"It's the Final Countdown...."
Posted on 12/29/2015 10:03:40 AM PST by ebb tide
ROME — Pope Francis celebrated a Mass for the Holy Family on Sunday, designed as a reminder of the spiritual and pastoral importance of the family in the context of his Holy Year of Mercy. Plans called for similar Masses to be held around the world in basilicas where there’s a holy door for the jubilee year.
“Let us not lose confidence in the family!†Francis said, telling families gathered with him in St. Peter’s Basilica that the world and the Church need them “now more than ever.â€
In terms of Church politics, however, Sunday’s Mass was also a reminder that we’re on a countdown to perhaps the biggest decision of Francis’ papacy, on a question that arises directly from his two recent Synods of Bishops on the family.
Sometime soon, Francis is expected to issue his own conclusions on the synods in the form of a document, technically known as an “apostolic exhortation.†Veteran Italian Vatican writer Marco Tosatti recently reported that the document could appear as early as February, while others suggest a March release date, perhaps tied to the feast of St. Joseph on March 19.
On Sunday, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference restricted itself to saying the document is expected “in the spring.â€
While the two synods, one held in October 2014 and the other this past October, touched on a wide variety of topics, by far the single most contested question was that of whether to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. It’s become a key test of exactly how far Francis is willing to go in terms of rethinking traditional Catholic teaching and practice.
It’s telling that after two synods debated the issue at length, agonizing over every comma in concluding language on the subject, it’s now a matter of controversy exactly what that language meant.
In November, the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, a Jesuit known to be close to Pope Francis, published an article in La Civiltà Cattolica saying that the 2015 bishops’ summit “laid the basis for access to the sacraments, opening a door that had remained closed in the preceding synod.â€
That claim raised eyebrows, in part because the Jesuit-edited Civiltà Cattolica enjoys a semi-official status in the Vatican and is reviewed prior to publication, in part because Spadaro is rumored to be among an informal group advising Pope Francis on his document.
In response, several figures who took part in the synods and who were part of the opposition to the idea of opening Communion to the divorced and remarried, such as Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea and Cardinal George Pell of Australia, insisted that they had decided no such thing.
They noted, for instance, that the word “Communion†and the phrase “access to the sacraments†don’t even appear in the final document of the 2015 synod, which was clearly crafted as a compromise text.
Given the contrasting positions, the ball is clearly now in Francis’ court. Logically speaking, he would seem to have four possibilities:
1. A clear “yes†to Communion for the divorced and remarried, even if it would require some discernment in individual cases. 2. A clear “no,†while still stressing that divorced and civilly remarried believers remain part of the Church and can participate in its life in various other ways. 3. A call for more study and reflection, saying that the time isn’t right to make a decision. 4. Decentralizing the question to some extent by offering broad guidelines and then encouraging local bishops to make decisions. Tosatti believes that Francis will choose door No. 4, using language that won’t be seen as a clear win for the “yes†camp associated with German Cardinal Walter Kasper, but which will encourage greater latitude for local bishops.
“Sources speak of a ‘magmatic’ document,†Tosatti wrote on Dec. 17, “with advice and the possibility for bishops to make case-by-case decisions in individual situations. In substance, that’s a reiteration of the current discipline in the examination of individual cases, with a greater emphasis on the role of the bishop.â€
The touchstone would likely still be Pope John Paul II’s 1981 document Familiaris Consortio, which followed an earlier synod on the family and laid down the following standard on admission to Communion in paragraph 84:
Reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children’s upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they “take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.â€
However, Francis could provide greater scope for what’s known as an “internal forum†solution, which basically means that pastors and bishops could work with people in a second relationship to reach a private decision in conscience that they meet the requirements for Communion, even if they don’t fully meet the requirements in Familiaris Consortio.
A widely read Italian blog set up as an observer of the synod process suggested recently that if this is, indeed, where Francis comes down, the document may give rise to “contrasting interpretations,†meaning some bishops could give it a minimalist reading and others could be more permissive.
Whatever Francis may be planning, he didn’t tip his hand on Sunday.
The pontiff devoted his brief homily to extolling the family as a “domestic pilgrimage,†saying that in the context of the special jubilee Holy Year of Mercy, it’s “inside the family where one learns to forgive.â€
The pope urged families to practice simple expressions of the faith together, such as tracing the Sign of the Cross on the foreheads of children at the beginning of the day, and praying together before meals.
Reflecting on the Gospel story of the child Jesus abandoning his parents on a visit to the temple, Francis said that although the Bible doesn’t say so, “we can imagine†that Jesus later had to ask their forgiveness.
“Opportunities for growth by asking forgiveness also make up part of the pilgrimage of the family,†Francis said.
The Mass for the Holy Family formed another stop on a busy holiday itinerary for the pontiff.
