According to a Vatican press release last week, “7c) It is clear that penitents living in a habitual state of serious sin and who do not intend to change their situation cannot validly receive absolution.”
An AP wire story said that “The Vatican didn’t identify who these sinners were, but theological experts said Pope John Paul was referring to homosexuals and divorced Catholics who remarry.”
I could wax sarcastic here about certain bishops who, by virtue of their habitual state of covering up sexual abuse of those they supervised, should not validly receive absolution either. But I find it hard to get too upset with the church.
My wife of 28 years did not get her first marriage annulled so we’ve been on the outs with the church from the beginning. Early in our marriage, I kept thinking that that should be personally troubling to me, since I grew up Catholic and spend 8 years in the seminary. But it’s never really mattered. I played the role of the holy kid in my family and once I understood all the ramifications of this, leaving the faith of my youth was no biggie since it was all an act anyway.
I do wonder though: would we have embraced another brand of Christianity during our years of raising four kids had we not been rejected by the church?