Ghana prelate backs Communion for divorce and remarried
February 12, 2015
One of Ghana’s leading prelates has told the Crux website that he supports the distribution of Holy Communion, on a case-by-case basis decided by the bishop, to those in irregular marriages.
“When a person comes to me, I think I should be able to sit with him or her, or with the family, to find out what the situation is and to give solutions to individual cases without making a sweeping statement,” said Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra.
Journalist John Allen wrote that the prelate “described a case of a woman who’s been married to the same man for 35 years, raising children with him, even though he has one or two other wives.”
“If I want to apply the law as is, I must tell her to quit the marriage,” he said. “But if I do that, she and her children are going to say, ‘The Church destroyed my family.’ As a bishop, I tell you, I have sleepless nights.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle also spoke about the pressure that international development organizations exert in Ghana. He said that a UN agency would not offer support to a malaria treatment clinic because of the Church’s teaching on abortion and contraception.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: Frodo1945 -
Feb. 13, 2015 10:29 AM ET USA
An off-hand remark about the tyranny of the UN when it comes to aid. What a bunch of bullies run the UN! I am also afraid that the USA foreign aid has the same preconditions.
-
Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Feb. 12, 2015 10:35 PM ET USA
Irregular marriage usually means no marriage at all, at least in the canonical sense.
