Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Benedict on participating at Mass as a divorced/remarried Catholic

Speaking to the clergy of the Italian diocese of d’Aosta two days ago, Pope Benedict focuses on the predicament of re-married Catholics and says that they ought to be welcomed at the celebration of the Eucharist. Although still barred from receiving communion, their presence and participation at Mass is “not nothing; it is involvement in the mystery of the cross and resurrection of Christ."

The theme of suffering is prevalent in Benedict’s address and response to questions it seems. He said, "We all know that this is a particularly painful situation" And then he adds that “None of us has a ready-made solution, including because each person's situation is different...I would say that a particularly painful situation is that of those who were married in the church, but were not really believers and did so just for tradition, and then finding themselves in a new, nonvalid marriage, convert, find the faith and feel excluded from the sacrament." Frank papal talk here.

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