On New Year’s Eve, Francis will preside over a vespers service, and on New Year’s Day, he’ll celebrate a Mass in the morning in honor of the Virgin Mary. That afternoon, he’ll head across town to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major to open a holy door for the special jubilee Year of Mercy.
On Jan. 6, Francis will close the traditional holiday season with a Mass for the feast of the Epiphany, marking the revelation of Christ as the Son of God when he was visited by the three magi, or “wise men.â€
1. A clear “yes†to Communion for the divorced and remarried, even if it would require some discernment in individual cases. 2. A clear “no,†while still stressing that divorced and civilly remarried believers remain part of the Church and can participate in its life in various other ways. 3. A call for more study and reflection, saying that the time isn’t right to make a decision. 4. Decentralizing the question to some extent by offering broad guidelines and then encouraging local bishops to make decisions. Tosatti believes that Francis will choose door No. 4, using language that won’t be seen as a clear win for the “yes†camp associated with German Cardinal Walter Kasper, but which will encourage greater latitude for local bishops.
Doesn’t this Pope face credibility issues — after declaring that Christ is not the Savior?
He is the Catholic Church’s Obama.
Though I believe in the Catholic Church. I do NOT believe in this POPE.
He’ll take excerpts from “Heather has Two Mommies.”
Satan has done a number on you folks...the pope is evil, the Church of Christ is going down. My favorite...a man can ruin everything. Jesus Christ. Nuf sed.
He’s the head of that church is he not?
Not sure I follow your use of English, what is the point you were trying unsuccessfully to make?
Breitbart has a really good photo of the Pope with a big smile. This photo proves that Pope Francis is capable of smiling broadly. I watched Christmas Eve Mass, and the Pope looked miserable throughout the service. Am I the only one who noticed this? Even if your arthritis is kicking in or you have a bellyache from some bad pasta, really, a scowling Pope celebrating the birth of Christ??? Yup, he can’t even fake it.
Best critique of Pope Frank thus far. Sadly, the disease may have to run its course before the church is healed if, indeed, it is to be healed at all.
Just what constitutes a “family” to this Pope?
You’ve got it all wrong. Satan has done a number on Bergoglio.
In my lifetime I have not seen the Roman Catholic Church discipline or excommunicate politicians and other other powerful people such as Pelosi, Biden, and Kerry who endorse and facilitate abortions, gay marriage, and other behavior the church claims to view as sinful. Pope Benedict publicly appeared with with twice divorced French President Sarkozy and his concubine Carla Bruni during his visit to France in 2008. The same conservative Pope had an audience with the self proclaimed “ardent Catholic” Nancy Pelosi in 2009. In the same year he also met privately with strong abortion and gay marriage advocate VP Joe Biden. John Kerry has also met with the Pope.
Joseph Kennedy, JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy were notorious philanderers and adulterers but still received the sacraments and were honored by church leaders at their funeral services. Teddy Kennedy even callously divorced his wife, when she was struggling with alcohol dependency. The church granted him an annulment. Why does the church deny sacraments to common sinners when it honors the wealthy and powerful despite their wickedness? What would Christ, who allowed a whore to wash his feet with her tears, say about denying Communion to sinners? Did he not share the last supper and his blessing with Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter, even though he knew in advance one would sin by betraying him and the other would sin by denying him?
Perhaps Francis is struggling and failing to reconcile the church’s hardline view toward average sinners with its public tolerance of the same sins when committed by the wealthy and powerful. Would Christ accept Teddy Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi at his table while turning away a repentant divorcee who aborted a child? Should a mortal man presume to deny God’s grace to any person? Heavy questions for any Pope, holy man, or lay person of faith to ponder.
Two and Half Men
Correction: Two and a Half Men
"It's the Final Countdown...."
Probably will tell us family is great, but you can get to heaven without it.
Pope Francis:
“...This was a pastoral concern: will we allow them to go to Communion? Communion alone is no solution. The solution is integration. They have not been excommunicated, true. But they cannot be godfathers to any child being baptized, mass readings are not for divorcees, they cannot give communion, they cannot teach Sunday school, there are about seven things that they cannot do, I have the list over there. Come on! If I disclose any of this it will seem that they have been excommunicated in fact! Thus, let us open the doors a bit more. Why cant they be godfathers and godmothers?... “
Would Christ accept Teddy Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi at his table while turning away a repentant divorcee who aborted a child?
If someone is "repentant," they can go to confession and get back in God's good graces. It doesn't cost anything, and is not only open to the rich and powerful. Part of repentance involves not intending to continue to commit the same sin on an ongoing basis, though.
The issue with divorce-and-remarriage (not just divorce) is that the person is objectively not "repentant" if they are not living as brother or sister with their new (in civil law, at least) spouse. Again, that has nothing to do with wealth or power.
A Catholic funeral, strictly speaking, is not meant to "honor" the deceased but to pray for his soul. You aren't even *supposed* to have a eulogy.
Lots of people who aren't rich get church annulments.
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