They’re divorced, remarried, barred from communion—and they’re fine with that

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:43 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

They’re divorced, remarried, barred from communion—and they’re fine with that 2016-09-30T15:43:09-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The good people at Crux have a look at a movement in Argentina that has garnered support from it’s most famous priest—the Pope:

Marcos Fernández of Colombia … represents the kind of divorced and remarried Catholic who’s content with the status quo.

Fernández married his second wife, Laura, 19 years ago, in a violation of Church rules. Yet he said their relationship with the Church is a “constant one”, actively participating beyond the customary Sunday Mass and feeling welcome in their local parish. “It’s a small town, not easy to hide the fact that you’re divorced and in a new union. But not once did we feel left alone or discriminated,” he told Crux.

“We love the Church and we support its teaching,” said Fernández, who had two daughters with his first wife.

His spouse, Laura, shares that view.

“Is it hard not to be able to receive communion? Undoubtedly,” she said. “But we also believe what John Paul II said: we’ll obtain from God the grace of conversion and salvation, provided that we persevere in prayer, penance and charity. Not receiving the Eucharist is our penance,” she said.

Fernández was quoting a document called Familiaris Consortio [“Of Family Partnership”], a document issued by Pope John Paul II in 1981 that has a section, article 84, devoted to the divorced and remarried.

It affirms the communion ban by stating, “The Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried.”

…Those looking for a clue to Pope Francis’ approach might look to a group called Camino a Nazareth (“Road to Nazareth”), a pastoral movement founded in Argentina in 1995 by a divorced and remarried couple, Silvia and Jorge Castello, and a priest named Fr. Francisco Ronconi.

In essence, the group tries to find ways of helping divorced and remarried couples to live with the present rules, rather than pressing to change them. It currently operates not just in Argentina but also in Chile and Venezuela, with plans to expand to other Latin American nations.

From the beginning the movement had the support of a big part of the Argentinian Church hierarchy, including the former Cardinal-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who in 1999 sent it a letter in which he stated: “I share with you the pain you refer to. You set a clear and hopeful path, inviting those in this situation to find their own place in Our Mother Church.”

After becoming Pope Francis, Bergoglio sent another letter expressing support to the movement, which offers a nine month of formation process and then invites couples to involve themselves in their parishes.

…Noemí and Roberto Rivadeneira, also from Argentina, have been together for the past 22 years, joining the group in 2003. They believe that there should be a careful admittance to communion, considering each case individually, and with the help of a priest.

“Not everyone should be admitted, but not every divorced and remarried should be banned from it either,” the couple said.

There’s much more. Read it all.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 16, 2014

Pittsburgh reminds Catholics: it's a big Church

Next Post

September 16, 2014 Gimme five!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the Parable of the Talents, what did the faithful servants receive?

Select your answer to see how you score.

More responsibility Riches Punishment Nothing

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »