02/24/2004: "Do re-married Catholics have to abstain from Eucharist?"

I've heard so many contradicting opinions on the subject. But in a recent interview Cardinal Ratzinger says it pretty clearly:

"Q: In regard to divorced persons who have remarried, do you think that the situation of exclusion from receiving Communion will continue to be in force?

Cardinal Ratzinger: If the first marriage was valid and they [the new couple] live in a union that is opposed to the sacramental bond, the exclusion remains in force."

That sounds to me like like a prohibition on Eucharist for those who are re-married and haven't gotten an annulment.

Anyone have other information that contradicts this? One note of importance, Eucharist for the divorced is not the same as Eucharist for the remarried. I think this is part of the issue that causes confusion. Remember that Christ said: "I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9 emphasis added) The 'and marries another' is an important component of that statement that often gets overlooked. Walking away from a bad or abusive marriage is one thing, to re-marry is another.

Here's the inteview text which goes into a number of subjects other than Eucharist and re-marriage.