Loyalty to the papacy – even to the point of martyrdom – has been a distinguishing mark of Catholics in these islands since the Reformation. If their leaders now show signs of drifting away from that allegiance, they may need to be gently pulled back to it by their own people. And, sadly, this does describe what seems be happening regarding the teaching of Pope Francis on family life. The Pope’s teaching on the admission of divorced and remarried Catholics to Holy Communion in his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, should have their unhesitating support.

The Pope is faithful in all respects to the Church’s tradition. There is no better evidence for this than the equivalent document from Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, which was, like Amoris Laetitia, a response to a discussion of family life at a synod of bishops, in that case the general synod of 1980. The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales had studied the matter in advance, and after lengthy discussion came to the view that the synod should endorse what was already long-standing and widespread practice: that in certain circumstances, divorced and remarried Catholics should be readmitted to Holy Communion. Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool was despatched to present the case.