Top Vatican official says celibacy, homosexuality not cause of abuse crisis
- Dec 14, 2019
The sacrament of marriage cannot be “improvised,” but must be prepared for, nourished and supported throughout the couple’s journey, Pope Francis said.
On Tuesday Pope Francis celebrated those quiet success stories of marriage, saying they may not make headlines but they do offer a “daily sermon” about the power of unity and fidelity.
Pope Francis has stressed the need for ongoing formation for couples, before and after marriage, saying that even the basic teachings of the Church “could not be taken for granted.”
A judge of the Vatican’s highest appeals court has accepted a plea bargain for a conditionally suspended sentence of one year and two months on charges of sexual molestation and possession of child pornography.
Pope Francis emphasized the importance of conscience and reiterated his call for a “marriage catechumenate” during his annual address to the Roman Rota, the Vatican court that handles appeals in marriage annulment cases.
“I ask myself how many of these youth who come to marriage preparation courses understand what ‘marriage,’ the sign of the union of Christ and the Church, means,” Pope Francis told a group of parish priests training on the new marriage annulment process. “A true catechumenate is needed for the sacrament of marriage.”