New head of German bishops: revise rules for divorced and remarried Catholics

Details:

The new leader of Germany’s Roman Catholic bishops called for a revision of the Church’s ban on divorced people who re-marry receiving Communion, in an interview published Sunday.

Reinhard Marx, a close associate of Pope Francis who was elected head of the German Episcopal Conference on Wednesday, told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that he felt such an easing of Church doctrine was “practicable”.

Re-married Catholics “who acknowledge their failure should be able to apply for a readmission to the sacraments after a period of penitence,” he was quoted as saying.

Marx, 60, noted that German Cardinal Walter Kaspar had made such a proposal at the Vatican.

“The cardinals had very diverse reactions to this proposal,” he said. “I personally find it to be a practicable plan that would however have to be applied on a case-by-case basis.”

Marx, who belongs to a panel of eight cardinals advising Pope Francis on Church reform, is known in Germany as an outspoken commentator on religious, economic and social affairs.

Germany’s bishops represent a wealthy and powerful faction of the Church.

Read the rest.