Posted on 09/01/2015 3:53:50 AM PDT by NYer
Huge news. This was under embargo till noon, Rome time, which must be honored. [UPDATE: The Bollettino is now available HERE]
The Year of Mercy begins 8 December 2015 until 20 November 2016.
It is about to be announced that the Holy Father has sent a letter to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization about the upcoming Extraordinary Year of Mercy.
In this letter the Pope says that he is granting to all priests the faculty to absolve from the sin of abortion. He writes: “I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.” Interesting way to word it.
He also says that the faithful may go to … well… read it yourself. Here is a screenshot from the doc:
This is HUGE news.
Let’s examine this.
First, note the language. This letter says that he hopes that the SSPX will be reconciled. He says that he hears good things about the priests of the SSPX. But he says that the faithful may approach the priests of the SSPX for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) and that they shall validly and licitly receive absolution. He doesn’t say that he is granting the priests the faculty to receive sacramental confessions. He places the emphasis on the faithful. In effect, the priests are being given the faculty to hear confessions, but there is a different emphasis. I have the sense that it is the need of the faithful who otherwise might not go to a non-SSPX priest that the Holy Father is stressing. Think about the case of a person who is dying and there is, say, an ex-priest -a guy who was “laicized” because he committed certain crimes, present, the Church’s laws says that in the circumstances of the person’s danger of death any validly ordained priest automatically has the faculty validly to absolve. The need of the dying person is of such overwhelming importance that the law itself grants the ex-priest (or suspended priest, etc.) the faculty. The stress is on the need of the dying person, not on the priest. I think this is an analogous situation.
Along with this, the fact of Pope Francis’ move, together with the wording, confirms what I have been saying all along about the priests of the SSPX: they do not and have not had the faculty validly to absolve sins! The fact that this is being granted for the Year of Mercy bears out what I have been saying.
That said, if the Holy Father is willing to go this far with the priests of the SSPX, is it hard to imagine that this merciful concession might not be extended beyond the Year of Mercy? I would like to think so!
Next, this concession also underscores a point I have been making all along. If only Nixon could go to China, perhaps Pope Francis is the Pope who will reconcile the SSPX!
Additionally, this could irritate some bishops in, say, France… Germany…. And even though this may not be well received in certain circles, the Pope is doing it anyway.
Moreover, earlier in his pontificate, this Pope was pretty hard on priests. He seemed to be bashing them on a daily basis. This move to grant all priests in the world the faculty to lift the censure which results from procuring an abortion is a sign of his confidence in priests… for a change.
I take heart from this bold move – which makes so much sense (to me at least) – in favor of the access the faithful will have to sacrament of penance. I hope that it will also spark a wider discussion on the positive things that will come from the reconciliation of the SSPX. I hope that discussion takes place even among the SSPXers themselves.
May all the followers of the SSPX , please God, look at this move with joy and with gratitude for the concern the Pope is showing to them.
And… to everyone… GO TO CONFESSION!
But… remember, the Year of Mercy hasn’t started yet and the SSPX does not yet have their faculty. GO TO CONFESSION with priest with faculties!
UPDATE 1020 UTC:
The Fishwrap has posted on this now. They get it wrong, of course. They openly call the SSPXers “schismatic”.
His quote for your consideration is posted above. As he addressed only elsie and myself I understood it to be addressed to the two of us.
I'll again note this is a violation of forum rules which ban the use of profanity.
I also see he has no regret for his comment nor any intention to apologize which speaks volumes.
If I understand catholicism does this not rise to a "mortal" sin?
It's been my experience that when profanity has to be employed the poster has run out of intelligent replies.
I hold no ill will toward you Jeff and forgive any hateful commentary you've either intentionally or unintentionally directed my way.
As the conversation has now taken this ugly turn, I will no longer post on this thread.
Rome is a vessel.. The power and principality is what we battle..not flesh and blood.
The true enemy is Satan. And frankly by observing this world, he plays three card monte with Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Religion is his specialty.
The only Truth is found within the pages of Scripture..
And testing Rome against that Scripture isn’t as comfortable as say, Islam or Judaism.. But we are called to prove all things.. Even things we think are givens-or things we think are unimportant.
The world of believers may not be ready to do that..
I didnt without His Amazing Grace.
Ears to hear with, and eyes to see with, gifts to us, from Him.
It doesn’t say Satan deceives part of the world. It says he deceives the whole world.
If we get a world calendar named after Mohammed that the world uses,I will apologize to Rome..
Until then, Daniel 7 and that 4th Beast/Kingdom (many scholars see that as Rome- 1. Babylon 2. Medes/Persia 3. Greece 4. Rome) is what we have to go by .
Rome has subtle control over the world by point of spear,but through peace and security afforded by places like America and the UN..
But again, I don’t see America like most Americans do either.
It isn’t an accident the Pope is coming to America when he is.
Even the dates have specific meanings to the sister occultict cities of Rome and DC.
To me this is dangerous as it stifles the conversation.
I know not all comment on these threads but a lot read them. That's the audience I'm always trying to address in these conversations.
I don't like the caucus thread personally.
Thank you! I’m sorry I wasn’t clear on that point: thanks also for the added info: Dads are so often excluded...
His quote for your consideration is posted above. As he addressed only elsie and myself I understood it to be addressed to the two of us. I'll again note this is a violation of forum rules which ban the use of profanity.
It was also a violation of forum rules when our caucus was interrupted recently by yourself. You yourself stated you were taking it to a higher level; the outcome: caucus status was removed on a technicality. Whether or not it was you who reported, it began as a caucus thread, to which you were not invited to participate.
I also see he has no regret for his comment nor any intention to apologize which speaks volumes.
