Will Pope Francis use his extraordinary synod to allow divorced & remarried to receive Holy Communion?

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch

Is it possible that the Archdiocese of Freiburg’s decision to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion alarmingly anticipates the decision of Pope Francis to use the forthcoming extraordinary synod on the family to radically change the Church’s doctrine on marriage and the Eucharist?

The grounds for this fear is that Pope Francis told reporters in his interview with journalists on the flight back from World Youth Day in July that ‘the next synod would explore a “somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage,” including the question of the eligibility of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion.’ Pope Francis added at the time that church law governing marriage annulments also “has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical tribunals are not sufficient for this. It is complex, the problem of the pastoral care of marriage. 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.’

Here is the transcript of Pope Francis’ reply to a journalist about this issue on the flight back from World Youth Day:  (more...)

Will Pope Francis use his extraordinary synod to allow divorced & remarried to receive Holy Communion?

Further...

What is the significance of Frieburg’s Archbishop not signing his diocese’s policy on the divorced and remarried?