pope’s words as an example of loose discipline. Rose Sweet, a U.S.-based Catholic marriage counselor and writer, suggested the pope was treating sinners like coddled children.
“We’re dealing with very immature, uninformed people who want Papa Francisco to give them what they want,” she said. “And they don’t want it too hard, and they will love him for it. And they’ll say, ‘You’re like Jesus; you’re so merciful.’ But here’s the thing: what real mercy is, it’s not letting people off the hook.”“We’re dealing with very immature, uninformed people who want Papa Francisco to give them what they want,” she said. “And they don’t want it too hard, and they will love him for it. And they’ll say, ‘You’re like Jesus; you’re so merciful.’ But here’s the thing: what real mercy is, it’s not letting people off the hook.”
The apostolic exhortation is not as high-level in the hierarchy of papal documents as, for example, the environmental encyclical he released last year. But it nevertheless carries the weight of his office and is seen as powerful instrument of church teachings.
Progressive Catholics seemed warm to his movement on the divorced and remarried, while expressing regret that he did not go further on issues relating to same-sex couples.
[Watch: Bernie Sanders calls Francis a “socialist.”]
“There is some disappointment in Pope Francis [among progressives] now because they want him to act quickly, they want him to change laws, they want him to be different,” said Christian Weisner, a founding member of a Munich-based Catholic reform group who advocates church-sanctioned same-sex unions.
“What I see here is that he is starting a process, one that will redefine the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church,” he said. “But that’s going to take a long time, and some people are disappointed because of that.”
With a couple of key exceptions — same-sex marriage and the idea of fluid gender — the document emphasized a single point: Support families. The pope listed challenges to relationships today, from the economy and migration to social isolation, priests who are unprepared to give decent marriage counseling and people too exhausted by daily demands to greet one another at the end of the day with a kiss.
He repeatedly said people’s day-to-day realities should take priority over any teaching or dogma, and that pastors should not place boxes of rules atop real-life situations.
“At times we have also proposed a far too abstract and almost artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families. This excessive idealization, especially when we have failed to inspire trust in God’s grace, has not helped to make marriage more desirable and attractive, but quite the opposite,” Francis wrote.
[Conservative dissent is brewing inside the Vatican][Conservative dissent is brewing inside the Vatican]
The apostolic exhortation, while not as high level in the hierarchy of papal documents, as, say, the environmental encyclical he released last year, nevertheless carries the weight of his office and is seen as powerful interment of church teachings. Progressive Catholics seemed to hail his movement on the divorced and remarried, while expressing regret that he did not go farther on issues relating to same sex couples. In its practical impact, the document appears likely to follow a typical pattern for Francis’s pronouncements, with Catholics disagreeing about what it says and what he meant.
“There is some disappointment in Pope Francis [among progressives] now because they want him to act quickly, they want him to change laws, they want him to be different,” said Christian Weisner, a founding member of the Munich-based Catholic reform group, who advocates church-sanctioned same sex unions. In multiple sections, Francis made clear that he did not intend to issue a clear policy manual on family life. In fact, it was the opposite — he believes the conversation is continuing.
“But what I see here is that he is starting a process, one that will redefine the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church,” he said. “But that’s going to take a long time, and some people are disappointed because of that.”
With a couple of key exceptions — same-sex marriage and the idea of fluid gender — the document emphasizes and reemphasizes a single point: support families. The pope builds a mighty laundry list of challenges to relationships today, from the economy and migration to social isolation, priests who are unprepared to give decent marriage counseling and people too exhausted by daily demands to greet one another at the end of the day with a kiss.
He repeatedly says that people’s day-to-day realities should take priority over any teaching or dogma and that pastors should not place boxes of rules atop real life situations.
“At times we have also proposed a far too abstract and al­most artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and prac­tical possibilities of real families. This excessive idealization, especially when we have failed to inspire trust in God’s grace, has not helped to make marriage more desirable and attractive, but quite the opposite,” Francis wrote.
