Pope Francis has withdrawn a claim that most Catholic marriages can be considered invalid because people do not understand that sacramental marriage is a bond that binds them to another for life.
“We are living in a culture of the provisional,” he told participants in the Diocese of Rome’s annual pastoral conference.
Answering questions after giving a prepared talk, Pope Francis told the story of a bishop who said a university graduate came to him saying he wanted to be a priest, but only for 10 years.
The idea of commitments being temporary “occurs everywhere, even in priestly and religious life. The provisional. And for this reason a large majority of sacramental marriages are null. They say ‘Yes, for my whole life,’ but they do not know what they are saying because they have a different culture,” he said.
The Vatican press office, publishing a transcript the next day, adjusted the Pope’s words to read: “A portion of our sacramental marriages are null”.
Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi explained: “When they touch on subjects of a certain importance, the revised text is always submitted to the Pope himself. This is what happened in this case.”
Attitudes towards marriage are influenced strongly by social expectations, the Pope said, telling the story of a young man who told the Pope that he and his fiancée had not yet had their wedding because they were looking for a church with a decor that would go well with her dress.
The Pope asked: “How can we change this? I don’t know.”
Scholar admits ‘Jesus’s wife’ papyrus is probably a fake
A prominent New Testament scholar who for four years has promoted a papyrus fragment suggesting that Jesus was married has accepted it is probably a fake.
Professor Karen King, a historian of Christianity at Harvard University, unveiled the small piece of papyrus in 2012 at a conference in Rome. The fragment, the size of a business card, contains among 14 lines of Coptic text the phrase “Jesus said to them, My wife”.
Although some scholars dismissed it as a fake, others supported Prof King, and the papyrus created controversy in the world of biblical scholarship. It appeared to some to confirm a central claim of the popular novel The Da Vinci Code that Jesus was married, though Prof King never claimed this, only saying it was evidence that one group of early Christians believed he was.
But journalist Ariel Sabar traced the provenance of the fragment in Atlantic magazine, presenting evidence that it had been forged by a pornographer and owner of an auto parts company, who had studied Egyptology and claimed to have been molested by a priest.
After reading Sabar’s article, Prof King admitted: “It tips the balance towards forgery.”
VatiLeaks defendant gives birth
The Vatican’s criminal trial over leaked documents took another turn last week with the birth of a baby named Pietro.
Francesca Chaouqui, the public relations expert charged with leaking papers and member of a papal reform commission, gave birth just as the trial in which she is a defendant resumed.
Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi greeted the birth with a “Benvenuto!” (‘Welcome!’) and sent his best wishes to the baby boy.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.