Posted on 01/12/2014 3:22:03 AM PST by markomalley
Amid apparent opposition to the Vatican's doctrine head, a German bishop who supports admitting those who are divorced and remarried to Communion says his aim is to promote dialogue on the issue.
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, the emeritus archbishop of Freiburg im Breisgau, was interviewed by German daily Die Welt in an article published Dec. 29.
Portions of the interview were translated into English at “In Caelo et in Terra,” adaptations of which are used here.
In October, the Freiburg archdiocese's pastoral care office wrote a document suggesting that divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Holy Communion under certain circumstances.
Since then, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Müller, has several times reaffirmed that those in irregular marital unions after divorce cannot receive Holy Communion, while noting the necessity of pastoral care for such persons.
In November, he wrote to Archbishop Zollitsch, instructing him that the Freiburg draft text “is to be withdrawn and revised so that no pastoral directions are sanctioned with are in opposition to Church teaching. A careful reading of the draft shows that it does contain correct and important pastoral notes, but the terminology is unclear and does not coincide in two points with the Church's teaching.”
In his interview with Die Welt, Archbishop Zollitsch replied, saying, “that is the judgement of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Archbishop Müller’s position corresponds with the Tradition he represents.”
“But the majority of people who have approached us were positive about the proposal. That tells me that we are pursuing an important issue and that it is important to find a viable solution.”
He cited Pope Francis' desire that the Church be “close to people.”
“I think that that can be a good direction in dealing also with those civilly remarried.”
The archbishop, who remains apostolic administrator of the Freiburg archdiocese, asked, “how can this topic be off the table? 35 to 40 percent of marriages end in divorce these days. As the Church we ask ourselves: How should we relate to those concerned? This is the question that our pastoral care office’s proposal asks.”
He said he feels “much strengthened” by Pope Francis, discussing the synod on marriage and family to be held in October. “There we want to present what we in Freiburg have drafted.”
Archbishop Zollitsch noted that, as president of the German bishops' conference for nearly six years, he has several times traveled to Rome “to explain our position” supporting the admittance of the divorced and remarried to Communion.
“If a prefect of one the various Congregations would then oppose this position, I would think to go slowly. A Prefect is not the Pope. I look for dialogue, and for me that is the way of collegiality and the dialogue in the Church.”
The Die Welt interview also touched on his retirement; his time as head of the German bishops' conference; and subsidiarity in the Church. He believes his time as head of the national bishops' conference was notable for strong measures to prevent sex abuse.
Asked about reform in the Church, he suggested that the Church will “continue in her tradition” on such topics as priestly celibacy and women's ordination, but urged greater independence for bishops' conferences on such issues as liturgical translations and inculturation of certain rites.
“I wonder, for example, if the Vatican must be asked about the translation of the Missal into German, or about the appointment of a professor to a university theology faculty.”
Archbishop Zollitsch, who retired last September, said his successor in Freiburg would be appointed in March, and that once he is able to step down as apostolic administrator, he looks forward to to no longer being governed by a busy schedule, having more time for walking and reading.
Mark 10:11-12 And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Or perhaps he wishes to dialogue about the words of St Paul?
Rom 7:2-3 For the woman that hath an husband, whilst her husband liveth is bound to the law. But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Therefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is delivered from the law of her husband; so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man.
I Cor 10:27-30 Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.
Seems to me, Archbishop Zollitsch, that it's pretty much cut and dry and there's not much to dialogue about unless you want to dialogue about changing the teaching of Christ. And it seems to me that you wish to condemn these poor souls who have erred regarding marriage to hell.
The “archdiocese’s pastoral care office wrote a document suggesting that divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Holy Communion under certain circumstances.”
Is this a valid “circumstance” the Church should pray about and discuss?:
A person gets divorced for whatever reason, avoids annulmentt or has annulment denied for whatever reason, and years later falls in love and remarries - then later makes an authentic Confession about this error. Verdict: No Eucharist. Ever.
Another person tortures and murders 10 people - then makes an authentic Confession. Verdict: Communion. Immediately.
8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from
the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and
marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
My first wife ran off (and never came back) to live with several other men and ditched me with my three kids.
Jesus said it was OK to divorce her for sexual immorality.
Simple formula;
Receive Jesus
Go, and sin no more.
Ph 2:5
"Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus"
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is our guide (conscience, to the lost)
When Jesus (living under the Old Covenant/Law) talked about much that was a sin, He was adhering to the Law He was under and also demonstrating our need for Him - impossible for us to go even a day without committing a sin and the wages of even the "smallest" sin was death.
Just a question - this passage Therefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is delivered from the law of her husband; so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man.
speaks of the law of a woman's husband - are you equating it to the Law of the Old Covenant and bringing it forward into the New Covenant? The reason I ask is that it seems that many will search for "supporting" data to back up their case and end up doing the same thing the Evil One does by twisting the meaning/intent. It seems that if one wants to work toward the Christian goal of spreading the Word, that one should be more judicial in how they go about the brow-beatings of "enlightenment".
....Or simply BELIEVE in God to start!
Stop dilly-dallying ... get ready for church !
You got it!
Why does Archbishop Zollitsch remain as the apostolic administrator of the Freiburg archdiocese? Surely, there's some "boss" in Rome who could remove him from this position!
He can only remove himself when he reaches the ages of 72-73. That is called RETIREMENT.
Where did you hear that? That’s not true for an apostolic administrator.
The pope could remove him from the position in a heartbeat.
Zollitsch celebrated his 75th birthday this past August. What say you to that?
My guess is that's why he's so froggy right now. He wants to go out with a bang after whining about being retired because of his views and he's counting on people not getting the facts about a mandatory retirement age having be put in place.
I’m not that big into “guesses”.
Please see post number 14. Thank-you.
Post 14 was addressed to me, already; and I’ve responded to it and cc’d you. What’s you’re point?
Just look at all the pro-abort, pro-’gay marriage,’ pro-priestesses who are pushing for the Catholic Church to not change in the case of civil divorce and remarriage.
Oh wait. There are no such people, my bad. For some strange reason every one of them who accept these things also think the Church should change on this. Not that there aren’t folks who don’t believe in these things that also want the change. But everyone who does dig abortion, ‘gay marriage’ and priestesses also wants change in the case of civil divorce and remarriage. How odd, truly.
Freegards
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.