Edmonton, Canada, Sep 17, 2016 / 02:02 am
Divorced Catholics who have remarried civilly are welcome to seek reconciliation with the Church, but they need to be sure they're following the right path, some Catholic bishops of Canada have said in new guidelines.
"It may happen that, through media, friends, or family, couples have been led to understand that there has been a change in practice by the Church, such that now the reception of Holy Communion at Mass by persons who are divorced and civilly remarried is possible if they simply have a conversation with a priest," said guidelines from the Catholic bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
"This view is erroneous," they said.
Couples who express this view "should be welcomed to meet with a priest so that they hear proposed anew 'God's plan (pertaining to marriage) in all its grandeur' and thus be helped to understand the correct path to follow toward full reconciliation with the Church," the bishops said.