One of Britain’s leading lay Catholics has called on the Church to allow Communion for the divorced and remarried.
Lord Patten of Barnes, who recently oversaw a review of the Vatican’s media strategy, cited the example of parents unable to receive the Eucharist when their children made their first Holy Communion.
“I’ve been thinking about that recently because one of my grandsons is about to be prepared for Communion. His parents are both married, neither of them divorced. But in his class what happens if there’s one child whose parents are divorced and all the children are being advised to take first Communion with their parents,” he told The Tablet.
“How do you explain to a seven or eight year old that his parents can’t receive Communion with him or her because they’re terrible sinners. I mean, where is St Matthew’s Gospel in all that?”
The comments of the former chairman of the BBC Trust came as bishops from around the world prepare for a second Synod on the Family in Rome during October. One of the most contested topics of debate has been whether the Church should admit remarried divorcees to the sacraments.
Lord Patten added: “I hope to see change. I think a combination of greater forgiveness, in some cases more flexibility and in some cases change.”
Currently the Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Patten praised Pope Francis for “heroically” opening up a debate about “whether the Church should adapt itself more to take account of contemporary realities or whether it should hold fast to an unchanging magisterium”.
“Should the Church accept congregations becoming smaller providing it can give a clear message and a clear sense of destiny or should it try to adjust itself without losing the fundamentals of the Christian message?” he asked, pointing out that many Catholics had been at odds with Church teaching over contraception and homosexuality for some time.
The British peer, who helped organise Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain in 2010, also reflected on his recommendations to reform the Holy See’s communications. At the end of last month the Pope announced a new secretariat that would co-ordinate and streamline all of the Vatican media output.
Although Lord Patten recommended setting up a new media department there was surprise that Mgr Paul Tighe, who has been secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and was secretary to Lord Patten’s commission, was not included as part of the new outfit.
Asked for his thoughts on the changes the peer said: “I shall watch with interest and see how the Vatican manages the implementation [of our recommendations], which is never easy. We shall see. I shall watch this space with interest.”
The former Conservative Minister and party chairman described an email he was sent from a friend after hearing he had been appointed to work reviewing the Vatican’s media operation.
“One of my American friends who is a priest sent me an email saying you worked for Margaret Thatcher, you negotiated with the Chinese, you think you understand about politics, now you will really learn about politics.”
He added: “In the Pope you have probably the best communicator in the world and it would be bizarre if he wasn’t supported by a technology and an organisation which was at least as good as you would expect from a first rate NGO or even a business organisation.”
Above: Lord Patten. Photo: CNS/Marcin Mazur
Lord Patten is a trustee of The Tablet.
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