Cardinal Kasper: Pope never approved my proposal

June 04, 2015

Cardinal Walter Kasper has admitted that Pope Francis never endorsed his proposal to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion.

The German cardinal, who offered his proposal in February 2014 at a meeting of the College of Cardinals, said that the Pope had invited him to speak, but it was a “misunderstanding” to think that the Holy Father had given his approval to the proposal.

In an interview with Raymond Arroyo of ETWN, Cardinal Kasper denied having said that the Pope backed his proposal. “Well, this I did not say,” he said. When Arroyo quoted Cardinal Kasper’s claim of papal approval (“Clearly, this is what he wants”), the cardinal answered: “No… he did not approve my proposal.”

Cardinal Kasper went on to explain that Pope Francis wanted the question raised, and wanted discussion of the idea, but “I wouldn’t say he approved the proposal; no, no, no.”

Last October, in an interview with Catholic News Service, Cardinal Kasper had clearly implied papal approval for his plan, but said that the Pope would not take action without the approval of the Synod of Bishops. “I have the impression the Pope is ready to reaffirm such a thing, but now it depends also on the voices of the bishops in the Synod,” he said.

In his interview with Arroyo, Cardinal Kasper stressed that he was presenting a question for debate at the Synod of Bishops, not making a plea for change. “It’s not a proposal,” he said.

 

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Further information:

• Cardinal Kasper Backpedals on Papal Endorsement of Controversial Proposal (EWTN)
• Cardinal Kasper says Francis did not approve his Communion proposal (Catholic Herald)
• Cardinal Kasper claims papal support, raps critics in new interview (CWN, 10/3/14