Mr Berlusconi (right) himself is divorced and married a second time
Posted on 06/23/2008 9:48:46 AM PDT by NYer
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's hopes of seeing communion extended to divorcees like himself have been quashed by Pope Benedict XVI.
Newspapers reported on Sunday that while attending a ceremony in Sardinia Mr Berlusconi had asked a bishop when the Church planned to change the rules.
But the Pope told a conference in Canada that communion can only be received by those free of major sin.
"We have to do everything... to receive [communion] in a pure heart," he said.
No change
Mr Berlusconi has recently begun a major effort to try and get communion granted to divorced and remarried people like himself.
When he light-heartedly asked the Sardinian bishop when this would be possible, he was told he should "turn to a higher power".
But speaking via videolink to a conference in the Canadian province of Quebec, Pope Benedict ruled out any change to the Church's stance.
Although he did not directly address Mr Berlusconi's comments, he said that communion involved "searching without end, through the sacrament of forgiveness, the purity that sin has stained".
"On the other hand, those who cannot take communion because of their situation will find, nevertheless, in the desire to participate in the Eucharist, strength and effect of salvation," he added.
Oh sure ... lobby the Catholic Church.
What about the Kennedys?
What about Giuliani?
What about a host of American left-wing politicians who are divorced and openly support abortion?
He was married to his first wife for twenty years.
While he was married to her, he took an actress for a mistress and fathered two children by her while he was still married to his wife.
Then he divorced his wife and lived with the actress for five years before deciding to marry her civilly to legitmize his now three bastard children with her.
He is a textbook example of a divorced person who should never be allowed back into communion.
He left his wife out of sheer lust and nothing else.
When Giluliani received communion at the Papal mass, the only complaints were about his supporting abortion. His multiple divorces wasn’t even brought up. If the Church began publicly denying the sacraments to those who politicians who merely divorced and remarried I think you would see quite a backlash.
What ABOUT them? You haven't specified what you would like to know.
Mark 10:11-12
11. And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another committeth adultery against her. 12. And if the wife shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
He'll have to go to a higher authority to get that changed.
I’m finally getting anulled.
Mi scusa, Silvio, ma ho detto che Kerry, Kennedy, et al non riceve communione, anche tu..
A backlash against who?
The Church itself. Divorce is considered perfectly acceptable in this country, far more so than abortion. If Rudy wasn’t pro-choice then he could take communion a dozen times a week and the local Church heirarchy wouldn’t say a thing.
The Pope has not met with nor talked to Berlusconi nor has he addressed Berlusconi's specific situation. Neither has he celebrated a Mass at which Berlusconi presented himself for Communion only to be denied.
The Pope has not, in fact, denied Berlusconi anything!!
Berlusconi himself chose to live in opposition to Catholic doctrine and he now wishes the Church to change its teaching. Only in a totally self-centered view of the universe can this be considered "denial" of Communion.
Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
“But the Pope told a conference in Canada that communion can only be received by those free of major sin.”
All sin is equal except denying the Holy Spirit. If you deny for divorce then you need to deny for lying, cheating, murder, gluttony, adultery, and pride etc... If that was the case I doubt anyone but the Pope maybe allowed to receive communion.
I agree in standing against sin as defined in the Bible and admonishing those committing it, but to punish someone for something they have been forgiven for seems overstepping one’s bounds. Bible says if you cannot forgive ( like God ) then you are not forgiven.
is Berlusconi the dude that has appointed some hot babes to his cabinet?
At least — anyway, as far as I can tell from the article — he’s not presenting himself for Communion! Which puts him head and shoulders above those politicians who flout Church law and march right up, IMO!
The Church doesn’t deny Communion for divorce as such, but for remarriage after divorce, which amounts to a public commitment to continuing to live in sin. I can’t think of a close analogy — maybe a murderer who works for Murder, Inc. and plans to continue to do so, or a liar who runs for public office . . . well, okay, that one was a bit of a joke . . .
"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."
So by some of these responses, we are to belive that as long as someone claims to be a Christian he can cheat on as many wives as he can collect or every wife he collects? The same goes for wives collecting husbands. Interesting.
wow
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