The status of Catholics who are divorced and remarried has been a frequent topic of debate in recent months, with some bishops suggesting that if the individuals believe that they are living in accordance with God's will, they should be allowed to receive the sacraments. (Divorced and remarried Catholics are banned from the sacraments under Church law, since-- by living with one partner while still linked in an indissoluble marriage with another-- they are living in objectively sinful conditions.) The Vatican has repeatedly expressed disapproval for this "conscience clause" approach.
In the article published today, L'Osservatore Romano recognizes the fundamental point behind the pleas for a "conscience clause"-- the belief that in some cases the application of a law may seem to cause disproportionate suffering. But it emphasizes that any such cases should be exceptional, and that canon law does not make provisions for such exceptions.
Furthermore, the article continues, the use of such a principle-- in which a moral principle is set aside because of difficulties in a particular case-- is "foreign to the great tradition of Catholic moral theology." In fact, the application of a "conscience clause" would be certain to undermine the immutable Church teaching that marriages cannot be dissolved. Thus, L'Osservatore concludes, the "conscience clause" is an approach "which the Church cannot accept."