Cardinal Eijk: Divorced, remarried Catholics can receive Communion only if celibate, per Church teaching. They remain welcome in liturgy, charity work.
Newsroom (24/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and the Eucharist, stating that civilly divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Communion only if they abstain from sexual relations. The Dutch cardinal made these remarks on Tuesday in Rome during the presentation of his new book, The Bond of Love: Catholic Teaching on Marriage & Sexual Ethics, at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
“The issue of divorced and remarried couples is a frequently discussed problem today,” Eijk said. He referenced Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio (no. 84), which states that such couples must live without sexual activity if they wish to receive Communion. “Why? Because a civil marriage is not a regular union; it is not a valid marriage if the bond of the first marriage is still valid. That is the issue,” he explained.
Eijk acknowledged the challenges faced by those in such situations who desire to remain active in the Church and receive the sacraments. “Many people live in this situation but still wish to attend church and receive the sacraments,” he said, noting that the indissolubility of sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church makes this “naturally difficult.”
The cardinal emphasized the theological basis for the Church’s stance: “Christ gives himself entirely to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist, and we, too, must give ourselves entirely to him. If this is lacking in marriage, one cannot receive Communion.”
However, Eijk stressed that divorced and remarried Catholics remain valued members of the Church community. “Of course, people living in such relationships are, without a doubt, very welcome in the Church,” he said. “They can participate in our liturgy and even in our charitable activities. But, for the reason I mentioned, they cannot receive Communion.”
Describing the practice in the Netherlands, Eijk noted that such individuals may approach the priest during Eucharistic celebrations with their arms crossed over their chest to receive a blessing instead of Communion. This approach, he said, helps mitigate feelings of exclusion and “seems to be a satisfactory solution.”
Eijk concluded, “That would be my solution,” suggesting that this practice offers a pastoral way to balance inclusion with adherence to Church doctrine.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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