Pope announces remarried people should live like 'brother and sister'

[AB Asks]

The Pope has announced that remarried Catholics should live like 'brother and sister' if they haven't got an annulment first. The official line from the Vatican is that remarried Catholics should "live their relationship in fidelity to the demands of God's law, as friends, as brother and sister." The Catholic Church does not recognize civil divorce as a real divorce. Has anyone had experience of this sort of situation? Do you see it as a reasonable expectation in today's society?

[oldfashioned]

Some very contentious views here. I think religion and politics should not be discussed to any great degree on AB. However as people have commented so will I. I believe most religions have a dangerous aspect in as far as some people are easily guided.A lot of people have a particular religous faith simply because they were brought up with it. Hardly a considered choice in most cases..Ok i am an atheist,Ithink.

[Octavius]

Do those ^^^ twittering sound-bites of unimaginative disjointed claptrap mean anything to anyone?

The Prophet may well have something decent, inspiring and erudite to say, I just wish they would try occasionally.

[naomi24]

ABed, why don't you put this question on R&S?

[Supernick]

Everyone's free to believe what they want as long as it doesn't interfere with my freedoms. I don't care if you're building a mega-mosque in London , or telling remarried couples that they should live like brother and sister.
I personally belive that they all might as well be worshipping the tooth fairy, or a stone a the bottom of my garden, but them I'm free to believe what I like as anyone else is.

[Thunderbird+]

Live as brother and sister ?? The more this guy opens his mouth the more I believe in birth control!!

[dontask]

this question should be in a other topic society and culture how comes you can ask any thing you want when ever i say anything it goes . you need banning ab ask

[Pippa68]

Oh yes great.

You marry someone, they decide to end the marriage but you have to stay living together...thus preventing you from moving on in life and ruining any potential of being happy ever again.

Oh to be Catholic!

[lector]

well its a load of nonsense from an out of touch religion ......

isn't there a real brother and sister in Germany living as a married couple + kids challenging the German government's outlawing of their union in the European Court of Human Rights?

... silly papal bull

[nicolaandgar]

absoulutly not, as a roman catholic, not practicing for many years but the faith drummed in as a child not until later years questioning thoughts and beliefs i find it hard to accept the views of a sometimes antiquated sect, whilst still holding an afinity for my faith, that in todays society people i.e people in the higher echolons of the roman catholic faith who have never expierenced the in's and outds of married and the modern day life can pass judgement on us lowly individuals who at the same time as trying to stay faithful to the beleifs instilled in us from a young age .)i having experienced divorce my own parish priest refused to marry me for a second time.
the good book is for interpretation

[legend760]

and why would or should anyone listen to an ex hitler youth member who has actually cobvered up paedophilia in the catholic church?
this is a matter of record .
i saw the bbc documentary about it few months ago.
go to bbc online if you doubt it.
hes scum .
shouldnt be the pope .
hes a monster

scum of the earth

[eyeshade]

Sureley this is an easy thing to sort. It doesn't apply if you are not Catholic and if you are and don't like the outdated comments, then defect - become a spiritualist, Jew or Tree hugging is in at the moment. Why get so het up? Surely a lot of 2nd timers after divorce don't want to get married again anyway and many never do. I don't believe we will be judged at the end because we never had a piece of paper to say we were married. We will be judged by what we do for this world and other people. I am not a catholic and never will be but I think they are trying in some to instill some sort of family values but getting it all wrong and need to get into the correct century.

[08012006]

For gerkin -re 15/3/07 at 13,22

Sir Thomas Beecham�s advice was that
"one should try everything once except incest and Morris dancing"

[Octavius]

I note that most people on this Q&A appear to be:

a) Catholic and ignore the Pope's outdated sentiment
b) Non-catholic / atheist / agnostic / whatever and feel threatened or disparaged by the Pope�s statement as if it affects THEM.
c) Using this Q (as with so many others on Answerbank) to bleat on about anti-catholic sentiment and paedophilia

So in reality, it hardly affects anyone at all here and what the Pope says is really rather irrelevant in today�s world. I am a catholic and those are my thoughts too. So whilst I will read and accept anyone�s right to an opinion, I do not wish to opine, but please try to avoid comments bordering on anti-catholic incitement.

[glesga123]

I am not catholic nor am i anti catholic but i am vehemently against anti common sense ( and bad spelling )

[Octavius]

Yes I noticed the bad spelling in your first post but chose to disregard such trivialities.

[legend760]

sorry octavius.

but im not in favour of the things the pope did or condoned.
are you?
being offended by his nazi connections isnt anti catholic,is it?
being annoyed because someone helps to harbour paedophiles,in the vatican,from the us authorities ,doesnt make you anti catholic.
it just makes you anti paedophile.
or is that wrong in your mind?
feel free to give us your opinion on it,as im sure you have one.

[legend760]

i await your viceral reply octaviass

[Octavius]

No, leg end, I was just unsure what relevance they were to the original question, or whether they could sway decisiveness on this issue one way or the other. Whilst I don�t require an invitation for an opinion, thank you for asking so personally. I am most willing to oblige.

So, the Pope is an ex-Nazi youth who knowingly harboured paedophiles. I know that, you know that, the whole blinking world knows that. It is not a revelation. I didn�t elect the Pope, I don�t particularly like him as a religious leader or what he has done in the past for his own obvious reasons, intentions and ambitions. Did I give the impression that I did??

But what has this to do with marriage and civil divorce and the doctrine of the Ecumenical Council?

If you take it upon yourself to consider this opinion visceral, then my work is done.