ABSTRACT

It becomes increasingly clear that Amoris Laetitia brings about an important change in the sacramental discipline of the Catholic Church and that this change has significant consequences. The discussion moves from the question of whether there is a change in the Catholic sacramental practice to the question about the kind of change which Amoris Laetitia brings about. Some commentators argue that Pope Francis follows the footsteps of his predecessors and that his apostolic exhortation is yet another step on the path of “organic development of doctrine.” Other scholars think that the current pontiff oversteps the boundaries set out by his office and that the document needs serious revision and correction. Certain amount of confusion about the document still remains, and it needs to be addressed by the Church authorities prudently. With regard to the provisions of admitting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, a proposal is made to consider these provisions as conditional, that is, subject to further progress of striving for the ideal on the way of “dynamic discernment.”