Posted on 04/23/2014 6:42:51 PM PDT by marshmallow
(RNS) Did Pope Francis tell a divorced and remarried woman that it was okay to take Communion even though her parish priest denied her the host?
That’s the latest kerfuffle created by the “cold-call” pope who on Monday, the day after Easter, called an Argentine woman who had written to him about whether she should receive communion at Mass even though she was divorced and remarried.
“There are priests who are more papist than the pope,” the pope himself reportedly told Jacquelina Lisbona.
Great line, great story — but is any of it true? The details have been shifting.
The story first ran in Argentine media, was picked up by Italian outlets, made its way to the British press, and in the course of those peregrinations lost — and gained — a few details in the process.
This is potentially a big deal, as Damian Thompson of the Daily Telegraph put it, because Catholics who have divorced and remarried without an annulment are not supposed to take Communion — though Francis himself has asked the hierarchy to debate the topic, which they are, quite intensely.
“Has Pope Francis just thrown a hand grenade into traditional teaching on divorcees and Communion?” Thompson tweeted. “The Vatican MUST clarify this or the Catholic world will divide into celebration and panic.”
Kudos to CNN, which UPDATES the story with reporting from three continents (literally): CNN has a Vatican spokesman confirming that the call did indeed take place, but the Rev. Thomas Rosica provided no details.
(Excerpt) Read more at davidgibson.religionnews.com ...
“The Catholic Church is an organization run with such knavish imbecility that if it were not for God She would not last a fortnight”- Hilaire Belloc.
The woman is an adulterer as well as the man she’s living with.
The Pope telling her to go to another parish to get around Church law does not surprise me. He ignores Church law himself.
Their children were conceived long time ago. Currently they would have to live without sin for the Pope to say they can receive the Holy Communion.
It does make more sense, since the most recent clarification from the Vatican said that none of the Catholic teachings have changed regarding divorce and civil remarriage.
It's all a media spin to confuse the populace (as evidenced by a number posts in here) and to make the Pope look like a freak.
On the other hand, St. Paul says this,
Of course, some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, others from good will. The latter act out of love, aware that I am here for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not from pure motives, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. What difference does it make, as long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed? And in that I rejoice.
Philippians 1:15
I find it rather fascinating how many non-Catholics have so much to tell about our faith all of a sudden. I should probably feel guilty that I don't care that much what others believe in their religions.
And I can just imagine the fall out if one of us had said that.
The term “such knavish imbecility” might be slightly exaggerated for a shock effect.
However, in the Church there is the human element alongside with the Divine. The human element is constantly assisted and supported by the Divine, and that’s how the gates of the netherworld are unable to prevail.
There are a lot of human things that have been with us for a long time yet their existence does not automatically denote divine approval.
What evidence do you have that the gates of hell are not prevailing against the church? Because when someone looks at the condition of Catholicism today, and throughout much of its history, it isn’t faring so well.
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