London - Pope Francis last week called for Roman Catholic churches to ease their hostility to divorce and show more warmth to remarried couples.
His appeal will give hope to millions of divorced Catholics who are shut out from receiving the central sacraments of the Church because they have been married twice. But it is likely to alarm conservative cardinals who are due to gather at the Vatican later this yearfor a meeting aimed at reforming Catholic attitudes to the family.
The Pope, who is increasingly promoting liberal attitudes on a range of issues from gay rights to climate change, told a general audience in Rome that “awareness that a brotherly and attentive welcome is needed towards those who have established a new relationship after the failure of a marriage has greatly increased”.
He added: “These people are not excommunicated. They are not excommunicated! And they absolutely must not be treated as such. They are still part of the Church.”
Francis added: “No closed doors! Everyone can participate in some way or another in the life of the Church.”
The exclusion of remarried couples, who are not allowed to take part in the Church’s most important rite, communion, the centrepiece of the mass, has caused increasing anguish among Catholics in recent decades as numbers of divorces have mushroomed.
Daily Mail