U.S. couple to serve as international coordinators for Retrouvaille marriage ministry February 2, 2024By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Marriage & Family Life, News, World News For three days, the pair joined couples from around the world in Cape Town, South Africa, at the International Council Meeting of Retrouvaille, a peer ministry for those struggling in their marriages.
Navigating marriage after baby February 2, 2024By Simcha Fisher OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Marriage & Family Life No matter how much a baby was desired, his arrival will often turn a marriage on its ear. Take a snapshot of a married couple with a new baby and it may look less like a holy card and more like an S.O.S.
Question Corner: Can Catholics married outside the church take Communion? January 31, 2024By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Marriage & Family Life Canonical form is an important concept to understand and be aware of because if a Catholic does not marry according to canonical form — say, if a Catholic decided to get married by a justice of the peace — this marriage would be considered not only illicit, but also invalid.
Cardinal says debate about blessings is normal part of church life January 12, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the debate surrounding the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on the possibility of blessing gay couples shows that deeper reflection is still needed.
As African bishops say no to same-sex blessings, French bishops will conduct them ‘generously’ January 11, 2024By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News Citing cultural differences and doctrinal confusion, the bishops’ conferences across Africa ruled that same-sex blessings will not be carried out in the continent.
‘No’ to same-sex blessings, say two Eastern Catholic bishops, citing canon law and catechism January 9, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, World News Two Eastern Catholic bishops have issued statements with in-depth theological and canonical reasons for their rejection of a controversial Vatican document on pastoral blessings for same-sex couples and other unmarried couples.
Cardinal says Vatican is not moving toward accepting gay marriage December 28, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News The Vatican’s affirmation that a priest can give an informal blessing to a gay couple who asks for one is not a first step toward the Catholic Church recognizing same-sex marriages, said Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
U.S. bishops issue flurry of responses to Vatican blessings document December 22, 2023By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News Following the Dec. 18 release of the Holy See’s declaration permitting blessings of those in irregular relationships, and the ensuing reaction from media and Catholics around the country, U.S. bishops have been responding with their own statements supporting and/or clarifying the document, known as “Fiducia Supplicans.”
Pope tells Rome priests: Blessings don’t affect sacrament of marriage December 22, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News The Vatican’s recently published guidance on administering blessings to same-sex couples or other unmarried couples does not affect the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, Pope Francis said.
‘Beware of reading too much too quickly’ into same-sex blessings document, say global bishops December 21, 2023By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, World News While several Western European bishops praised the Dec. 18 declaration of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on blessing same-sex couples as “a major breakthrough in pastoral care,” reactions elsewhere have been mixed, with African bishops offering explainers for “confused” faithful or banning same-sex blessings.
Did Pope Francis change Catholic teaching on gay marriage? December 19, 2023By Father Patrick Briscoe OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Marriage & Family Life The new document teaches that people seeking God shouldn’t be turned away, regardless of their state of life or moral situation.
Proposed referendum for Irish Constitution calls for widening the definition of family December 6, 2023By Michael Kelly OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, World News A pro-family campaign group has warned that a proposed March referendum in Ireland to amend the country’s constitution would be a “further downgrading of the importance of marriage to society.”
