海角大神

There鈥檚 no such thing as a Catholic divorce, but聽there certainly are Catholic divorcees.聽

That's what聽,聽the first day of a three-week Bishops鈥� Synod held in Rome that addressed the need to minister to modern families, particularly Catholics separated from their spouses, a group that includes聽.

鈥淎 church with closed doors betrays herself and her mission and instead of being a bridge, becomes a roadblock,鈥� Francis said.

This shift in the tone, if not the substance, of the church's stance on divorce should come as no surprise. Since the beginning his papacy in March 2013, Francis has repeatedly insisted that the church be more welcoming, particularly to those who may have been alienated by the Vatican's social teachings.

The recent fracas over gay marriage, which the Church staunchly opposes, and the contested meaning of the Pope鈥檚 visit with Kim Davis聽may have overshadowed another group who say they鈥檝e received the cold shoulder from the church: Catholic divorcees.

This group may feel more welcome after a Francis pushed through in September.聽But will this week鈥檚 Synod make further progress, or will conservatives rein in what they consider reckless change?

Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press suggests that conversations about divorce may make more headway than those on gay marriage, though no matter what.聽

Maintaining that marriage is a permanent union, the Catholic Church does not countenance divorce; rather, Catholics who wish to end their marriages may apply for annulment in an often lengthy process that requires paperwork and testimony before a tribunal. Annulment does not end a marriage, per se, but rather proves that the union was invalid from the start.

For some divorcees, particularly women, the experience may feel intrusive, or even dishonest, according to a . 鈥淵ou鈥檙e dealing with an abusive husband who is male, and then you have to go to a male to get the annulment, and a bunch of males sit at a table and decide whether your decision was correct,鈥� one woman told reporter Michael Paulson. Others object to the logic of "invalidating." 鈥淚 entered into [marriage] with the right ideas, and to say different would be a lie,鈥� another explained.聽

According to the聽聽at Georgetown University, roughly 20 percent of Catholics in the US will experience civil divorce.聽Of those, only 15 percent go through the church's annulment process.聽

Without an annulment, divorced Catholics may not marry again in the church. Those who do remarry are barred from taking Communion, which 聽calls 鈥渢he source and summit of the 海角大神 life.鈥� They are technically considered adulterers.

Francis declared a this fall to ease the annulment process, limiting its costs and time. But offering Communion to remarried Catholics without an annulment remains a hurdle.

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite impossible鈥� to change the Church鈥檚 teachings on Communion, Vatican finance manager Cardinal George Pell told the last week at a conference 鈥渁bout helping gays overcome their homosexual tendencies.鈥澛�

Meanwhile, however, more progressive factions in Rome have suggested designing a 鈥減ath of penance鈥� for remarried Catholics, after which they could again receive the host.

A hallmark of Francis鈥檚 papacy has been seeking to overcome the gap between church teachings and Catholics鈥� daily lives. But is the rest of the Vatican ready to bridge this gap?

鈥淚t鈥檚 very clear which direction he is going in 鈥� the path of inclusion,鈥� Vatican analyst Gerry O鈥機onnell told . 鈥淸But] he has got to find a way to bring the whole Church with him.鈥澛