As far as the concrete impact of the document, this will be typical Francis fare – Catholics will disagree about what it says and what he meant. In multiple sections, Francis makes clear that he didn’t intend to issue a clear policy manual on family life, in fact the opposite – he believes the conversation is continuing.
“If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations such as those I have mentioned, it is understandable that neither the Synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases,” he wrote. “What is possible is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment.”“If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations such as those I have mentioned, it is understandable that neither the Synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases,” he wrote. “What is possible is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment.”
On the topic of gay equality, Francis repeated words he has written and said before: same-sex unions are in no way “similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.” Yet for the pope who floored the planet when he said, of gay priests, “who am I to judge,” there may be others who still hold out hope, based on other comments Francis wrote in his document. On the topic of gay equality, Francis repeated words he has written and said before: same-sex unions are in no way “similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.” Yet for the pope who floored the planet when he said, of gay priests, “Who am I to judge?” there may be others who still hold out hope, based on other comments Francis wrote in his document.
After praising Christian marriage as being “fully realized in the union between a man and a woman,” he writes, “Some forms of union radically contra­dict this ideal, while others realize it in at least a partial and analogous way. The Synod Fathers stated that the Church does not disregard the constructive elements in those situations which do not yet or no longer correspond to her teach­ing on marriage.” After praising Christian marriage as being “fully realized in the union between a man and a woman,” he wrote: “Some forms of union radically contra­dict this ideal, while others realize it in at least a partial and analogous way. The Synod Fathers stated that the Church does not disregard the constructive elements in those situations which do not yet or no longer correspond to her teach­ing on marriage.”
There will undoubtedly be Catholics who see Francis as closing the door on gay equality forever while others will say he left it open a crack. There will undoubtedly be Catholics who see Francis as closing the door on gay equality forever, while others will say he left it open a crack.
Rather than scolding, Francis enumerates the pressures on modern families. Among them: a lack of quality sex education, the way electronic devices feed the need for instant gratification, migration, lack of housing, pornography, child abuse, lack of respect for the elderly and violence against women. He sees burdens in “the ideological denial of differences between the sexes” and the “impact of biotechnology in the field of procreation.” Rather than scolding, Francis enumerated the pressures on modern families. Among them: a lack of quality sex education, the way electronic devices feed the need for instant gratification, migration, lack of housing, pornography, child abuse, lack of respect for the elderly and violence against women. He sees burdens in “the ideological denial of differences between the sexes” and the “impact of biotechnology in the field of procreation.”
[A pope for all seasons][A pope for all seasons]
He encourages people to nurture romance with “a morning kiss, an evening blessing, waiting at the door to welcome each other home, taking trips together and sharing household chores. Yet it also helps to break the routine with a party, and to enjoy family celebrations of anniversaries and special events.” He encouraged people to nurture romance with “a morning kiss, an evening blessing, waiting at the door to welcome each other home, taking trips together and sharing household chores. Yet it also helps to break the routine with a party, and to enjoy family celebrations of anniversaries and special events.”
One question looming over the document was whether it would seem overly addressed to Western Catholics — the ones divorcing and gay-marrying. Yet at a time when the church’s growth market appears to be in the developing world — where competition is stiff with evangelical Christianity – Francis emphasized decisions shouldn’t always come from Rome. One question looming over the document was whether it would seem overly addressed to Western Catholics — the ones divorcing and gay-marrying. Yet at a time when the church’s growth market appears to be in the developing world — where competition with evangelical Christianity is stiff — Francis emphasized that decisions should not always come from Rome.
“Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs. For cultures are in fact quite diverse and every general principle . . . needs to be inculturated, if it is to be respected and applied,” he wrote.“Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs. For cultures are in fact quite diverse and every general principle . . . needs to be inculturated, if it is to be respected and applied,” he wrote.
Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College and a former priest, said the paper will be read in different ways.Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College and a former priest, said the paper will be read in different ways.
