Hungarian Cardinal declares remarried Catholics must refrain from sex if they want to receive communion

Remarried Catholics by civil unions to be considered adulterers

In a meeting with the world's bishops, a Vatican-supported Cardinal declared that unless both parties agree never to engage in sexual activity, Catholics who remarry will continue to be banned from receiving communion.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo is the key organizer of the upcoming synod on family issues. He declared in a recent meeting with the world's bishops that Catholics who remarry will continue to be banned from taking communion unless they agree to abstain from sex.

The declaration came after Pope Francis passed a law making it easier for Catholics to get annulments. Erdo suggested the bishops should resist the softening stance of the Catholic Church when it comes to issues concerning family and marriage.
Cardinal Peter Erdo's statement about abstaining from having sex is a current teaching in the Catholic Church. The statement was given in response to bishops who contacted him to suggest a hardening of their position against changes in pastoral practices.
It was suggested that Catholics who divorce and want to remarry in the church should secure an annulment, as a ruling from a church tribunal, to make their first marriage null. If not, Catholics who remarry in civil ceremonies will be considered adulterers and will be banned from receiving the Holy Communion. 
However, Pope Francis called for a free and open debate on the topic, which lead him to be criticized by Catholic Bishops with strict grips on the Catholic teachings. The pontiff insists remarried Catholics be fully part of the life of the church.
Others suggest a process by which a bishop could accompany remarried Catholics on a path to penance so that over time, depending on the case, they can still receive the sacraments. Some bishops, such as Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, the archbishop of Paris, believe real change will not be forthcoming. He stated, "If there's a path to be opened, it's one that takes into consideration a personal commitment, a personal freedom." 
Progressive German Cardinal Reinhard Marx acknowledged the synod would make a small move, if any at all, and told reporters, "The important thing is that nobody goes below the Pope's words' (sic) in proposing less than what the Pope has."
The movements comes after Pope Francis' advocacy to the world's Catholic bishops to put aside their personal prejudices and to have the courage and humility to be guided by the "surprises" of God. The meeting was the first of many concerning family issues and the sharp division between conservative and progressive bishops.

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