Posted on 02/15/2018 9:40:06 AM PST by ebb tide
The Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente, has published an official statement in which he endorses giving Holy Communion to those who are divorced and invalidly remarried in some circumstances.
The statement, posted on the patriarchate’s website, is called “Note regarding the reception of chapter VIII of the apostolic exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia.’” According to the cardinal, the note’s purpose is to implement the teaching of Amoris Laetitia in light of two other documents: “the correspondence between the bishops of the Pastoral Region of Buenos Aires and the guidelines given to the priests of the Diocese of the Pope (Rome) by its cardinal-vicar.”
Cardinal Clemente offers numerous quotations of the three documents to justify giving Holy Communion to those in adulterous remarriages, including the letter of the bishops of the Pastoral Region of Buenos Aires, which has been placed into the Acts of the Apostolic See by the pope. Clemente quotes the letter’s claim that the option of living in celibacy “may not, in fact, be feasible” and that “there are limitations that diminish responsibility and culpability (cf. 301-302), particularly when a person judges that he would fall into a subsequent fault by damaging the children of the new union.”
The cardinal concludes that under “exceptional circumstances” there is the “sacramental possibility” (that is, the possibility of receiving Holy Communion) “in conformity with the apostolic exhortation [Amoris Laetitia] and the above-cited documents.” He adds that “discernment” should be continued “always adjusting practice more in accordance with the Christian matrimonial ideal, and better sacramental coherence.”
Pope Francis’ novel doctrine permitting Holy Communion for those in adulterous second marriage has been questioned and denounced widely by Catholic clergy and laity, particularly theologians and canon lawyers. The Church’s law continues to require that those who are conscious of mortal sin not present themselves for Holy Communion, and that priests refuse communion to those who publicly known to be living in habitual mortal sin.
The bishops of Kazakhstan have released a ringing rejection of Francis’ doctrine, and have reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s “two thousand-year-old sacramental discipline,” which prohibits giving Holy Communion to people in a public state of mortal sin. Other bishops and also cardinals have joined their names to their declaration
Clemente’s statement comes in the wake of comments the cardinal made to the press in December, when he told Agencia Ecclesia that divorced and remarried Catholics who want to begin receiving the sacraments will have to follow a “very long” process which isn’t a “quick, immediate, simple” decision. However, the cardinal added that “in some cases, with discretion and with the consent of the bishop, they can return to the sacramental life,” citing the authority of Pope Francis.
Already in Portugal the Archdiocese of Braga has followed Clemente’s lead, announcing late last year that it will give “access to the sacraments” to “divorced and remarried Christians,” without any reference to the need to give up the sexual act, affirming that “the Archdiocese of Braga will establish a group for accompanying Christians who are divorced and remarried, which will make access to the sacraments possible, in accordance with a process of individual discernment.”
The archdiocese’s embrace of the practice of giving Holy Communion to adulterers was condemned in January by eminent canon lawyer Edward Peters, who wrote: “It doesn’t matter what reasons might be offered by the storied Archdiocese of Braga for its plan to authorize the administering of holy Communion to basic divorced-and-remarried Catholics. If that is . . . their plan, they are wrong,” continues Peters. “Patently and gravely wrong. Just like the Maltese. Just like the Germans. And just like a few others if only in terms of the wiggle room they allow themselves in these cases, as do, say, the Argentinians.”
Of course, because the church from its early stages turned from grace to works beginning with the Galatian Church and the Church at Emphasis right through to today’s dead Laodicean Church.
However, in these last days, God by His spirit is sweeping the church with a “grace revolution” bringing the true gospel of the grace of Christ back to the church, as prophesied by Jude, as a means of the last worldwide in-gathering of souls quickly before he returns as prophesied by Jesus in Luke 14:23.
The God's New Covenant to us is that because of Jesus, God says to us, "I do not remember your sins and iniquities" - we have forever forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17). There is NO condemnation anymore to us (Romans 8:1).
