# Churches that ban(ned) divorced women

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/churches-that-ban-ned-divorced-women/714250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 5, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/churches-that-ban-ned-divorced-women/714250 "2015-03-05T05:31:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/churches-that-ban-ned-divorced-women/714250/41 "2015-03-11T12:23:46Z")

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> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> @SaintlyLoser, yes to Latin Mass. I don’t know what the other thing is I’m afraid.

There is a strong (but not absolute) correlation between a preference for the Latin Mass and retrograde, harsh beliefs that are not in keeping with Catholic teaching.

The “other thing” you mention, I’m guessing, is the Society of St. Pius X, an organization founded after the Second Vatican Council that rejected the reforms of Vatican II and believed the vernacular Mass to be invalid, and also thought that Pope John XIII and subsequent popes were (maybe) not valid popes, because of their supposed deviation from eternal truths. The SSPX actually started consecrating bishops and ordaining priests in defiance of Rome, and were ultimately kicked out of the Church (sort of), and thus became schismatic. There’s an ongoing effort at reconciliation with the SSPX, but they’re a nasty bunch. They absolutely believe that all non-Catholics are not saved, and they have truly unsavory beliefs about the Jewish people. One (at least) of their bishops has openly denied the Holocaust. It absolutely would not surprise me if they believed that there was some sort of stain upon the soul of children born out of wedlock.

There are other (not schismatic) groups within the Church that also _may_ believe that salvation is only for Catholics, or that children born out of wedlock are damned, or that divorced women should be banned from taking communion (even if they haven’t remarried). Opus Dei comes to mind.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/churches-that-ban-ned-divorced-women/714250/42 "2015-03-11T16:11:46Z")

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> [@Bricker](#):
>
> Yes, this is correct. In fact, each confession in the Roman Catholic tradition is typically ended with the Act of Contrition, which includes the words, “I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasion of sin.”
> 
> But note that having the intent to stop is not the same as actually stopping – that is, as with much sinful behavior, you may genuinely resolve to stop the sin, but find yourself committing it again. This does not vitiate your prior confession or absolution in Catholic teaching.

If you want to read a great fictional treatment of this very subject, there’s Graham Greene’s _The End of the Affair_.

In fact, if you want to read great fictional treatments of a number of Catholic themes, you can’t go wrong with Greene. There’s _The Heart of the Matter_ and _The Power and the Glory_, two great “Catholic” novels. Actually, just two great novels, no qualifier needed.

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