Pope Francis 'Phones Divorced Woman' to Say She Can Receive Communion. This is Potentially....

The woman's husband, writing on Facebook, claims that the Pope – introducing himself as "Father Bergoglio" – spoke to his wife, who'd been divorced before marrying him and told her that men or women who were divorced and received Communion weren't doing anything wrong. He apparently added that this matter is under discussion at the Vatican. (Quick health warning: given the complexity of this subject, we need much more clarity on what Francis reportedly said. I find it hard to believe that he would make such an unqualified statement.)

She’s remarried. And without an annulment of her previous marriage she’s committing adultery with her new husband and is therefore in a state of mortal sin and not worthy to receive communion.

What did Jesus do when confronted with a woman caught in adultery? John Ch 8 tells what he said. "7But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."

And again Jesus knowing all about everyone meets a woman at the well in John Chapter 4. A woman who had been married five times and by reading it was living with a man. Jesus knew her sins. So did she. Jesus offered her salvation and forgiveness.

I can't imagine myself being married five times. Oddly enough my aunt who had managed to do such was Catholic and her son became a Priest. The woman sacrificed much in her later years to help him obtain that goal.

For Communion the requirements set in the Bible is if you have anger with your neighbor resolve it and come back. If you have sin ask forgiveness and repent. Sin can not be undone once it has transpired it can only be forgiven. IOW divorcing because of a previous marriage would be yet another sin. If you know your sin, asked forgiveness, and in your heart have changed, then that should be it and the person receive communion. Jesus forgives us if we ask his forgiveness and repent so should any church. That would not just apply to remarrying after divorce but any and all sins.

It does seem that some vital piece of information is missing in this story.

But if everything happened as reported then the couple must be currently living without sexual intimacy for the Holy Father (or any Catholic clergyman) to say that they could worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. In such case it is advisable to go to a different, than their own, parish to avoid giving scandal to those who don’t know the details of their situation.

She’s remarried. And without an annulment of her previous marriage she’s committing adultery with her new husband and is therefore in a state of mortal sin and not worthy to receive communion.

Sin is sin, and receiving communion (or not) is entirely the choice of the individual.

Every Christian who receives communion is doing so from a standpoint of being a sinner. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags, and the particular type of sin is irrelevant in God's eyes, except for perhaps blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Any sinner who professes Christ as Savior is therefore likely "worthy" to receive communion.

Apparently, the Catholic church has imposed additional, man-made restrictions regarding the issue, but ultimately, God decides who is worthy of receiving communion, and Catholic dogma is irrelevant.

There is no Church teaching that a divorced person cannot receive Holy Communion. However, a person living in unrepented sexual sin (or any other unrepented serious sin) should not receive Holy Communion.

So if this woman is maintaining a sexual relationship with a man who's already married to somebody else --- regardless of who's "civilly" married to whom --- it's what Jesus Christ called adultery.

Luke 16:18

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

"Sin is sin, and receiving communion (or not) is entirely the choice of the individual."

This is certainly not true. Holy Communion is not a public utility , not a priest a vending machine. The NT church was given the command to separate from flagrant, public unrepentant sinners. These people are therefore not in communion.

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you."

2 Thessalonians 3:14 "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed."

Matthew 18:15-20 "And if he [the sinner] refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

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