Posted on 06/26/2017 1:47:57 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
I understand your argument. It is similar to the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant opinions.
But the original post is about the four cardinals asking the Francis to clarify the confusion emanating from the contradictions in Amoris Laefitia. I’m giving the Catholic teaching. If one does not accept Catholic doctine, then one is a material heretic- regardless if one is a layman, priest or Bishop. Ones own personal opinion has nothing to do with it.
Given this, I mistakenly thought you were trying to argue that your view was consistent with Catholic teaching. Given your response, thaf is obviously that is not the case.
I have been Catholic for 30 years. The church uses annulment to get around divorce so you can take communion again. Its not new. Pope Francis has set the price at $500 so its affordable for everyone. Its not difficult to meet the criteria for annulment.
I don't know where you're getting that from, but each diocese sets the price, and if you can't afford it the cost is lowered or it's free.
Correct. And taking that one step further, according to preeminent Catholic theologian, G. Van Noort, the key to membership in the Church is whether that person is a public heretic, material or otherwise:
Public heretics (and a fortiori, apostates) are not members of the Church. They are not members because they separate themselves from the unity of Catholic faith and from the external profession of that faith. Obviously, therefore, they lack one of three factors—baptism, profession of the same faith, union with the hierarchy—pointed out by Pius XII as requisite for membership in the Church. The same pontiff has explicitly pointed out that, unlike other sins, heresy, schism, and apostasy automatically sever a man from the Church. "For not every sin, however grave and enormous it be, is such as to sever a man automatically from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy"
By the term public heretics at this point we mean all who externally deny a truth (for example Mary's Divine Maternity), or several truths of divine and Catholic faith, regardless of whether the one denying does so ignorantly and innocently (a merely material heretic), or willfully and guiltily (a formal heretic). It is certain that public, formal heretics are severed from the Church membership. It is the more common opinion that public, material heretics are likewise excluded from membership. Theological reasoning for this opinion is quite strong: if public material heretics remained members of the Church, the visibility and unity of Christ's Church would perish. If these purely material heretics were considered members of the Catholic Church in the strict sense of the term, how would one ever locate the "Catholic Church"? How would the Church be one body? How would it profess one faith? Where would be its visibility? Where its unity? For these and other reasons we find it difficult to see any intrinsic probability to the opinion which would allow for public heretics, in good faith, remaining members of the Church. - Van Noort, Dogmatic Theology Vol II
Francis is a public heretic.
First: It is against Canon Law to grant a declaration of nullity for any consideration of money.
Second: civil divorce itself doesn’t bar a person from Communion. It can be an act of justice in the eyes of the Church if it protects a victim from an abuser, or helps secure the rights of dependents.
What bars one from Communion, is adultery. Jesus taught — repeatedly -— in plain language -— that anyone who divorces one spouse, and marries another, is committing adultery.
I can see why people find that very difficult, but that’s the word He used: adultery.
A hard saying, but we’re stuck with it.
The only solution -— assuming the first marriage is not annulled -— is repentance and Confession, and a completely abstaining from sexual relations in the so-called second marriage.
I just googled that $500 figure and found out it’s not so. Many Diocesan Tribunals have no fees at all, at least in “ documentary cases” (ones where the paperwork is all there, its proven there was an invalidating defect in the marriage from the get-go, and there’s no need to track down respondent and witnesses.) Some Dioceses -— I noticed New Ulm MN is one -— suggest a $500 donation from those able to pay.
In every case it’s up to the individual Diocese/bishop. There’s no uniform policy.
BTW, our (small) Diocese doesn’t have a tribunal of its own, but shares with a neighboring diocese.
That will change soon because our bishop just assigned two priests to take summer courses at CUA and get degrees in Canon Law.
One of these priests told me the first thing they are told is, “EVERY MARRIAGE US PRESUMED VALID, AND EVERY BOND PRESUMED BINDING FOR LIFE, UNLESS PROVEN OTHERWISE.”
Yeah, we’ve got us a Catholic bishop.
Well, I’m sure the two of you have more experience than I do at the moment, or at least access to personal experience. So I’ll just leave it at that.
I’ll just stick with the views I espoused upthread about remarriage being forgivable and then pray that corruption gets purged from all churches.
I don’t think you quite get it. Annulment means you are good to go and get married again and take communion.
Case in point: RFK Jr. Got an annulment from wife number one who he was married to for 13 years and had a couple of kids with so he could get remarried in the church and take communion. AND wife wife number one contested it all the way.
Hey I’m Catholic. I love the church but I also understand how it works. All institutions have safety valves. Annulment is the remarriage and communion safety valve.
Hey I’m Catholic. I love the church but I also understand how it works. All institutions have safety valves. Annulment is the remarriage and communion safety valve.
***
That makes sense.
I’ve been told that annulment was supposed to be solely for ‘invalid’ marriages, like with deception or underage or not consummated or the like.
That’s just what I’ve been told, though. Perhaps there are purposes beyond that?
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