Posted on 12/09/2013 7:13:05 PM PST by ebb tide
A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Could this be where the Synod on the Family is headed? December 9, 2013
Posted by tantamergo
in abdication of duty, Basics, disaster, episcopate, error, family, foolishness, General Catholic, horror, Sacraments, sadness, scandals, self-serving. trackback
Most readers will know that Pope Francis has scheduled a special episcopal Synod on the Family and married life next October. Surveys of the world’s bishops are apparently underway to gather views for problems affecting family life and marriage in particular. Some of these surveys have come to light. Some of the survey questions seem to point in a certain direction, that of somehow changing how the Church views issues like whether the divorced and remarried (w/o annulment) can receive the Blessed Sacrament. There has been a new Secretary General for this synod appointed.
Regarding that, this new Secretary General, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, made some comments recently on the subject of admitting the divorced and remarried (w/o annulment) to Communion. Dr. Ed Peters, who normally strives to sing the corporate line, took exception to Baldisseri’s comments recently, via Bishop Rene Gracida. What did Baldiserri say? Well, among other things, this:
A new approach needs to be taken with respect to the administration of the sacraments to remarried divorcees. The Church needs to apply Church doctrine taking the circumstances of each specific case into account. This approach does not mean making general conclusions and rules for everyone….
It’s a simple, short statement, but say so much. As Dr. Ed Peters notes, there is no middle ground between admitting someone to the Blessed Sacrament, or not. And let me say, I am sick of hearing that these people are “denied the SacramentS.” No, they are denied ONE Sacrament, the Most Blessed Sacrament. They can go to Confession. They can receive Baptism.
But irrespective, what this “new approach” would seem to point to is just admitting these divorced and bigamist Catholics to receive. This is a blatant violation of Christ’s own condemnation of people who divorce and remarry, because the Church does not recognize – and nor did Christ – divorce as a severance of marriage. These people are adulterers, according to Our Blessed Lord. Calling the Church’s belief regarding the sinfulness of divorce and remarriage (adultery) a “discipline,” as Peters does, is a profound disservice. If this is not a Doctrine, straight from our Lord’s lips and 2000 years old, nothing is. We may as well close us shop.
The way I see the progressives trying to nuance this is with some claptrap about not changing “the general conclusions and rules for everyone,” but admitting the divorced and remarried “on a case by case basis.” This is laughable, we all know what will happen, the “exception,” like Extraordinary Ministers of Communion or Latin in the Mass, will become the certain, unalterable rule in about 5 seconds. It will make a mockery of the Church’s moral law.
As Peters does note, there seems a strong whiff of antnomianism (which says the Church has no moral law, “faith alone” is all that matters) about all this. I think we see in this where the progressive, primarily European elements want to take this Synod. It is very disconcerting that the Secretary General seems to be on board with their ideas. I pray the more faithful bishops will be able to derail this monstrosity. If passed, it will mark only the beginning of the progressive/modernist attempts to completely deconstruct the Church’s moral law.
Drivel........
Using ill informed guess work to air grievances.
Pope Francis:“I think this is the moment for mercy. The divorced may have access to the sacraments. The problem regards those who are in a second marriage … who cannot receive communion. But, in parenthesis, the Orthodox have a different praxis. They follow the theology of economy, and they give a second chance: they allow that.
“But I think that this problem – and here I close the parenthesis – should be studied within the framework of matrimonial pastoral care. One of the themes that the Council of Cardinals will consider in the meeting in … October is how to proceed in relation to matrimonial pastoral care. A few days ago I met with the secretary of the Synod of Bishops, for the theme of the next Synod and, speaking … we saw this anthropological theme: how faith helps in the planning of the person, in the family, and enters into the pastoral of matrimony. We are on the way towards a deeper matrimonial pastoral care. This is a problem for many people.”
Are you accusing the Pope of spouting ill-informed guess work? If so, I agree with you. Popes shouldn't do such things.
I agree with you. The judge of this business is in Heaven, and the jury is out, entirely.
The rapid fire umbrage being taken everywhere is a sign of the times, where sound doctrine is rejected wholesale, in favor of chasing unicorns
of titillating scandal and nefarious deeds of fallen man, in rapidly falling nations.
The Judge has a jury?
Salvation Outside the Church is now sound doctrine?
One might say that the “reaction lobby”, on earth here, is trying the Pope with great vigor and much umbrage, serving as a defacto jury.
So, I said it. :)
One might say whatever they wish, as you have done. It makes no sense to me, however.
We are, unto our own salvation, the Bride and Body of the Christ. HE is the Head. He is Mercy, “on those whom He will”. That is all I have been taught.
The Pope, in his remarks, was not all that comforting to those outside the Church, I didn’t think, but dared not condemn the agnostic/atheist reporter nor dared remove all hope for him.
I am more than willing to appreciate his kind witness to the poor, than to be prematurely anxious over his language and regional politics differences with us in the West. He has never experienced free enterprise and is uninformed of our benefits from capitalism, but obviously subjected to propaganda.
Do you reject Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus? It is a dogma of the Catholic Church.
An very interesting read, but parsed, and truncated of the fuller text of the Holy Father’s own elaboration therein. I haven’t read the 50 some thousand words, and really can’t feign a faint over this selective content.
I will let you know if should ever go wobbly though.
We are? So we don't need priests or sacraments or grace?
That sounds like what Pelosi said about Obamacare. Nobody reads the damn things but they all defend them like wildcats.
How could we be “unto our own salvation”, without them? I certainly did not mean we *individually* save ourselves.
Certainly I meant by way of faith (which *is* only by His Grace) and certainly the Sacraments (which only exist by the consecrated hand of the priests).
You seem eager to panic, so this may be too laborious for my pay grade.
But, Merry Christmas, for sure. Rita
Good for you for reading the document in its entirety. I have not.
I do follow Francis’ witness of deeds, however, with no small amount of awe.
May you have a Blessed and Holy Christmas also.
I’m not panicked, but I am concerned that Pope Francis appears to be saying atheists, Jews and Muslims, etc can achieve salvation without priests, sacraments and the graces associated with them. Why even convert to Catholicism, if there’s no need to do so?
Thank you so much for your greeting, my dearest brother. We Catholics were raised to expect deterioration in all things, as Sacred Scripture attests throughout.
My job is to be still and know that He is God. That it should be we, you and I, who may be living on the cusp of His judgement is ordained and we shall live up to our purpose if that is truly the desire of our heart. He will see us through and He knows our hearts are breaking. We are beginning to say, “Come Lord Jesus, Come”, and mean it.
I want to take care of all which my abilities allow me and leave the macro to God and His Justice. Peace, Rita
I think many are absolutely fine with the new doctrine of Vatican II which Francis fully embodies. Hence, these latest remarks are not a concern, but are welcomed.
EENS was so exclusive, so yesterday.
I’m accusing those speculating about the Pope’s intentions for the Synod.
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