Archbishop Charles J. Chaput announced
last week that couples in “irregular” relationships cannot
receive Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
According to the Philadelphia
Inquirer, Chaput's pastoral guidelines are his interpretation
of Amoris Laetitia (the joy
of love), the document issued by Pope Francis on marriage and
the family.
Chaput asserts that Catholics in
same-sex relationships, those remarried without a church annulment
and cohabitating people may not hold a position of responsibility in
the church.
Calling such unions “irregular,”
Chaput said that allowing such people to serve on parish councils,
instruct the faithful or dispense communion would “offer a serious
counter-witness to Catholic belief, which can only produce moral
confusion in the community.”
Chaput was among the bishops who
advised Francis in 2015 on creation of Amoris Laetitia,
which was widely seen as closing the door in the Roman Catholic
church on marriage equality.