Righteousness is not a work (Romans 3:21; 4:6). Righteousness is a gift from God through the grace of Christ ( Rom 5:17) - the righteousness of faith not works (Romans 3:22; 4:13). God now calls us "the righteousness of God in Christ" (2 Cor 5:21).
Just as we were born sinners no matter how many good deeds we did, so now we are born again into His righteousness no matter how much sin we commit. Saying otherwise is saying that Adam's work making us permanent sinners was greater than the perfect work of Christ on the cross making us permanently righteous by his blood. Just as we were born into sin, not by our doing, so now we are born again into righteous not by our doing. Our salvation is forever and cannot be taken away from us. What peace and joy grace brings to us.
Satan hates grace and will attack anyone who embraces the gospel of grace because those who are establish in grace are victorious overcoming Christians - a big threat to Satan and his kingdom of darkness. And also those who persecute, attack, and replace the gospel of grace of Christ with their false doctrine of salvation by works face a double curse (Galatians 1:6-9).
Also if this helps, as far as Hebrews goes, I've worked up an answer below to the false doctrine of "continuing sacrifice" of the Catholic Church.
For such a High Priest [Jesus Christ] was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.Hebrews 7:26-27
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.Hebrews 9:24-26
For the sacrifices of the law can never make those who approach perfect which they offer continually year by year [ie. continuing sacrifice is futile], having only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things. For then wouldn't they have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.Hebrews 10:1-3
[W]e have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.Hebrews 10:10-14.
[Thus says the Lord] Their sins and their lawless deeds I remember no more.Hebrews 8:12; 10:17.
Hope at least some of this helps. If so, I encourage you to read and re-read the scriptures cited and in general, the Book of Romans and Galatians which spell out in detail the gospel of the grace of Christ. God bless
I appreciate that post!
You’re welcome.
If you have time, try listening to these excerpts from a couple of Joseph Prince’s sermons. I think you’ll be blessed and encouraged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=razh2q6jsWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fIqZ5sPSEg
Oh, sure they do.
That's why they offer guilt free, Romanism sanctioned divorce under the guise of an annulment.
That which we call a rose by any other name.....
Especially considering it in light of this......
Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Catholics seem to miss the fact that even sin of the heart is as bad as the action.
The pharisees made the same error in judgment because they didn't understand God either.
And just who do you know who's done that?
Or is the some fabricated scenario you are painting to try to discredit any teaching not Catholic?
Absolute and unadulterated hogwash.
Scripture existed LONG before Catholicism came into existence.
How about some catholic committing the sin of pride, going to confession then scouring the internet for the next Protestant to slam? Everyone has their favorite sin. We are all lost without Christ who truly rescues us from our body of death.
Only if you don't believe Scripture.
GOD, not Roman Catholicism, defined marriage.
"cheap grace" only exists in the minds of Catholics and others who feel they need to work for their salvation, which no man can do.
Waiting for an answer.........
True.....
Then why did you cite the passage? What was your point?
Yep. Third bucket of popcorn.
If one reads the words of the Messiah to the seven authentic churches in Asia, and to anyone with ears to hear, one can know that the problem is not works, but a lack of works. That is why He mentions them so many times. He knows the works, and those whose works are acceptable and those whose works are not. His parables recorded in the latter chapters of Matthew bear this out. A theology that came some fifteen centuries later (Calvinism) is the problem.
He mentions works because that is what the church has been all about. Look at what he corrects the churches for. The Ephesian Church - “You’ve lost your first love” [ie. you’ve lost the priority of the grace of God’s love for you]. The false doctrines of Pergamos and Thyatira (the Catholic Church), the dead church of Sardis and the wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked Church of Laodicea of today. They ALL had works but missed the boat.
Your comments don’t prove what you claim. God, for whatever reason, has blessed a lot of people who didn’t follow Him perfectly. He instituted one man one woman marriage in Genesis....long before Roman Catholicism came into existence in the early 300s.
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