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Comments misunderstood

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Pastor William Nicholson’s recent column regarding Pope Francis’ comments about divorced Catholics shows a misunderstanding that has unfortunately become widespread.

There is little chance that the pope’s call to “embrace” divorced and remarried Catholics will become “one of the more contentious issues of his papacy” for the simple reason that he has broken no new ground. He told divorced and remarried Catholics that they are not excommunicated and are welcome in church. He also said that this was not to imply that they were permitted to receive the Eucharist. This is standard Catholic doctrine.

I am not sure what to make of Pastor Nicholson’s assertion that traditional Catholics are “already perturbed by Francis’s acceptance of gay couples into the church.” Individuals, homosexual or otherwise, are, of course, welcome in the Church. But if Pastor Nicholson means to imply that Pope Francis accepts “gay marriages,” that is simply not true. On the contrary, Pope Francis has said that gay marriage is the work of “the Father of Lies.”

Terence Gallagher

Senior Policy Analyst

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

New York, N.Y.

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