NEW JERSEY
The Record
OCTOBER 14, 2015
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF AND MONSY ALVARADO
THE RECORD
Archbishop John J. Myers on Wednesday defended a letter he recently sent to priests, saying it was misinterpreted, while even conservatives said they found it confusing, and some North Jersey Catholics said it led them to feel more alienated from their church.
In the letter, Myers called on Catholics to refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they are in a marriage that is not recognized by the church or if they publicly oppose any of the church’s teachings. He also said all Catholics should avoid events that “endorse or support” people or groups that reject or ignore those teachings.
Myers, the leader of the Archdiocese of Newark, issued the letter quietly to pastors after signing it on Sept. 22. That was the day Pope Francis arrived in Cuba on his way to the United States, where the pontiff expanded on a message of inclusiveness that has been the hallmark of his papacy. The letter was made public Wednesday as 270 bishops from around the world met at the Vatican to discuss ways to adapt church teachings in a changing world, including such issues as whether to welcome gays and lesbians or allow remarried couples who have not been granted annulments to receive sacraments.
As even some conservatives called into question its timing, Myers said through a spokesman that the letter had been “taken wildly out of context by many — some viewing it as a challenge or a ‘setting of the agenda.’Ÿ”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.