in 1981, pope john paul ii issued the apostolic exhortation "familiaris consortio", which states, "the church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon sacred scripture, of not admitting to eucharistic communion divorced persons who have remarried." the exhortation continues, "reconciliation in the sacrament of penance which would open the way to the eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. this means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they 'take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.