[Magdalen] German RC bishop speaks boldly

[Lynn Ronkainen]

Good for +Koch!!


German archbishop: Church's stance on divorce makes people 'doubt God' / 
http://ncronline.org/node/112096

By Joshua J. McElwee

One of Germany's representatives at the worldwide meeting of Catholic 
prelates on family has pointedly told the gathering that church teaching 
preventing divorced and remarried persons from receiving the Eucharist makes 
people "doubt God."

Berlin Archbishop Heiner Koch has used his 3-minute address during the 
deliberations to directly address one of the issues known to be creating the 
most disagreement among the prelates, saying he is often asked why remarried 
couples are barred from the Eucharistic table.

The church's theological arguments "do not silence the questions in the 
hearts of people," Koch told the assembly.



It is interesting to see that Europe is more 'progressive' on these issues 
than the U.S. is now. I must say that as things unfolded in my childhood, 
this issue of divorced/remarried people played heavily in my reasons for 
leaving the church in my late teens, and in an immature sense, granted, not 
believing in a God with the kind of 'rules' that existed in regard to 
divorced/remarried people. The irony is that over the last 40-50 years many 
RC have chosen to do what they want, or in some parishes even being 
counseled to act in ways not 'allowed' by 'the church'.... which as a teen 
50 years ago, further confused my anger and disbelief/doubt.

Lynn


website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr