Cardinal Peter Erdö (Photo: Vatican Insider)
“Divorced and civilly remarried persons belong to the Church” but in the case “of a (consummated) sacramental marriage, after a divorce, a second marriage recognized by the Church is impossible, while the first spouse is still alive.” In any case, “what is being discussed at this synod of an intense pastoral nature are not doctrinal issues, but the practical ones — nevertheless inseparable from the truths of the faith.” This is how the Synod’s Relator General, Cardinal Peter Erdö – who is also President of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference as well as President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) presented the controversial question regarding the possibility of allowing remarried divorcees to receive communion. This is just one “among the great number of pastoral challenges keenly felt today, but it features prominently in Erdö’s speech.
During a press conference held in the Vatican Press Office following the Synod’s morning session, the Hungarian cardinal pointed out an element which is new compared to other Synods: the “Relatio Ante Disceptationem” already includes a summary of the Synod Fathers' written discourses, sent in advance to the Secretariat General of the Synod, “by the end of September”. Another thing that is new about this Synod is Francis’ decision to have the introductory report written in Italian instead of Latin. “This helped move things along quicker as, in the past, listening to Latin for an hour was not easy,” Erdö joked.
The Church must offer faithful the “truth cure”, i.e. the “crystal clear and whole truth of the Gospel” “so that it can be recognized in the present moment as a “remedy” or the many problematic, oftentimes burdensome, family situations.”
“In other words, without detracting from the truth, this must also be proposed from the perspective of those who “struggle” to recognize it as such and to live it,” Erdö stated, highlighting “the witness of many happy marriages and Christian families. These positive experiences are not to be overlooked, despite the widespread serious and irregular situations.”
Full Story: "Remarried divorcees belong to the Church," says Synod's Relator
Source:Vatican Insider