Bishops ‘behind the times’ in support for failed marriages

CATHOLICS in England and Wales have called on their bishops to find ways to support marriages that have broken down and to stop being “behind the times”.

They have done so in responses to a questionnaire issued in the lead up to this year’s family synod in Rome, according to Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

The cardinal told a press conference on 9 May that during last week’s bishops’ conference meeting in Leeds, members had discussed Catholics’ responses to the questionnaire. He said that he had been struck by one response that stated: “The Church needs to uphold marriage but ­create space for where it fails.” He said this “captures the heart” of how the Church must respond during the synod process.

Cardinal Nichols revealed that one respondent had said the Church is “behind the times” in its teaching while another advised the hierarchy: “Don’t judge, teach.”

He added: “This is an appeal to us to accompany people very sensitively. That spells out very clearly that we are all on a continuing journey and we need teachers.”

Catholics in England and Wales were asked for their thoughts in a survey which included questions on Communion for divorced and remarried persons, same-sex couples and teaching on contraception, although the findings remain unpublished.

The first of the two synods will take place in Rome in October and bishops will analyse the responses to the survey. The second, due to take place in October 2015, will seek to establish guidelines in the pastoral care of the person and the family.

A spokesman said the bishops wanted to establish better pastoral care for people who fail to follow church teaching in their lives.

“Messy reality inevitably involves some failure and falling short of the ideal. In between the two there isn’t a vast abyss, where if you can’t live up to the teaching you fall down,” he said. “Without specifying how that space can be created, how can the Church ­pastorally care for those people who have fallen short?”

He said that the bishops had discussed Communion for divorced and remarried people, but were reluctant to impose a general solution to individual ­situations. Cardinal Nichols also revealed more about what was discussed during a consistory on the family that he attended in February. He said that church leaders from around the world spoke of the need to help Catholics feel accepted, rather than punished for their failures. 

• The cardinal also announced that cathedrals will commemorate the First World War by celebrating Requiem Masses on or around six key dates. Parish churches will also be asked to remember the dead.

• The Church reiterated its opposition to assisted suicide. A bill proposing its legalisation was to be debated in the House of Lords on Thursday.

• Mgr Marcus Stock will step down as general secretary of the bishops’ conference at the end of his five-year term, in November. He will be succeeded by Fr Christopher Thomas of the Diocese of Nottingham.