As Vatican Revisits Divorce, Many Catholics Long for Acceptance
The New York Times’ Michael Paulson writes, “Facing millions of divorced Catholics around the world, many of whom express frustration over their status in the church, the Vatican has begun a remarkable re-examination of the church’s treatment of worshipers whose marriages have broken apart.” Annulment, the often-proposed solution for divorced Catholics, can be “intrusive, cumbersome and costly,” Paulson reports, and the difficulty of the process has prevented many from reconciling with their parishes or remarrying. The debate among bishops will take place at a synod this October, after which Pope Francis will decide whether to act on their recommendations; their decisions keenly affect American Catholics, of whom 28 percent have been divorced.