VATICAN CITY — Declaring that “today is a time of mercy,” Pope Francis on Sunday closed a historic meeting of bishops that approved an important new direction in welcoming divorced and civilly remarried Catholics into the church.
The synod’s endorsement, by a single vote, of Francis’ call for a more merciful, less judgmental church was a clear victory for Francis and the progressive prelates who have been seeking wiggle room in church teaching to allow remarried Catholics to receive Communion. Conservatives objected, citing church doctrine, but couldn’t muster the votes needed to block passage of the final document.
Without changing church doctrine, the 275 synod “fathers” on Saturday approved a 94-point final document on responding better to the needs of today’s Catholic families. The text covered a host of issues — migration, poverty, single parents and polygamy — but the most disputed section concerned whether civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion. While the document doesn’t chart a specific path to receiving the sacraments, it opens the door to case-by-case exceptions.
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