“Liberals will see it as a green light for what many Catholics have been doing de facto, following their consciences. More conservative people will say: ‘It doesn’t say the divorced can receive the Eucharist.’ And it doesn’t. But if you use your intelligence at all, it clearly says: ‘Hey, it depends on circumstances.’ “Liberals will see it as a green light for what many Catholics have been doing de facto, following their consciences. More conservative people will say: ‘It doesn’t say the divorced can receive the Eucharist.’ And it doesn’t. But if you use your intelligence at all, it clearly says: ‘Hey, it depends on circumstances.’ 
“In a sense conservatives will say: ‘All the principles are in place.’ He does, but he says: They apply very differently, it’s a matter of conscience, the church’s role is to form conscience, not replace it. “In a sense, conservatives will say: ‘All the principles are in place.’ He does, but he says: They apply very differently. It’s a matter of conscience. The church’s role is to form conscience, not replace it.
“It’s a heck of an improvement from where we were with John Paul and Benedict, when we couldn’t even discuss these issues. At least he’s lifted the embargo on discussing them.”“It’s a heck of an improvement from where we were with John Paul and Benedict, when we couldn’t even discuss these issues. At least he’s lifted the embargo on discussing them.”
Groome said he thought the most striking thing in the document was that it never spoke of artificial birth control.Groome said he thought the most striking thing in the document was that it never spoke of artificial birth control.
“In no place does it explicitly condemn artificial birth control, which in a Catholic document on family and marriage is amazing. The Catholic Church never said the world is round but just stopped saying it was flat. The Catholic way isn’t to say: ‘Sorry folks, we were wrong on birth control’ but just to stop saying it. It says it’s important to be open to life, but in no place does it condemn artificial birth control. That’s a breakthrough. That will be a major significance of the document.”“In no place does it explicitly condemn artificial birth control, which in a Catholic document on family and marriage is amazing. The Catholic Church never said the world is round but just stopped saying it was flat. The Catholic way isn’t to say: ‘Sorry folks, we were wrong on birth control’ but just to stop saying it. It says it’s important to be open to life, but in no place does it condemn artificial birth control. That’s a breakthrough. That will be a major significance of the document.”
On the paper in general, Groome said, “It won’t be the huge headlines some might have hoped for. But a careful reading moves the Catholic Church forward from where it was.” On the paper in general, Groome said: “It won’t be the huge headlines some might have hoped for. But a careful reading moves the Catholic Church forward from where it was.”
Monsignor Easton from Indianapolis noted Thursday that the annulment process was streamlined in December after one of the major meetings about the family that led to this document. Among the key changes was to eliminate a second review on cases that made them slower. Easton said the question is whether people will disagree about whether a change in procedure amounts to a theological change. Monsignor Easton of Indianapolis noted Thursday that the annulment process was streamlined in December after one of the major meetings about the family that led to this document. Among the key changes was to eliminate a second review on cases that made them slower. Easton said the question is whether people will disagree about whether a change in procedure amounts to a theological change.
“Some see any change in practice as a change in doctrine. That’s the tension we have – does the change in how we deal with situations always necessitate a change in doctrine. I think the pope says ‘no’ but there are some high ecclesiastical authorities who say the contrary,” he said. “Some see any change in practice as a change in doctrine. That’s the tension we have — does the change in how we deal with situations always necessitate a change in doctrine. I think the pope says ‘no,’ but there are some high ecclesiastical authorities who say the contrary,” he said.
Faiola reported from Berlin, Boorstein from Washington. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome, Julie Zauzmer in Washington and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.Faiola reported from Berlin, Boorstein from Washington. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome, Julie Zauzmer in Washington and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.
Read more:Read more:
Read: Pope Francis releases first major paper on the familyRead: Pope Francis releases first major paper on the family
The key points you should read in Pope Francis’s major new document on family issuesThe key points you should read in Pope Francis’s major new document on family issues
What Pope Francis would say if he were your wedding plannerWhat Pope Francis would say if he were your wedding planner