New Zealand's Bishop Advocates Church Reforms To Accommodate Divorcees And Ending Their Stigma

New Zealand can expect a benign and liberal approach to divorce as the pro-reform Bishop has voiced his support for a constructive approach on the matter of bringing divorces back to the church. New Zealand's senior Catholic believes the church must change its hard line stand on divorcees. He has been lobbying for this cause since a decade.

Archbishop John Dew just returned from the Catholic synod that brainstormed these issues. He was one among the few bishops, who had been advocating a liberal reform of church rules which proscribed Catholics who divorce, and then remarry from Communion, and precluding them from the church life.

The Catholic Synod, which is the global council of bishops who advise the Pope on policies of the church. Bihop John Dew was among the leading Catholics who got an opportunity to speak about rousing desire for reforms on the issue of divorce, reported Stuff.co.Nz. There has been a change this time. If Dew was a lone voice, who broached the same topic at the 2005 Synod, today, said he was far from alone at this year's gathering.

"A number of bishops spoke about it. It was a big change that the matter has been openly spoken about," the Bishop told Stuff. Co.Nz Hailing the initiative of Pope Francis, Bishop Dew said, "at the beginning of the Synod, Pope wanted open and honest opinions from the cardinals and say it frankly to look at the situation for families in the church today. It is an issue the church will continue to look."

Relax The Rules

Dew said he was among those who wanted to see rules relaxed so that those who married a second time could be connected to the church. He said there may be "marriages broken up for no fault of theirs or abandoned by their spouses who met someone else. Those feeling lonely may meet someone for company and companionship, yet want to stay as part of the church. We need to find some way to help those people."

Bishop Dew was aware how lay Catholics are "deeply concerned" about the issue. He himself has told Catholic media in the past that divorcees in the Pacific community in New Zealand will face a stigma. However, he said the issue is no more localised but it is affecting the entire church in the Western world.

Conservative Obstruction

Meanwhile, Telegraph reported the observations of Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, who was one of the few non-Roman Catholic invited to attend the Synod in Rome that discussed family issues. He said he was "excited and intrigued" by what he saw. On the one hand, he expressed appreciation that clergy has started reaching out beyond their traditional audiences with a "more thoughtful and open" approach, but Cardinals ensconced in Rome appeared to be non-chalant and adamant about adhering to doctrinal purity.