The People Speak Out

Local voices connecting globally

This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.  (Pope Francis)

Canon Law 212 calls upon the laity to speak up:

2 - The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.

§3. - According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

If someone desires to come to the Church and receive the sacrament of Communion, who, but God, can turn someone away???? The Church should open the door to welcome people in, not close the door to keep people out – a wise monsignor told me that many years ago.

I am not divorced, but I was raised Episcopalian. Many years ago, I married my Catholic husband. As a boy, he had been an altar server for the priest who performed the ceremony. Several years later, when our second child received the sacrament of First Communion, the parish priest, who was a Monsignor, encouraged me to take communion in the church, every Sunday. After several more years of receiving communion in the church, and raising our children as Catholics, I became a Catholic and was confirmed in the church. That wise and caring Monsignor said that his job was to OPEN THE DOORS AND WELCOME PEOPLE IN, NOT CLOSE THE DOORS AND KEEP PEOPLE OUT. Because of him, I stayed with the church, and became a Catholic. Divorced and remarried Catholics should have the same choice.