Pope Francis and pastoral care of remarriage & divorce

Upon his return from World Youth Day in July 2013 Pope Francis surprised his followers by making reference to the predicament of divorced and remarried Catholics.  He told reporters that the next synod (October 2014 and now in session) would explore a "somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage," including the question of the eligibility of divorced. At the same time Pope Francis added that church law governing marriage annulments has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical tribunals are not sufficient for this.  Such problems, he said, exemplified a general need for forgiveness in the church today. The church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy, and find a form of mercy for all, the pope added.  This did not sit well with many traditional Catholics.

More recent public disagreements over whether the Roman Catholic Church can change its teachings on Communion for remarried Catholics are growing sharper with conservatives led by U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke making another push against loosening the rules.  Burke said allowing Communion for the divorced and remarried would complicate the Church’s pastoral outreach and that better strategies are needed.   The church currently holds (with some exceptions) that divorce and remarriage without a proper annulment is considered 'a grave offence against natural law' and such individuals cannot therefore receive communion.

 

It is in this context that I recently found myself taking exception.  Withholding communion (in Catholic terms ‘the real presence of Christ’) seems to be a complete contradiction to how God works among his people.  The church appears to be saying “first you must repent and admit your sin, before you can come before God”.  Whereas Jesus said "When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world, and show where right and wrong and judgement lie. He will convict them of wrong..." (John 16:8). At this point the question that needs to be asked is simply:   ‘Who convicts our heart, God or the institution?  While the Church will no doubt refer its members to the various official Vatican documents including "Concerning the Reception of HolyCommunion by Divorced-and-Remarried Members of the Faithful” as submitted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in a letter to the world's bishops on October 14, 1994. Others may search for a personal and compassionate answer by looking for a more merciful God within.  Guess what - here again the church claims its ruling has primacy over ‘personal conscience’.

While debating the issue on-line with a conservative Catholic news source I was surprised to learn that some Christians believe that have a duty to support their church which includes publically shaming divorced and remarried couples who, according to their definition, have not received the necessary sanction from the church to receive communion.  Reminding them about the biblical story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well  (John 4:8) did little to diminish their demand for proper ‘old fashioned’ justice and punishment.    Did Jesus turn away from this adulteress or did he change her heart to the incredible degree the story ends for her?  Remember this woman would probably not have had access to a bible and definitely not the Roman Catholic Catechism. 

Of course in Matthew 5:29 we hear Jesus speaking to the Pharisees when asked by them “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”  And Jesus responds “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”  But did Jesus walk away from them?  The Eucharist was instituted to bring people together ‘in communion with one another and God’  - not for the purpose of judging others. 

Is should be obvious to readers that Jesus never shunned sinners in fact he is often seen surrounded by them.  So why then do some members of the clergy insist that the Eucharist should be publically withheld from the divorced or remarried? Yet we continue to use vengeful punishment language all the time. 

Jesus often used hyperbole and in the case of remarriage used it to underscore its sacredness.  However a few individuals prefer a literal interpretation.  O.K. then when was the last time you attended Mass and you were greeted with a parish full of one eyed sinners?  Because Jesus, again using hyperbole, said this in Matthew 25 about adultery, “If you’re right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. Let us not get caught up interpreting everything at the expense of Jesus’ call to love and not punish our neighbour. The role of the Church is simply to walk with sinners and lead them to discover the God within – not outside. 

It cannot be the role of the Church, and that includes the laity, to DETERMINE the sins of others.  We may have a role to play in teaching people about sin, but in the end only God can convict a heart.  And the only way to the heart is through Jesus.  Why then would some Catholics insist on taking away his ‘real presence’ through the sacrament of the Eucharist?  Isn't that the place where Catholic hearts are renewed?  Church rules demand that only when sin is acknowledged and the person is truly repentant may Catholics celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation and finally receive communion.  But must that now be preceded with punishment?  When Jesus spoke about sin did he really turn his back on the sinner and demand some form of revenge or punishment?  Do we still believe that God is vengeful and far more interested in our sins then our potential?

Anyone familiar with Jesus’ actions and teachings, especially his Parables, would understand that he defied the ways of the world again and again.  It can thus be said that Jesus presents the ‘upside down values of the world’.  From the point of view from the world they are always seen as ludicrous.   The problem with a lot of Roman Catholic issues today, is that some of the teachings are presented and understood by some as being in legal and ABSOLUTE terms.  If only life were that simple.  That is not how God deals with his people as unique individuals.  Remember, God promised he would never leave us orphaned.  Thus, for Jesus to withhold himself i.e., the Eucharist – for whatever reason – cannot in any way express what he does for any sinner.  Think again about the woman at the well, the sinners he surrounded himself with.  It is important to understand that Jesus was not the least bit interested in PUNITIVE JUSTICE.  He always choose the more demanding and difficult path of RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.  

