As you have probably read, Pope Francis has called for an Extraordinary Synod of Bishops to meet this October.

A synod is a group of representative bishops meeting on behalf of all of the bishops of the world. Pope Francis has asked them to discuss the theme of the family.

Of late, there has been speculation that the Catholic Church’s long held teaching, which states that those who have divorced and civilly remarried cannot receive holy Communion, will be discussed and perhaps modified as a result of the synod.

Because there is confusion and misunderstanding about the Church’s teaching in this area, perhaps it would be good to remind ourselves of what we hold as Catholics — and why — concerning marriage, divorce and the reception of holy Communion.

The Church reveres marriage as a central part of God’s plan. The complementarity of male and female is joined in a lifelong and total commitment of self that leads to children and to their formation in faith as well as in human and earthly skills.

While this understanding comes from reason before the Church ever existed, Christ himself taught us explicitly about marriage, saying, “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery” (Lk 16:18).

Lest we be tempted to seek an interpretation of these words that would water them down, we should recall that even the disciples were astonished and suggested this teaching is so hard that it would be better not to marry.

But that teaching is difficult precisely because the value of marriage that it protects is so important.
The Church’s faith has long held that Jesus meant what he said about marriage. It is a beautiful reality, but one that is a profound challenge to our human nature damaged by sin.

Without grace, we seek our own individual good and are prone to sinful falls, especially in the area of sexuality. But with grace, we can fulfill the vocation to marriage given us by God, sharing love and sacrifice with another human being who by nature is complementary to us.

Left to nature alone, the lofty demands of marriage are impossible to achieve, but supernaturally, God infuses the sacrament of matrimony with divine grace in order to make such a noble vocation possible.
How does this relate then to the reception of holy Communion? In this way: one element of our reception of holy Communion is that it is a sign of our union with the faith and practice of the Church.
That is not something automatic. While all of us bear the flaws and imperfections of sin, when we commit the greater violations of God’s love (classically referred to as mortal sin) we separate ourselves from that union.

Those sins require first our repentance and then the forgiveness of those sins in the sacrament of confession before we are able to honestly reflect and participate in the union with God’s love that is essential to receiving the holy Eucharist.

Obviously it is not just sins against marriage or the Sixth Commandment that fracture our unity with God’s love. Mortal sins can offend against any of the commandments.

Christ’s teaching on divorce and remarriage places that act outside of God’s plan for us. For centuries, the Church’s faith, flowing from the words of Christ, has seen divorce and civil remarriage as incompatible with the unity in faith that is part of receiving holy Communion.

Many of us know of people, even a family member perhaps, who find themselves in this situation. Often they are good people who have encountered great sorrow.

What should we tell them?

Or if we are in that situation, what are we to do?

First, as always, we trust in God’s mercy. Pray and ask for grace even if the situation seems deeply established or somehow beyond change.

Continue to come to Mass and to devotions, even if holy Communion is not possible at this time. The Church’s tradition, repeated as recently as during the pontificate of Pope Benedict, is to make an internal and spiritual communion, keeping alive the desire to receive our Lord.

Don’t be afraid to make an appointment and talk to a priest as well.

Above all, we recognize that this issue is painful and serious for many people; however, it is based in our fidelity to Christ and our hope that he will help us to find a way to him, even in our difficulties.

But the teaching about not receiving Communion in this state is not simply an abitrary practice, nor is it merely a lack of compassion, as some have suggested; rather, it is a link to our life with Christ himself.

Marriage is a deep and abiding good that comes from the hand of God. Its call to total and unceasing giving of self by husband and wife is a reflection of Jesus’ love for the Church.

Yes, the question of Communion is difficult. But if we understand why it is part of our faith, we better understand its call to conversion and to union with God’s love.