Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has insisted the Catholic Church does not exclude any families, in spite of rules around divorce and remarriage. He emphasised that a key characteristic of the Catholic Church is the way it accompanies all types of families.
He was speaking to The Tablet at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin following the launch of the Families Walking Together in Hope initiative, three years to the day after Pope Francis spoke to young married couples at the same venue.
In his address, Archbishop Farrell said: “Pope Francis’ insistence on accompaniment as the mark of the Church’s approach to families is so right and so well received.
“No matter what format the family takes – there are so variations – the mark of the Church has to be the way it accompanies those families, the way it supports them in difficulty.”
Referring to the economic and social threats to the family, he said the Church ought to be “walking with all who are overburdened, offering support and companionship”.
Acknowledging that Christian faith does not necessarily lead to an easier marriage, the Archbishop said: “Successful marriage requires as much determination as celebration.”
He identified one of the greatest challenges to marriage and the family today as “the triumph of self-reliance over self-sacrifice” in a culture that values “independence over interdependence” and “me rather than we”.
But he also sounded a note of hope, saying: “We shouldn’t be discouraged about the future of the family.”
He said: “It is crucial for the Catholic Church to do whatever it can to strengthen the family, which is the very building block of civilisation and the basis of every society, irrespective of what a family might look like, because it is in the family that we begin to learn values about honesty, truth, justice, integrity and about how to love one another.”
He said the Church must affirm its commitment to welcoming everyone to the table in spite of imperfection.
Asked by The Tablet about those families that feel excluded from the Church, such as those in second marriages and those in gay marriages, Archbishop Farrell responded: “The Church doesn't exclude any families.”
While there were “particular difficulties” around those who were divorced and remarried, he said that in the aftermath of the Synod on the Family, there was a little bit more flexibility on this.
“More responsibility was placed back on to families to look at their own situations and see whether it was possible for them to be able to participate in Church life. The issue, obviously, is divorce and remarriage and Communion. When we receive Communion, we are saying we are in communion with the Catholic Church in the full sense.”
He added that participating in Church life even “when you are not in full communion can be a great witness as well” and noted that there were many people who do participate, even if they don’t receive Communion, because they are respectful of the teaching of the Church in regard to divorce and the marriage.
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