Saturday, October 24, 2015

Synod Has Mercy for Divorced, Unwed Couples; But Fails to Approve Changes in Cath.Teachings

Divided clerics at a landmark Vatican summit on the family echoed the more inclusive tone of Pope Francis today (October 24, 2015), extending a more welcoming hand to divorced and unmarried couples, while stopping short of calling for clear alterations in church policies and leaving the ground-breaking pontiff as the ultimate decider of change, according to the Washington Post website.

The three-week summit -- known as a synod -- marked the culmination of a two-year process to recalibrate the faith's approach to families in the 21st century. Under Francis's direction, bishops and cardinals set a new precedent by tackling issues once considered taboo in the Roman Catholic Church.

Yet, the still significant opposition in the synod to rapid changes in rules also suggested how far off Catholics may still be from seeing Francis's revolutionary style turned into practice.

The document went further than some expected. But even top clerics conceded that liberal Catholics with high expectations of change under Francis might still be disappointed. Cardinal Donald Wuerl -- the archbishop of Washington, D.C. -- said: "One false expectation is that Catholic teachings would be changed. That is not going to happen."

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