[ebb tide]

Amoris Laetitia is "non-magisterial"? Not so fast ...

[ebb tide]

{NB: Relevant to this question is Pope Francis's landmark speech on "decentralization" that he delivered on October 17 last year. During this speech, which he addressed to the Synod Fathers, Francis made clear that at the end of the Synodal process, he intended to pronounce authoritatively: "the synodal process culminates in listening to the Bishop of Rome, who is called upon to pronounce as "pastor and teacher of all Christians," not based on his personal convictions but as a supreme witness of “totius fides Ecclesiae” (the whole faith of the Church), of the guarantor of obedience and the conformity of the Church to the will of God, to the Gospel of Christ and to the Tradition of the Church." NOTHING in Amoris Laetitia takes back or reverses this statement of intent. Now, the fact that Francis intended to pronounce authoritatively on the matters of discussion taken up by the Synod does not, by itself, make his pronouncement automatically "magisterial", but it also means that it is highly unlikely that this lengthy document was written in such a way that it can be dismissed as a mere expression of papal opinion.}

[Hieronymus]

I’m more concerned about keeping the letter to the Bishop as private/personal, which seems to me quite doable, than attempting the same with AL, which seems difficult, at best. There are otherways of finessing AL, but it is good to limit the number of fires one has to lavish attention on. (I teach theology, though thankfully not in areas this Pope deals much with.)

[Hieronymus]

I’m more concerned about keeping the letter to the Bishop as private/personal, which seems to me quite doable, than attempting the same with AL, which seems difficult, at best. There are otherways of finessing AL, but it is good to limit the number of fires one has to lavish attention on. (I teach theology, though thankfully not in areas this Pope deals much with.)