As Rome prepares to host the synod in two weeks’ time, the battlelines are being drawn between conservatives and reformers. The focus will be on the Church’s response to so-called ‘irregular unions’ and how Pope Francis will respond “I would LIKE the Church to be a loving father,” said Pawel Jeleniewski, fighting back the tears as he explained that his local priest is refusing to give him absolution and he cannot receive Communion. Why? Because Pawel  and his girlfriend, Maria Buka, have been living together – cohabiting, as the Church calls it – for four-and-a-half years. The couple, both in their mid-twenties, want to marry and start a family but are waiting until their financial situation improves. They spoke eloquently of being dee