Gene Craig: Columnist should take note that ‘Pope’ Francis is violating Jesus’ teachings

Re “How Pope can cleanse the Catholic Church” (Page 9A, Feb. 11): The opinion column by Emma-Kate Symons was an attack on Catholic values while writing as if she were defending compassion. She used all of the popular attack words, “Breitbart,” “Stephen Bannon,” “extremist forces,” “white Christian dominance,” “secretive society,” “migrant-phobic,” “Putin,” and on and on. The part that caught my eye was about Pope Francis granting communion for divorcees.

In truth, he appears to be granting communion for remarried divorcees – which flies in the face of Catholic teaching and sacred scripture. Clearly, Christ stated putting away a spouse and marrying another commits adultery (Mark 10:11, 12). Adultery puts one outside the church and not free to receive church sacraments. How this columnist can write against Jesus’ teachings and how “Pope” Francis can violate Christ’s teaching is just plain wrong.

This column, under the guise of charity, proved to be hateful, spiteful and totally in error. St. Pope Pius V let the country of England apostatize rather than validate Henry VIII’s multiple marriages. Francis and Emma-Kate should read church history and understand that church teaching is to help us get to heaven, not lead us to hell.

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Gene Craig: Columnist should take note that ‘Pope’ Francis is violating Jesus’ teachings."