Pope Francis wants priests to ease up on Catholics who’ve been divorced and remarried

Pope Francis has told Catholic priests to treat divorced people and their children with more compassion and understanding. 

“People who started a new union after the defeat of their sacramental marriage are not at all excommunicated,” Francis said during his first weekly public appearance at Vatican City in Rome after a summer break. 

“They absolutely must not be treated that way. They always belong to the church,” he said. 

Some of the people Francis greeted on Wednesday were newlyweds, still wearing their wedding clothes. 

This is a contentious issue for Roman Catholics. Those who get married in the church and then go on to divorce and remarry without first obtaining an annulment are still banned from taking Communion. 

Catholic doctrine holds up marriage as a sacrament and a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman for the ultimate purpose of procreation. But an estimated 4.5 million US Catholics are divorced. 

The leadership of the church is divided on this issue. And as he often does, Pope Francis is treading carefully here. 

Francis mentioned that church teaching still frowns up “taking up a new union” after being divorced. “There are no easy solutions for these situations,” he said.  

The bottom line for this pope appears to be inclusiveness. 

“No closed doors! No closed doors!” Francis told the audience. 

Catholic bishops are expected to debate this issue when they gather in Rome for a leadership summit, called a synod, in October. One segment of the Catholic faithful is hoping that the synod with put an end to the ban on communion for divorced people.

Francis also talked about the impact that church teaching on divorce has on children.

“How can we recommend to parents to do everything they can to educate their children in Christian life, giving them an example of a convinced and practiced faith,” Francis asked, “if we keep them at arm’s length from the community as if they were excommunicated?”