Roman Catholic bishops have offered an olive branch to divorcees and single
parents urging priests and parishioners to do more to welcome those not in
“conventional family situations”.
The call, in a series of letters read at services, comes ahead of a major
gathering in Rome next year which will discuss the possibility of relaxing
the ban on remarried divorcees receiving Holy Communion as part of a
reassessment of the Church’s response to sweeping changes to family life.
The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Bernard Longley, was among a series
of British bishops who issued pastoral letters to mark the Feast of the Holy
Family – which honours Mary and Joseph – calling for greater “understanding
and compassion” within the Church for those faced with marital breakdown.
Pope Francis has played down hopes in some quarters of major doctrinal changes
but repeatedly spoken of a need not to “judge” people and warned against
being “obsessed” with issues such as gay marriage, abortion and
contraception.
He recently spoke about finding “another way” of treating divorcees who
remarry.
Last November he sent out a questionnaire
to Catholics across the world to canvas opinion on how best to deal with
issues such as gay marriage, growing numbers of divorcees in the pews and
single parent families.
It followed the announcement of a special Synod of Bishops to be convened in Rome in October to discuss the Church’s approach to family life in the 21st century.
Pope Francis singled out next year’s Synod during his Sunday address in St Peter’s Square, urging the faithful to pray for its work.
Archbishop Longley spoke of the “difficult circumstances” faced by Mary and Joseph in a letter read out at services in his archdiocese.
“The example of the Holy Family and their experiences of misunderstanding and rejection remind us of the need for understanding and compassion – especially for those who have experienced a breakdown of family life or who may have become estranged from their closest relatives,” he said.
“The family of the parish must always offer a place of welcome for those who no longer find themselves in stable or conventional family situations.
“As a New Year beckons we should be slow to judge and quick to embrace those who are afraid to cross the threshold of the Church because they fear they are not perfect.”
He said the issue had been raised amid preparations for next year’s Synod – a signal that the responses to Pope Francis’s questionnaire have already singled it out.
Meanwhile the Bishop of Nottingham, the Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon, said “the very existence of the family itself” is under threat in a society which no longer exclusively values traditional marriage as something “written in the laws of nature itself.”
But he added: “The challenge that the Synod will face is how to respond to this with the gifts and divine graces that the Church has at her disposal … the Synod, which will meet under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will find new ways of deepening the way in which the Catholic Church cares for families, whatever their circumstances.”
Bishop of Clifton, the Rt Rev Declan Lang, said he feats was “a time to be aware of those families who struggle in life”.
Elizabeth Davies, who coordinated responses to the Pope’s survey for bishops in England and Wales, said a Church listening exercise 10 years ago had also found that divorcees felt alienated.
“I think that a lot of the things that we heard about then are coming up now," she said.
"Clearly when you ask different questions the response comes back in a different way, the fact that Archbishop Bernard has talked about the need for understanding for all who are in an untypical relationship I think clearly [shows] he is aware that some of these issues have come up this time.”
It followed the announcement of a special Synod of Bishops to be convened in Rome in October to discuss the Church’s approach to family life in the 21st century.
Pope Francis singled out next year’s Synod during his Sunday address in St Peter’s Square, urging the faithful to pray for its work.
Archbishop Longley spoke of the “difficult circumstances” faced by Mary and Joseph in a letter read out at services in his archdiocese.
“The example of the Holy Family and their experiences of misunderstanding and rejection remind us of the need for understanding and compassion – especially for those who have experienced a breakdown of family life or who may have become estranged from their closest relatives,” he said.
“The family of the parish must always offer a place of welcome for those who no longer find themselves in stable or conventional family situations.
“As a New Year beckons we should be slow to judge and quick to embrace those who are afraid to cross the threshold of the Church because they fear they are not perfect.”
He said the issue had been raised amid preparations for next year’s Synod – a signal that the responses to Pope Francis’s questionnaire have already singled it out.
Meanwhile the Bishop of Nottingham, the Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon, said “the very existence of the family itself” is under threat in a society which no longer exclusively values traditional marriage as something “written in the laws of nature itself.”
But he added: “The challenge that the Synod will face is how to respond to this with the gifts and divine graces that the Church has at her disposal … the Synod, which will meet under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will find new ways of deepening the way in which the Catholic Church cares for families, whatever their circumstances.”
Bishop of Clifton, the Rt Rev Declan Lang, said he feats was “a time to be aware of those families who struggle in life”.
Elizabeth Davies, who coordinated responses to the Pope’s survey for bishops in England and Wales, said a Church listening exercise 10 years ago had also found that divorcees felt alienated.
“I think that a lot of the things that we heard about then are coming up now," she said.
"Clearly when you ask different questions the response comes back in a different way, the fact that Archbishop Bernard has talked about the need for understanding for all who are in an untypical relationship I think clearly [shows] he is aware that some of these issues have come up this time.”