Fr Lombardi responds to reports of Pope's call to Argentinian woman
(Vatican Radio) The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr Federico Lombardi, has
responded to widespread media reports about an Argentinian woman who says that Pope
Francis called to tell her she could take Communion, even though her husband is divorced
and they have not been married in church.
News stories earlier this week ran
conflicting reports about the woman, Jacquelina Lisbona, who had written to the Pope
several months ago after being denied Communion by her parish priest. According to
the reports, Fr Bergoglio, as he called himself, picked up the phone to respond to
her letter on Monday and told her the Church was in the process of dealing with the
issue of Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics.
In his brief remarks
on Thursday, Fr Lombardi said such conversations should be seen in the context of
the Pope’s “personal pastoral relationships” and not as an event that carries “consequences
relating to the teaching of the Church”.
Below please find the English language
translation of Fr Lombardi’s remarks:
Several telephone calls have taken
place in the context of Pope Francis’ personal pastoral relationships. Since
they do not in any way form part of the Pope's public activities, no information or comments
are to be expected from the Holy See Press Office. That which has been communicated
in relation to this matter, outside the scope of personal relationships, and the
consequent media amplification, cannot be confirmed as reliable, and is a source
of misunderstanding and confusion. Therefore, consequences relating to the teaching
of the Church are not to be inferred from these occurrences.