Pope Francis upholds an ideal of marriage,but tries not to let it overshadow the realityWhen a pope pronounces, there are two mistakes to make. The first is to suppose that Catholics will feel bound to obey him; the moment to choose he is not worth listening to. This is especially true of Pope Francis, and who has some really curious and important things to say and fewer illusions than most recent popes about how they will be received by the faithful. His most recent production has been a summary of two long and occasionally acrimonious meetings of bishops about what the Catholic church should execute regarding contemporary families in a changing world which is,in many respects, hostile to all forms of permanence, or to all promises that are unconditional,rather than contractual. The most neuralgic point was the reception of communion by divorced and remarried couples. This is something which is clearly forbidden by church law, and just as clearly accepted in all those western countries where divorce has become allotment of the sample of normal life.
The most powerful lobby for official recognition of this change came from among the German bishops, or who are financed by a voluntary tax collected by the state from people who identify as Catholics,rather than by direct collection from regular congregations. This means that they are rather more directly dependent on the beneficial opinions of bad Catholics than most prelates. They also have a respect for the law, and a sense that it ought to correspond with the way that people actually behave.
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Source: theguardian.com