What the Pope's new guidance means for Catholic families
Guidelines hailed by both conservatives and liberals – but gay believers will be disappointed
Pope Francis has published long-awaited guidelines clarifying the Catholic Church's position on family life, love and marriage.
The document, which was two years in the making, comes after hundreds of bishops from around the world held two separate synods to debate how to respond to the changing dynamics of the modern family.
Amoris Laetitia, or The Joy of Love, does not make any changes to religious doctrine, but does call for greater compassion and less judgement within the Church.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 256-page document is highly nuanced and both conservatives and liberals have found cause for celebration. Acknowledging this, the Pope said: "I do not recommend a rushed reading of the text."
What it means for marriage
The Pope reaffirmed the Church's belief in traditional marriage, but also urged priests not to dismiss "the constructive elements" of non-traditional unions and to support those in "irregular situations".
The position on gay marriage remains clear and unchanged: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for love and marriage," the document says.
However, LGBT groups will welcome comments that "every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration", reports The Guardian.
For divorced Catholics
Many progressives hoped the Pope might loosen the ban preventing those who have divorced and remarried from taking communion.
While he did not explicitly grant blanket access, the Pontiff said divorced Catholics should be welcomed into Church life, suggesting it could be determined on a case-by-case basis, says the Washington Post.
Reproduction
Francis reaffirmed the Vatican's hardline opposition to abortion, saying: "No alleged right to one's own body can justify a decision to terminate that life." No compromise was made with regards to fertility treatment neither, with the birth of a child being seen as a gift from God.
What has the reaction been?
There is "some disappointment" among progressives, Christian Weisner, a founding member of the Munich-based Catholic reform group, We Are Church, told the Washington Post.
"But what I see here is that he is starting a process, one that will redefine the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church."
Caroline Wyatt, the BBC's religion correspondent, said the Pontiff was forced to tread a careful path to please bishops from around the world.
"Traditionalists are likely to say that Pope Francis is opening the door to chaos in the future by suggesting that a 'one size fits all' Church is not the way forward," she argues.
"Likewise, some liberals will be bitterly disappointed that there is not a greater welcome for gay Catholics – something Pope Francis was never likely to deliver."
But Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College and a former priest, said the document offered more than many were expecting.
"It's a heck of an improvement from where we were with John Paul and Benedict, when we couldn't even discuss these issues. At least he's lifted the embargo on discussing them."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Duchess of Gloucester: the hard-working royal you've never heard of
Under The Radar Outer royal 'never expected' to do duties but has stepped up to the plate
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Modi opens contentious Ram temple at one of India's 'most vexed religious sites'
Talking Point Indian PM kicks off re-election campaign by affirming Hindu nationalism, while Muslim minority feel pain of history and threat of future
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
South Sudan and the ‘Pilgrims of Peace’
feature LGBT rights likely to overshadow religious leaders’ visit to African nation
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
Pope admits that priests and nuns watch porn
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
How Salman Rushdie exposed fault lines between the West and Islam
feature Stabbing of The Satanic Verses author has stirred debate about censorship and religious violence
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Unification Church: who are the Moonies?
feature Man who killed former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe cited grudge against the global religious movement
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Russian religious leader providing ‘spiritual cover’ for Vladimir Putin’s war
Why Everyone’s Talking About Patriarch Kirill I facing EU sanctions over support for Ukraine invasion
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jackie Weaver did indeed have ‘no authority’
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
An ancient demon spirit may be loose in Japan
Speed Read
By Grayson Quay Published