Sydney, Australia, Sep 17, 2007 / 07:53 am
Australia’s bishops are reaching out to those who have suffered the distress of marital breakdown and divorce with a new easy-to-read booklet, which outlines the Church’s teaching in this area and offers pastoral care and support.
The booklet, entitled Divorce and the Catholic Church: Frequently Asked Questions, was published with the support of the entire Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
It is presented in a question-and-answer format. It explains clearly why the Church believes that marriage is so important, the process of annulment and whether divorced people can receive Communion. The booklet also addresses the common misunderstanding that annulments are just “Catholic divorce” and gives an explanation of them.
Bishop Eugene Hurley, chairman of the bishops’ Commission for Pastoral Life, said the bishops produced the booklet because they were deeply aware of a pressing pastoral need for such information.