Cohabitation Archives

English bishop speaks of importance of marriage after civil partnership ruling
- Jun 29, 2018
A British Supreme Court decision to extend civil partnerships to opposite sex couples shouldn’t “deter people from that sacred and life-long commitment” of marriage.

By Charles Collins
Catholic rules on sex aren’t party-pooping, they’re wisdom
- Mar 1, 2017
Damaged lives when love goes wrong remind us why the Church has such stringent standards when it comes to sexual sin. Catholic rules about sexuality are not random, not a long list cooked up by old men in red robes in Rome who are party-poopers stopping everyone from having fun.

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker
In helping the Church stretch, Francis is securing its future
- Oct 29, 2015
The recently concluded Vatican meeting on families that brought together 270 bishops from every continent underscored the unenviable political high-wire act Pope Francis faces in achieving lasting reforms. The fractious, three-week synod played out against the backdrop of a refreshing papacy that continues to redefine the public face of Catholicism,

By Crux Staff

Bishops: Integrate remarried Catholics into Church life
- Oct 24, 2015
ROME — Catholic bishops ended their contentious three-week summit on the family Saturday with a final report that paved the way for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to participate more fully in Church life, without explicitly endorsing their return to Communion. But there was no ground given on the other

By Crux Staff

Oct 24, 2015

70. Pastoral care should propose with clarity the evangelical message and collect the positive elements present in those situations that still do not yet correspond to it, or no longer do so. In many countries, a growing number of couples live together, without any marriage, either canonical or civil. In

By Crux Staff

South African cardinal now on board with the synod structure

Oct 20, 2015

ROME — Scratch that private letter to the pope; everything’s cool. That was the message from South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier to reporters Tuesday, saying concerns he and 12 other cardinals raised in a letter to Pope Francis about the new structure for the synod of bishops had been addressed

By Michael O'Loughlin

Synod small groups suggest much work remains in finding consensus

Oct 14, 2015

ROME—With the conclusion of the second round of small group discussions, consensus is emerging around a few key themes at the synod on the family: The working document needs a lot of work, the Church should speak more clearly and positively about Catholic marriage, and couples need catechetical resources, or

By Michael O'Loughlin

Seeing Pope Francis as shock therapy for the Catholic Church

Oct 10, 2015

ROME — For Catholics accustomed to traditional ways of doing things, Pope Francis is undeniably a shock to the system. A summit of bishops from around the world over which he’s currently presiding in Rome is a classic case in point, because Catholics just aren’t used to seeing differences among

By John L. Allen Jr.