Pope’s Message on Family in Line with US Catholics

Pope’s Message on Family in Line with US Catholics

Pope Francis’ call for a more welcoming Catholic Church is similar with the views of many American Catholics.

Last year, the Pew Research Center questioned Catholics and found support for changes offered in the Pope’s letter “The Joy of Love.”  Many Catholic Americans wanted him to take more steps, according to the report.

In his message to the Catholic Church’s 1.2 billion members, Francis called on clergy¹ to accept people who were divorced and remarried as well as unmarried people living together in a romantic relationship.

He said people who already have children may use their own consciences “to limit the number of their children.” That was seen as a change – at least in tone – from the church’s ban on artificial birth control.

But he continued the church’s opposition² to abortion³ and same-sex marriage.

Thomas Groome is a professor of theology at Boston College in Massachusetts. He said the pope did not change basic church positions on marriage and family, but rather called for more understanding of people who have different views.

“Pope Francis says we have been called to form consciences, not to replace them,” Groome said. “In other words, the church can’t take over people’s consciences. They have their own conscience and that has to be respected.”

Deborah Rose-Milavec is executive director of FutureChurch. The organization has been calling for “a more welcoming” Catholic Church.

Rose-Milavec sees the pope’s message as critical of Catholic bishops⁴ who are “building walls” to keep out “sinners.” Still, she said the pope’s message needs more “development.”

Marianne Duddy-Burke is executive director of DignityUSA, a Catholic group that supports gay and lesbian rights. She is disappointed the pope said same-sex marriage is not part of “God’s plan for marriage and family.” She said, “We had hoped for much more,”

Details of the Pew study

The Pew Research Study studied the views of U.S. Catholics last year. It found three out of four Catholics believe the church should allow couples to use birth control.

Pew said 84 percent of American Catholics believe it is acceptable for unmarried parents who live together to bring up children.

Six-in-ten say the church should allow divorced and remarried Catholics without an annulment⁵ to attend religious service, known as a mass. An annulment is a ruling by a Catholic court that a marriage was never really valid⁶.

The pope said in his message that Catholic clergy should not stop people who are divorced or in other “irregular situations” from attending mass. If they show love for each other, and take care of their children, divorced couples should be allowed to marry in the church, Pope Francis said.

Pew said nearly half of American Catholics believe the church should recognize the marriages of same-sex couples. The pope rejected that view, though he repeated his call to treat gays with respect and without discrimination.

Six in 10 say they agree with Catholic Church policy – repeated by Francis – that abortion is a sin, according to the Pew survey.

But only three in 10 consider opposition to abortion an important part of being a Catholic. That view differs from the three U.S. Republican presidential candidates. They all promise new efforts to ban, or at least limit abortion.

Words in This Story

divorced – adj.  someone who has ended a marriage through a legal process

romantic – adj. relating to love between two people

conscience – n. the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong

artificial birth control – n. pills or other devices that keep a woman from getting pregnant

abortion – n. a procedure to end a pregnancy⁷

sin – n. act of wrongdoing according to religious or moral law

disappoint – v. to make someone unhappy

irregular – adj. not normal, or usual

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

1 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

5 annulment   

n.废除，取消，（法院对婚姻等）判决无效

参考例句：

• The annulment caused a profound impression in Japan. 同盟的废止，在日本发生了强烈的反响。 来自辞典例句
• Law An annulment acquittal; dismissal, of a court order. 取消，宣告无罪；法院命令的撤销。 来自互联网

6 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

7 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。