Posted on 02/21/2014 10:14:48 AM PST by ebb tide
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Thursday (Feb. 20) opened a major two-day meeting on the church’s approach to the complexities of modern family life, telling the world’s Catholic cardinals that the church needs a “pastoral” approach that is “intelligent, courageous and full of love” and not focused on abstract arguments.
In brief introductory remarks released by the Vatican, Francis pushed the closed-door summit of about 150 cardinals to “deepen the theology of the family and discern the pastoral practices which our present situation requires.”
He asked that they do so “thoughtfully” and by keeping the focus on “the beauty of family and marriage” while at the same time showing that the church is ready to help spouses “amid so many difficulties.” Francis added the phrase “intelligent, courageous and full of love” extemporaneously.
Francis summoned the cardinals to Rome for a weekend of ceremonies at which the pope will appoint his first batch of 19 “princes of the church,” as cardinals are often called.
But he asked them to arrive early so that they could spend time discussing one of Francis’ signature themes: shifting the church’s approach on controversial topics like divorce and remarriage, cohabitation, gay marriage and contraception.
Those issues will also be the focus of two larger and longer meetings of bishops at the Vatican this fall and in 2015.
“The pope has opened a dialogue, he’s not decided anything yet and now he’ll let us discuss,” Cardinal Walter Kasper, a German theologian who is a favorite of Francis, told Reuters on Thursday.
Kasper said the talks were not about changing doctrine or watering down traditional marriage — “that’s not possible,” he said. But “it’s a question of how to apply (church teaching to) the concrete, difficult, complex situation.”
Francis tapped Kasper to open the meetings with an address that would set the stage for the talks. Kasper — a onetime sparring partner of another German cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Benedict XVI — delivered a two-hour talk that centered on marriage and took up most of the morning’s session.
Kasper has pushed for relaxing the ban against Communion for Catholics who have divorced and remarried without an annulment; as a bishop in Germany in the 1990s, he tried to institute a policy that would allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion in certain circumstances. The plan was rejected by the Vatican’s doctrinal office, then headed by Ratzinger.
In his talk on Thursday, Kasper did not offer any specific proposals, but repeatedly stressed the importance of pastoral flexibility and realism in dealing with people in challenging or unusual family situations.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican’s chief spokesman, said Kasper’s talk would remain private but he provided reporters with an overview of the address.
“Our efforts are not about restating that the doctrine of the church is thus and so,” Lombardi said in summarizing Kasper’s remarks. “Our efforts are about returning to the beginning of the doctrine itself, which is the gospel.”
Lombardi described Kasper’s talk as “in great harmony” with Francis’ views, stressing the importance of accompanying people in difficult circumstances and the need for patience in helping them.
Even before he was elected pope last March, Francis — then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires — blasted priests who “hijacked” the sacraments and refused to baptize the children of unwed mothers. He called such clerics “hypocrites” who “drive God’s people away from salvation.”
After his election, Francis continued to make the point, telling a pregnant single woman that he would baptize her baby if she couldn’t find another priest to do it, and baptizing — in the storied Sistine Chapel — the baby of a couple who were married civilly but not in the church.
In other venues Francis has also repeatedly stressed the priority of preaching God’s mercy rather than focusing on the details of doctrine and church rules. That, in turn, has led some to wonder if he was signaling a possible change in some teachings.
But Vatican insiders say the pope prefers to try to change the church’s approach rather than start a civil war over doctrine that would distract from the church’s mission to the poor and marginalized.
That doesn’t mean the shift toward mercy and away from finger-wagging is sitting well with all church leaders. Disagreements were expected as each of the cardinals gets a chance to weigh in with their own views.
“Everybody will have a chance to yell about something,” one cardinal quipped after the first day’s sessions.
It has to go back further. If we are not teaching our teens, then by the time they are ready to marry they will have 3 kids with a couple of different partners.
The Longer Version of the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII, 1888
O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
“
That’s not technically correct. Dogma is solemnly defined truth, doctrine is teaching. But beyond that I’m not sure how much more relaxed the annulment procedures could be, the last I heard 80% of the world’s annulments come from the 5% of Catholics who live in the US.”
Most American annulments entail lying under oath. I think the bishops hate this but don’t know what to do.
wikipedia? LOL.
Randy Engel is the biggest anti-Catholic bigot this side of the moon. She has an abnormal obsession with homosexuality and thinks all priests are sodomites. She called B16 a homosexual and said the proof were a pair of red shoes that he occasionally wore.
It sounds like you think all requests for annulments should be granted; and granted quickly. Is that correct?
Otherwise, wouldn’t you agree that the Church take Her time in declaring marriages to be null? How would you like it if your wife, at her request, was granted an annulment and you were out on the street in six months?
Hey Tonto. This post was not supposed to be turned into another Catholic bashing. Knock it off with the obsession with sodomy. Not what the posting is about.
This coming April when you refer to this great man of God it will be Saint John Paul the Great.
Hey tonto, wikipedia cites sources, something you’ve never heard of.
I already gave you source on annulments, paleface.
Tonto
OK you asked for it.
Protestant Clergy Abuse Equals or Exceeds Catholic Clergy Abuse
Posted on June 20, 2008 by dannimoss
This article is courtesy of ethicsdaily.com. It was originally posted to the site July 6, 2007.
~~~
By Bob Allen
The Associated Press reported recently that three insurance companies receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by Protestant clergy, challenging the assumption that clergy sexual abuse is an exclusively Catholic problem that does not take place in other churches.
That is a higher number than the annual average of 228 “credible accusations” brought against Catholic clerics in records reported by the Catholic Church in response to media scrutiny, a priest observed in a Fox News commentary questioning why the story isn’t garnering more attention.
While the report about abuse in Protestant churches doesn’t absolve guilty Catholic priests or those who enabled them, said Father Jonathan Morris, it offers a more complete picture. “The problem of sexual abuse has no denominational boundaries,” he wrote.
The AP obtained figures on sex-abuse claims from three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America–Church Mutual Insurance Company, GuideOne Insurance and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.
More U.S. children are abused by Protestant ministers than by Catholic priests
http://religiouschildabuse.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-us-children-are-abused-by.html
NOTE: SNAP is the biggest leftwing crackpot organization in the world. Shyster laws that go after 50 year old priest sex abuse cases and never mention a word about sex abuse in other demoninations. FOLLOW THEE MONEY!!
Were you and your wife "married" before she received her annulment? If so, I'll better understand your position, i.e. "we couldn't wait".
This April, I’ll still pray for him, as I do for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
The mad rush to canonize the Vatican II popes certainly leads to questions regarding the legitimacy of the process in these particular cases. Why the sudden switch to high speed canonizations? Why have long established procedures designed to assure the integrity of the process been suddenly set aside? And now the reformers have set their sights on shaking up the annulment process, which will further undermine marriage. If lack of understanding regarding the sacramental nature of marriage, immaturity and/or nagging mothers-in-law are grounds for claiming a marriage never took place, then it seems likely under such criteria that the majority of Catholic marriages in America could theoretically be annulled.
Dogmas of the Catholic Church [Catholic Caucus]
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The Decline of Dogma and the Decline of Church Membership
The Three D's -- Dogma, Doctrine and Discipline [Ecumenical]
Radio Replies First Volume - Dogma and reason
Radio Replies First Volume - Development of dogma
Docility (on Catholic dogma and infallibility)
Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854 (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception)
“Were you and your wife “married” before she received her annulment?
We got married 6 months after her annulment was finalized.
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