Recently, I was insulted, my integrity questioned, again by yourself. I received no apology either, nor was there any evident remorse on your part.
If I understand catholicism does this not rise to a "mortal" sin?
That is between Jeff, and his confessor "in persona Christi.For myself I would say that, since you do not understand Catholicism, it is not up to you to decide.
It's been my experience that when profanity has to be employed the poster has run out of intelligent replies.
Or perhaps their previous replies have been mocked, unheeded, derided and they are frustrated that people who are not Catholic treat us as they do. I don't condone profanity, but I would be lying if I said I haven't used some out loud while reading some of the derogatory posts we have had here against Catholics. I am responsible for what I post. I. No one else.
I hold no ill will toward you Jeff and forgive any hateful commentary you've either intentionally or unintentionally directed my way.
That is between you and Jeff. For myself, I could give a laundry list of names of people who have attacked our threads before we even had the chance to respond; continue to attack us with everything but current information; mock what we hold as dear and honest truth!
As the conversation has now taken this ugly turn, I will no longer post on this thread.
The conversation took an ugly turn long since. Sometimes it's best to step back and assess one's own responsibility for a situation. It works both ways.
As always, E,
G-d ♡ bless you!
Grateful ✟ ✡
Correction: The caucus thread was not removed due to my comment. It was from another poster (catholic?) who mentioned protestant.
That is what took the caucus away. You were corrected on that point then and have been again today.
If I also recall another non-catholic had posted and none complained. I did not see an invite to that person nor did anyone ask that person to leave. I took that as a open invitation to post.
Recently, I was insulted, my integrity questioned, again by yourself. I received no apology either, nor was there any evident remorse on your part.
Please provide example.
It regarded Judaism being mentioned and the practice of Kaddish, a period of mourning after a person's death. And, again, you had no business in the caucus thread in the first place.
Didn't you say you were no longer responding to this thread?
Do you REALLY want your great man to appear as a FLIPFLOPPER?
There’s no flipflopping going on here. Read your quotes from Augustine again. He is calling Peter the church (in this representation Christ is to be understood as the Rock, Peter as the Church). In the quote I provided, Augustine states the Catholic Church began with the very seat of the Apostle Peter, which the Lord gave to Peter in His charge to feed His sheep.
Only to correct your incorrect assertion.
Not sure how this topic veered off into other topics but to answer your question, there are 2 factors at work. Abortion is murder; hence it is a 'mortal' sin.
A serious, grave or mortal sin is the knowing and willful violation of God's law in a serious matter, for example, idolatry, adultery, murder, slander. These are all things gravely contrary to the love we owe God and, because of Him, our neighbor. As Jesus taught, when condemning even looking at a woman lustfully, sin can be both interior (choices of the will alone) or exterior (choices of the will carried into action). A man who willfully desires to fornicate, steal, murder or some other grave sin, has already seriously offended God by choosing interiorly what God has prohibited.Mortal sin is called mortal because it is the "spiritual" death of the soul (separation from God). If we are in the state of grace it loses this supernatural life for us. If we die without repenting we will lose Him for eternity. However, by turning our hearts back to Him and receiving the Sacrament of Penance we are restored to His friendship. Catholics are not allowed to receive Communion if they have unconfessed mortal sins.
That, however, entails a personal understanding: the individual must believe that what they are doing is wrong and agree to do it anyway.
Theologically, there’s no sin God cannot forgive, and there’s no sin he will not forgive if one confesses one’s sins with contrition and receives sacramental absolution.
John 20:21-23
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Up until now, abortion would result in self excommunication.
Excommunication is a word that is often bandied about by Catholics, non-Catholics, and the media. However, when properly understood within the context of canon law, it is a penalty that the Church only applies in the rarest of cases, as a last resort, and for the purpose of helping to bring about the offender’s repentance. Read More
A question for the non-catholic. How does your church deal with abortion by its members?
You still won’t acknowledge that you had no business there in the first place. If you expect others to take responsibility for themselves, then maybe you should start by getting your own house in order.
Already explained and again refutting your incorrect assertion.
That’s all you got, out of all that was written? Sad...
Read the rules for forum. An invite can be made by private mail. Were you mailed or pinged? Then you were out of order. Caucus. Remember the word and unless invited, stay out- unless of course you’re a practicing Catholic... Or wannabee?
Amen. We do not need a middle man. We go right to the source.
Why? It is the truth.
You may want to revisit the circumstances of that thread from a while back. You know why I’m saying that......right?
Grateful
In all honesty, no. But you came in before it was declared to no longer be a caucus. Please explain, and if you can find it, please give me the link- I'm going through them now...
I came in as another "protestant" had been allowed to post without being asked to stop. I was thinking #4 applied which would make it a non-caucus thread. This was confirmed later by the RM as another poster who was catholic(see post #24 in the referenced thread) had mentioned another group that was not catholic.
So it was a catholic who provided the reason for the RM to remove the caucus thread!
And as you will note, after you asked that I not post as not being catholic, I did not until the caucus protection was removed.
Religion Forum threads labeled “Caucus”
Caucus threads are closed to any poster who is not currently and actively a member of the caucus group.
For instance, if it says “Catholic Caucus” and you are not currently, actively Catholic, then do not post to the thread.
However, if the poster of the caucus invites you, I will not boot you from the thread.
The “caucus” article and posts must not compare beliefs or speak in behalf of a belief outside the caucus.
There is little to no tolerance for non-members of a caucus coming onto the caucus thread to challenge whether or not it should be a caucus. Gross disruption usually follows.
If you question whether the article is appropriate for a caucus designation, send me a Freepmail. I'll get to it as soon as I can.
With as many posts as we all make it would be amazing to keep track of all of them.
You and I are good here.
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