A book by Cardinal Coccopalmerio reflects on Amoris laetitia explaining the openings decided by the Pope: “We believe with safe consciousness that the doctrine is respected”
“The Church might admit the faithful who are in irregular union to penance and Eucharist” who “wish to change this situation, but cannot realize their desire.” This is the conclusion to which comes Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, author of - The eighth Chapter of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Recently published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, this nimble little book of about fifty pages is entirely devoted to the question of the possible admission to the sacraments to those who live in “irregular” situations”. I believe we can assume, with a sure and clear conscience, that the doctrine, pertaining the case, is respected,” the cardinal writes.
Indissolubility is reaffirmed
The cardinal cites passages from the exhortation which contain “with absolute clarity all the elements of the doctrine on marriage in full consistency and fidelity to the traditional teachings of the Church”. The exhortation repeatedly affirms the ’will to remain faithful to the Church’s teaching on marriage and family”.
The subjective conditions of the ’irregulars’
The denser and most articulate pages of the book are those relating to ’subjective conditions or conditions of consciousness of different people in different irregular situations and the associated problem of admission to the sacraments of penance and Eucharist “. Coccopalmerio points out how limitations and obstacles do not simply depend on a possible ignorance of the current rule. Since, as already stated by Pope Wojtyla, “a subject, despite knowing well the norm, can have great difficulty in understanding the values inherent in the moral norm or can find oneself in concrete conditions which don’t allow to act differently and make other decisions without committing a new sin. “
Awareness of the irregularity
Quoting John Paul II, Amoris Laetitia speaks about couples that despite being “aware of the irregularity and of the great difficulty of going back without feeling in conscience that one would fall into new sins” and “situations where” for serious reasons, such as the children’s upbringing, a man and woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate”. Coccopalmerio notes that the text, while not affirming it explicitly, implicitly assumes that these people are willing to “change their illegitimate status.” That is, they address “the problem of change,” and therefore have “the intention or at least the desire” to do so.
“As a brother and sister,” and fidelity in danger
The cardinal recalls what established by John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio, and that is the possibility of going to confession and receive communion as long as there is a commitment to live as “brother and sister”, i.e. by refraining from sexual intercourse. He also points out that the exception raised by Amoris laetitia is based on a text of the Concilium Constitution Gaudium et Spes: “In these situations, many, who know and accept the possibility of living together ’like brother and sister’ offered by the church, point out that, if some expressions of intimacy lack, “it is not uncommon that fidelity is endangered and the well-being of the children might be compromised. ’” Therefore, the author of the book suggests, ’where the commitment to live “as brother and sister” is possible without difficulty for the couple’s relationship, the two partners should accept it willingly. “If however, this commitment “determines difficulties, the two partners seem not obliged, because they find themselves in similar conditions as case-subject spoken in n. 301 with this clear expression: “be in a concrete situation which does not allow him or her to act differently and decide otherwise without further sin.
Two essential conditions
“The Church, therefore, might admit to penance and Eucharist - Coccopalmerio concluded - the faithful who are in an irregular union, under, however, two essential conditions: that they wish to change this situation, but cannot realize their desire. It is clear that the above essential conditions must be submitted to a careful and authoritative discernment on the part of an ecclesial authority. “No subjectivism, but room to the relationship with the priest. The cardinal says it might be “necessary” or at least “very helpful a service at the Curia,” in which the bishop “offers a special counseling or even a specific authorization in these cases of admission to the sacraments.”
Who cannot be admitted
To whom the Church “cannot possibly – it would be a blunt contradiction - grant the sacraments?” To the faithful who, “despite being in grave sin and having the opportunity to change, does not have any sincere intention to realize that.” This is what Amoris laetitia says: “ Naturally, if someone flaunts an objective sin as if it were part of the Christian ideal, or wants to impose something other than what the Church teaches, he or she can in no way presume to teach or preach to others; this is a case of something which separates from the community. Such a person needs to listen once more to the Gospel message and its call to conversion... “
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