There's a mighty big difference between solemnly defining a long held Marian title and justifying a new novel and false "pastoral" practice of sacrilegious communion.
I have read and re-read the controversial chapter of AL, chapter8, and it raises three questions for me: 1. What does The Church teach about mortal sin now. 2. What does The Church teach about marriage nowadays. 3. What does The Church teach about The Eucharist, anymore.. I think those are 3 pretty huge areas of theology to be confused about. I think the 5 Dubia raised by the cardinals are reasonable.
There is this thing called Papal Infallibility. It PREVENTS the Holy Father from teaching error. It does not give him free reign to teach whatever he wants.
Cardinal John Henry Newman is one of my Catholic heroes and I also wonder what he would make of AL, especially in the light of his views on "Conscience". Catholics have clear ideas about conscience.
Well we do know what three saints (John the Baptist, Cardinal John Fisher and Thomas More) who literally lost their heads in defense of the Christ's teaching against divorce and remarriage thought about the the part of AL that the Cardinals are asking for clarification on.
1. What does The Church teach about mortal sin now. (Father John Hardon SJ Catholic Dictionary) MORTAL SIN. An actual sin that destroys sanctifying grace and causes the supernatural death of the soul. Mortal sin is a turning away from God because of a seriously inordinate adherence to creatures that causes grave injury to a person's rational nature and to the social order, and deprives the sinner of a right to heaven. 2. What does The Church teach about marriage nowadays. (Father John Hardon SJ Catholic Dictionary) MARRIAGE. As a natural institution, the lasting union of a man and a woman who agree to give and receive rights over each other for the performance of the act of generation and for the fostering of their mutual love. The state of marriage implies four chief conditions: 1. there must be a union of opposite sexes; it is therefore opposed to all forms of unnatural, homosexual behavior; 2. it is a permanent union until the death of either spouse; 3. it is an exclusive union, so that extramarital acts are a violation of justice; and 4. its permanence and exclusiveness are guaranteed by contract; mere living together, without mutually binding themselves to do so, is concubinage and not marriage. Christ elevated marriage to a sacrament of the New Law. Christian spouses signify and partake of the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his Church, helping each other attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children. 3. What does The Church teach about The Eucharist, anymore.. 1 Corinthians 11:27 27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Yet the "defenders" of this papacy employ the most cruel, vindictive and spiteful words and acts in attacking the 4 cardinals, acting in ways simply unimaginable among supposedly holy and learned men. Yet folks here still can't discern the truth at this late date?!?
Not to worry smudger, some of us know what a Pope can change and what he cannot change. He can ONLY change church discipline, not church doctrine (faith and morals). This is what those of us who know the churches teaching in regards to doctrine & discipline are concerned for.
Perhaps I owe a great debt of gratitude to all the progressive/liberal pastors I have had in my parish over the past 30 years. They have taught me a great lesson and one being applied in the document AL. Progressives hate clarity, as it does not allow them to spin an agenda. They get very mad when asked for clarity, for clarity is an enemy to the confusion of progressivism. We see this in politicians all the time.
How quick the vipers attack. Nothing new and a bunch of generalizations. You conservatives are the same as liberal politicians. Instead of debating...you attack with generalizations and what ifs. We all agree with the sin. The question comes to degree of sin and if it is forgivable.
Now I am really confused. What did you just say? All sin is forgivable if repented and confessed. Is that what you are asking?
Bella, Here are your answers. 1)The Church teaches very clearly that mortal sin leads to eternal death. 2)Marriage is until death. No remarriage unless one dies. Annulment means original "marriage" never existed. 3) The Eucharist cannot be received by anyone in a state of mortal sin. Now does Pope Francis accept answer to question one? Yes Does he believe in remmariage? No Does he believe people in mortal sin can receive Holy Communion? No Anyone on this forum who thinks his answers are different to those I have given are utterly wrong.
Do you know Pope Francis better than his friend Archbishop Bruno Forte? Archbishop: Pope told me we must avoid speaking ‘plainly’ on Communion for remarried Archbishop Bruno Forte, the Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, said during a presentation on the pope’s recent exhortation Amoris Laetitia that Pope Francis told him at the Synod on the Family that he didn’t want to speak “plainly” about the question of admitting remarried divorcees to Holy Communion because doing so would make a “terrible mess.” Forte claimed that the pope told him: “If we speak explicitly about communion for the divorced and remarried, you do not know what a terrible mess we will make. So we won’t speak plainly, do it in a way that the premises are there, then I will draw out the conclusions.” “Typical of a Jesuit,” Abp Forte reportedly joked.
So what? Maybe Pope Francis is all too aware that many traditionalists are not interested in the distinction that needs to be made between those in mortal sin, and those not. I think he is totally correct if that is what he thinks-and his continual criticism of rigid catholics suggests he does think that. Did you know back in the nineteenth century during the reign of Pope Leo XIII, the policy was not to inform of the evils of contraception because by keeping couples in ignornce, the Church could in a sense protect them from full knowledge and deliberate consent? What some call "Jedi tricks" or whatever is actually the "get out of jail card" given by God through the Church's teaching that will enable many to enter heaven. Its a real pity that so many seem more interesed in stopping grace reaching those in desperate need of grace.
Padraig, that's a terrible way to describe the two most sensitive souls (BrianK and Mac) on MOG!! Sorry I couldn't resist ! Happy Christmas everybody!
Smudger, I hope you are right! Obviously at least four Cardinals are confused about what is stated in chapter eight of the AL, or maybe they are asking for clarification for the faithfuls sake? I hope the dubia can not be taken as something that is offensive to the Holy Father! If the dubia is not offensive and the Holy Father states in the affirmative as above, then we can all breath a collective sigh of relief. No harm, no foul and (hopefully) no schism! but probably still much confusion! as it won't change the actions of many (so called catholics) who over the last 60 years, dismiss Catholic doctrine/dogma and recieve Our Lord in Holy Communion unworthly! that is; without going to confession while living in a state of defiance of actively ignoring Catholic teaching defined in Humanae Vitae!
