CATHOLICS TO DEBATE REMARRIAGE

Vatican City The Vatican told a German diocese Tuesday it disapproves of its challenge to church teaching on whether roman catholics who remarry can receive communion, saying the issue will be discussed by the whole church at a meeting next year of the world’s bishops. The diocese of Freiburg issued an official set of guidelines this week explaining how divorced and remarried catholics could receive the sacrament. It said if certain criteria are met — the couple are trying to live according to the faith and act with laudable motives — they could receive communion and other sacraments. church teaching holds catholics who do not have their first marriage declared null by a church tribunal before remarrying are essentially committing adultery. The issue has vexed the Vatican for decades and has left generations of catholics feeling shunned. Annulments are often difficult

to obtain.