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Can a divorced and civilly remarried Catholic receive Communion under Amoris Laetitia?
Executive summary
Amoris Laetitia does not issue a single, clear rule restoring Communion to all divorced-and-civilly-remarried Catholics; instead it calls for pastoral accompaniment and case‑by‑case discernment, and some Vatican and episcopal interpreters have said this can permit Communion in particular cases (see endorsement of Argentine guidelines and Cardinal Coccopalmerio) [1] [2]. Other authoritative voices — including critics, cardinals who issued dubia, and traditionalist commentators — insist Amoris Laetitia does not change the prior discipline that barred remarried adulterous couples from Communion unless they live in continence [3] [4] [5].
1. What the text of Amoris Laetitia actually does: pastoral discernment, not a blanket rule
Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation focuses on accompaniment and discernment rather than issuing a new universal law about sacramental access: priests are urged to “accompany” divorced and remarried people, help them understand their situation, and discern their path toward integration in the Church (summary of AL and its pastoral thrust cited in Vatican response and other summaries) [6] [3]. The language of Chapter 8 and footnotes opened space for pastoral judgment, not an explicit blanket permission for Communion [3].
2. Official and Vatican-adjacent interpretations that say “in some cases, yes”
Some official actors have explicitly interpreted Amoris Laetitia as permitting Communion for some divorced-and-remarried Catholics after discernment. Pope Francis praised Argentine bishops’ guidelines as capturing the meaning of Chapter 8, and commentary noted that endorsement as support for the idea that “Amoris Laetitia allows for Catholics who are divorced and remarried to receive Communion under some circumstances” [1]. Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio argued in published work that AL allows access in certain situations and recommended parish priests be central to the discernment process [2]. Recent reporting of Vatican responses to pastoral dubia likewise frames AL as making possible diocesan criteria to guide priests in discernment [6].
3. Persistent and explicit objections: continuity with prior discipline
Several cardinals and theologians have insisted that doctrine and discipline on the Eucharist have not changed. The four cardinals who submitted dubia sought yes/no clarifications about whether AL permits Communion in new unions; their public challenge and lack of papal “yes/no” responses underscore ongoing disagreement [3]. Writers and institutions such as EWTN and articles in Homiletic & Pastoral Review argue that AL does not permit Communion for those who intend to continue sexual relations in a second union and that the prior rule (requiring continence or annulment) remains operative [4] [5].
4. Local episcopal guidelines: variety and consequences
Bishops’ conferences and local bishops have issued divergent guidelines: some (e.g., Buenos Aires) produced procedures interpreted by Francis as “explicitly the meaning” of Chapter 8 and opening the possibility of Communion in some cases, while other bishops (and episcopal conferences) have stuck to forms of the older discipline or proposed living “as brother and sister” as the route to sacramental reconciliation [3] [7]. This patchwork has produced pastoral variation and dispute, with critics warning of abuses and supporters pointing to mercy and reintegration [8] [9].
5. How proponents and critics frame their core argument
Proponents emphasize personal conscience, mitigating culpability, and pastoral accompaniment: they say objective irregularity does not always imply subjective mortal culpability and so some individuals could be admitted after discernment [10] [7]. Critics stress public order, objective contradiction between adultery and the Eucharistic sign, and the need for clear moral norms: they argue AL risks undermining Familiaris Consortio’s teaching and could be misapplied to admit those continuing in sexual relations [5] [8].
6. What this means for a divorced and civilly remarried Catholic seeking Communion
Available sources indicate there is no single universal change to canon law; the practical outcome depends on local bishops’ guidelines, priests’ pastoral discernment, and, in some documented cases, episcopal or Vatican affirmations that Communion can be permitted in particular circumstances after a careful process [6] [1] [2]. At the same time, authoritative critics and some commentators maintain that receiving Communion while intentionally continuing sexual relations with a new partner remains impermissible, so contested interpretations coexist in current practice [5] [4].
Limitations: reporting and commentary in the provided sources document both supportive and oppositional readings but do not supply a single authoritative canonical ruling that universally changes sacramental discipline; available sources do not mention any definitive, universal decree overturning the prior norm [3] [6].