Fact check: Did pope Leo say divorce people and those divorced who marry again can receive holy communion

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is no evidence that Pope Leo made any statement allowing divorced people and those who remarry to receive Holy Communion. The sources consistently fail to support this claim:

• Multiple sources explicitly contradict this position, with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stating that divorced and remarried persons cannot receive Holy Communion unless they live in complete continence ^[1]
• One source mentions Pope Leo XIV moving away from controversial teachings of his predecessor Pope Francis and reaffirming traditional Catholic teaching on marriage ^[2]
• Cardinal Müller criticized Vatican guidance on divorce-remarried communion as representing a 'rupture' with Church teaching ^[3]
• The sources indicate that divorced and remarried Catholics may only receive Communion if they resolve to live a chaste life as 'brother and sister' or if their first marriage is declared null ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the ongoing theological debate within the Catholic Church:

• Pope Francis (not Pope Leo) attempted to create moral space for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive communion, which created significant controversy ^[5]
• The Church's official position remains that divorced and remarried individuals are barred from receiving Communion without an annulment of their first sacramental marriage ^[6]
• There appears to be confusion between different Popes - the sources reference Pope Francis's controversial positions and Pope Leo XIV's more traditional stance, but no Pope Leo making the statement in question
• Conservative Church officials and progressive Catholics have fundamentally different interpretations of communion eligibility, with conservatives benefiting from maintaining traditional exclusions and progressives advocating for more inclusive practices

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several problematic elements:

• The question appears to conflate different Popes - sources discuss Pope Francis's controversial positions and Pope Leo XIV's traditional stance, but provide no evidence of any Pope Leo making the claimed statement ^{[5] [2]}
• The statement contradicts established Catholic doctrine as confirmed by official Church documents stating divorced and remarried persons cannot receive communion without specific conditions ^[1]
• The phrasing suggests this is an established fact rather than a question, potentially spreading misinformation about Catholic teaching
• The question may reflect wishful thinking from those seeking more liberal Church policies on divorce and remarriage, as evidenced by couples who felt welcomed by Pope Francis's changes ^[7]