  

Perhaps we are still stuck on a religion based on reward and punishment.  Only by making the distinction between punitive and restorative justice can we begin to understand God’s redemptive justice.  Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, one of my favourite spiritual teachers, suggests that for many God’s love or grace is sadly based on a false sense of justice which demands that sin must be punished and followed by a lengthy period of repentance.  Fr. Rohr calls this a religion based on meritocracy.  But Rohr provides the following beautiful illustration of God’s intended grace pattern as follows:

As some of us still understand it: 

Sin - - -  >punishment - - - >repentance - - - > transformation

But the actual grace pattern is:

Sin - - - >unconditional love- - - >transformation - - - >repentance

Note how this pattern is perfectly mirrored in the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the  well. Here you will not find the slightest hint of punishment, only redemption in the form of God’s healing and restorative justice. Perhaps by seeing divorce and remarriage in this new light may we finally bring the necessary compassion and understanding to this controversial issue  thus fulfilling Pope Francis’ desire to bring a deeper pastoral care of marriage and divorce.

See also: update on the Synod to date:  http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/bombshell-document-vatican-synod

Also:

http://whenreligionfails.blogspot.ca/2014/10/living-in-sin-divorce-remarriage.html

http://whenreligionfails.blogspot.ca/search/label/family%20values

http://whenreligionfails.blogspot.ca/2014/03/pope-francis-on-divorce-remarriage.html

Confusion on Annulment, Divorce and Remarriage

The October 27^th. issue of a well known national Catholic weekly featured two separate articles about Catholics who may be considering a possible annulment of their marriage.  The first article by Francis X. Rocca (Catholic News Service) immediately dashed any hopes for divorced couples based on Pope Francis’ recent comment that the Synod of Bishops would explore a “somewhat deeper pastoral care of these difficult marriages”. 
In contrast, another article in the same weekly warns readers that the Church can no longer avoid dealing with marriages involving abusive spouses. This is without question an issue which for many years has been considered a taboo by many including the Vatican.  According to newly gathered statistics, a staggering forty per cent of the cases handled through Catholic Family Services involves some level of spousal abuse.

 

 

 

While Pope Francis recently raised hope for remarried Catholics; a patriarchy of celibate individuals i.e. the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, subsequently and  quickly reaffirmed the well established Church teaching barring divorced and remarried members from receiving communion.  Exactly how did an imperfect Church, made up entirely of sinners, arrive at a decision calling for punishment of these unfortunate members of our community?  Why do we think that these struggling individuals should be banished from receiving communion?   People in pain need God more than ever.  How and when did the Church think it could override a Creator who not only understands our pain but can help us to overcome our failings? Is the Church incapable of positively reinforcing the bonds of these marriages?  Several years ago a deacon delivered a homily at our parish in which he warned "Jesus walks away from the sinner!"  Based on such examples what are we saying about God and about Catholicism?  

 

 

 

   If we are in a state of religious confusion about annulment, divorce and remarriage it is only because we, especially the laity, have not been willing to share our experiences about such trying and difficult issues. At the same time, if we want to develop healthier attitudes about sex, celibacy, abortion, contraception, euthanasia, and other pressing religious issues we will need to share and listen to those who have failed, suffered and frequently questioned or felt separated from our unconditionally loving Creator. One such individual is Fr. Ronald Rolheiser.  His recent article ‘You don’t get what you want, you get what you need’ (see The Catholic Register Oct. 20, 2013) speaks about celibacy in a way not usually heard of from among members of the clergy. In speaking about his spiritual journey just six months beyond his chemotherapy treatments he shares this incredible insight on the matter, “What I learned from walking the road in the company of three close friends was how spoiled and immature I'd become. Having lived as a celibate priest, outside of the constrictive demands of marriage, children and family for more than 40 years, I realized how idiosyncratic and self-centered the patterns and habits of my life had become. I was used to calling the shots for my own life, at least in its day-to-day rhythms”.  Rolheiser’s very personal experience comes from suffering and speaks to us from below not from above as so many clerics are want to do.

 

Finally, when it comes to present church teachings on divorce and remarried couples; I am reminded of a priest who spoke about the matter in a completely new way. He said “If couples involved in a difficult marriage, one that is destined to fail, but stick together for the sake of their children, they should be given a medal from the Church, as soon as the kids are old enough to support themselves.” This was the same priest who once privately shared how he had attended Mass at the Glass Cathedral in California.  Dressed in his civvies, sitting at the far end of this magnificent building, he was approached by an elder and asked if he would like to bring up the gifts at the appropriate moment.  Without a moment of hesitation this priest accepted his humble request. The greatest stories and teachers in the world are those who like Jacob wrestled with God before  accepting his humble offering of an indestructible faith.      

 

  The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us in our daily conduct.    Andrew Murray