The Catholic Church Already Allows Communion To Some Divorced and Remarried

Last updated on: November 21, 2016 at 9:36 am by Henry Karlson

The Catholic Church Already Allows Communion To Some Divorced and Remarried 2016-11-21T09:36:13-05:00 Henry Karlson

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.

Recently, there has been some controversy over Pope Francis’ desire for the Catholic Church to better deal with the pastoral needs of divorced and remarried Catholics. Some, including a few Cardinals, seem to think his actions goes against Catholic teaching, and that he would end up encouraging people living in mortal sin to receive communion. They have the false belief that being divorced and remarried automatically bars anyone from communion, that it always has been a detriment to communion, and any proposed change to allow divorced and remarried communion must therefore be heresy.

Byzantine crowning ceremony conferring marriage. By Zde (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The reality is much, much more complex. The theology of marriage is not so clear within the Church itself, as can be seen by the way Eastern and Western Christians differ upon fundamentals in relation to how the sacrament is given (to the East, only someone with priestly orders can confer the sacrament, in the West, the couple gives it to each other). This complexity includes differing visions and understandings of divorce and remarriage: in the East, divorce is certainly frowned upon, but remarriage is possible, following a penitential rite leading to a natural (non-sacramental) marriage, while in the West, such economia is not presently used (in the past, that is a different story, and if you want proof, you can read up on the life of Charlemagne).

Now, within the Catholic Church, Eastern Catholics have recently suffered some Latinizations, often imposed upon them (such as in the current Code of Canon Law), and so Eastern Catholics currently follow Western discipline in relation to divorce and remarriage (although that has not always been the case). When Eastern Catholics first reentered communion with Rome, their discipline was accepted, and they have had centuries of following their traditional practices in regards to remarriage. It was not seen as a dividing line, even as it was not seen as a dividing line in the various attempts to reunion the West and East at various union councils (such as the Council of Florence). The West did not view such practice as heretical.

Outside of the Catholic Church, the Orthodox continue their tradition of allowing remarriage. They recognize the breakup of a sacramental marriage is indeed a bad thing, a sin; but just like the eucharist, when the species are no longer recognizable means the sacramental presence is no longer there, so with marriage, the sacramental presence can be lost, and for marriage it is sin which serves as the cause of its destruction. Sin has to be recognized, and the Orthodox do that, but they do so with the recognition that as with all sin, there is the possibility of forgiveness and healing: such healing does not bring back the sacramental marriage, but it does allow a divorced couple to remarry. It is not seen as ideal, but it is allowed, and since marriage, even natural non-sacramental marriage, not only keeps sin in check but is an actual good, the realization that some people need that good is not lost on the Orthodox. This is one reason why remarriage, through a non-sacramental rite, is allowed by them.

Once again, Rome has never spoken against the Orthodox, nor has Rome treated their understanding of marriage as heretical. Rome, in her talks with the Orthodox, has accepted the Orthodox practice as permissible. This can be shown by the way Rome allows the Orthodox to receive Catholic communion.

That’s right.

The Orthodox are able to receive communion in a Catholic Church, and that includes divorced and remarried Orthodox.

This means that the Catholic Church already allows divorced and remarried Christians to communion. No one, not even those Cardinals being critical of the Pope, has stopped this practice. No one has declared the Orthodox as heretics who should therefore be denied communion. Schism between Catholics and Orthodox has made for an imperfect relationship with each other, but nonetheless, they are able to receive communion from each other (however extraordinary the situation).

The recognition that the Catholic Church already allows remarried Christians to receive her communion, and that in its history, many Eastern Catholics followed the Orthodox practice in matters of divorce and remarriage, should help explain to the Pope’s critics that the Church can allow pastoral concerns to take precedent. And this is why, even if there are questions as to how best to put such concerns into practice, the way forward is to at least recognize reality, to understand what is already allowed, and to use that as the foundation for further pastoral concerns. Moreover, this should put an end to those causing strife, that is, it should put to a halt those trying to suggest that the Pope is a heretic. The Pope, with his connections with the Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, knows better than his critics the complex history which lay outside of current Latin Rite discipline.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook:

A Little Bit of Nothing

Previous Post

November 16, 2016

We Have Only Ourselves To Blame

Next Post

November 22, 2016 Crazy for Christ

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz