An Argentinian woman is claiming Pope Francis phoned her on Monday with some doctrine-breaking news.
The popular pontiff, who is known for making cold calls to lucky members of his flock, reportedly had an important message to share with Jacqui Lisbona and her previously divorced husband, Julio Sabetta.
“A divorcee who takes communion is not doing anything wrong,” the pontiff purportedly said during the call, according to the Telegraph and La Stampa.
A Vatican representative confirmed to CNN that the call took place, but said the content of the call was a private matter between a pastor and his parishioner.  If the couple’s version of events is true, the call signals Francis’ openness to re-examining centuries-old church doctrine.
Divorcees who remarry have historically been banned from participating in communion, one of the Catholic Church’s most important sacraments. Unless the previous marriage is annulled, the Church believes entering into a new relationship is tantamount to adultery. Anyone who marries a divorced person is also thought to be an adulterer.
Francis spoke about the hot-button issue during a Mass in March, saying that divorced people should be “accompanied” and not “condemned.”
But that’s not how Lisbona felt.
The woman married Sabetta in a civil ceremony more than 20 years ago. Although she is happy with her current husband and has two teenage daughters from the marriage, she still isn’t allowed to take communion at her local church.
“[The priest] told me that every time I went home, I was going back to living in sin,” she said.
She wrote to Francis six months ago about her troubles, confessing that she was considering taking communion at a church where she is a stranger, but fearing that it would be “violating Church rules.”


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/divorcee-claims-cold-call-pope-francis-article-1.1766490#ixzz2zktDGVrm

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/divorcee-claims-cold-call-pope-francis-article-1.1766490

Quote

An Argentinian woman is claiming Pope Francis phoned her on Monday with some doctrine-breaking news.
The popular pontiff, who is known for making cold calls to lucky members of his flock, reportedly had an important message to share with Jacqui Lisbona and her previously divorced husband, Julio Sabetta.
“A divorcee who takes communion is not doing anything wrong,” the pontiff purportedly said during the call, according to the Telegraph and La Stampa.
A Vatican representative confirmed to CNN that the call took place, but said the content of the call was a private matter between a pastor and his parishioner.  If the couple’s version of events is true, the call signals Francis’ openness to re-examining centuries-old church doctrine.
Divorcees who remarry have historically been banned from participating in communion, one of the Catholic Church’s most important sacraments. Unless the previous marriage is annulled, the Church believes entering into a new relationship is tantamount to adultery. Anyone who marries a divorced person is also thought to be an adulterer.
Francis spoke about the hot-button issue during a Mass in March, saying that divorced people should be “accompanied” and not “condemned.”
But that’s not how Lisbona felt.
The woman married Sabetta in a civil ceremony more than 20 years ago. Although she is happy with her current husband and has two teenage daughters from the marriage, she still isn’t allowed to take communion at her local church.
“[The priest] told me that every time I went home, I was going back to living in sin,” she said.
She wrote to Francis six months ago about her troubles, confessing that she was considering taking communion at a church where she is a stranger, but fearing that it would be “violating Church rules.”


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/divorcee-claims-cold-call-pope-francis-article-1.1766490#ixzz2zktDGVrm

But this seems like a trial balloon to me.  Float this 'innocent' story out to gauge the reaction amongst (NO) Catholics.  If the outrage is lacking or seems manageable, set the agenda for the fall Synod on the Family.

I have read that the Vatican has confirmed the phone call did take place but have said they are not privy to the exact nature of what was talked about.  Fair enough.

But this seems like a trial balloon to me.  Float this 'innocent' story out to gauge the reaction amongst (NO) Catholics.  If the outrage is lacking or seems manageable, set the agenda for the fall Synod on the Family.  There has been a few stories along this line in the media the last few months.  Smells a lot like there are going to be changes to communion rules in the conciliar church this fall. I am sure much to the dismay of conservative types and many R&R'ers, but hey if you can explain away or paper over the last 50 years of blasphemy (Assisi 1-3), apostasy (new ecuмenism) and heresy, error and ambiguity (pretty much everything else) and the immanent canonizations of JP II and John XXIII to boot, really, why lose any sleep over public adulterers being received to communion ??