https://www.padreperegrino.org/2023/12/gobbledygook/ Pharisaical Word-Games from the US Bishops Father David Nix The Catholic Church has always had blessings for people and items. Blessings for people are usually for individuals, but occasionally a priest may bless groups living in a vocation designed by God (like a family.) Blessings for items can be anything from a vehicle to a crucifix. But there is a new heretical documentfrom Cdl. Fernandez that reads: “III. Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex. 31. Within the horizon outlined here appears the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex, the form of which should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage.” (emphasis mine.) Catholic News Agency has an article titled “U.S diocese respond to Vatican declaration on same-sex couple blessings.” The article interviews Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota and Cardinal Seán O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston and Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the article, Bishop Cozzens thankfully referred to marriage as existing between a man and a woman. He also mentioned “repentance and conversion” for those who wish to follow Christ in discipleship. This is also good. But then he said, “Although it is impossible for us to bless a same-sex union, since any sexual union outside of the marriage of one man and one woman is contrary to the Gospel, we may bless individuals who are not yet living in full accord with the Gospel, even those in a same-sex union.” This doesn’t make any sense. If the only thing Bishop Cozzens meant to say to CNA was “We priests and bishops can obviously bless anybody,” then he should have said, “We priests and bishops can obviously bless anybody,” and left it at that. But he didn’t. So, we must ask: Why would Bp. Cozzens write about the blessing of someone who struggles with same-sex attraction as a blessing for someone “in a same-sex union” if that person were actually struggling for chastity? In fact, why would it matter if the recipient of the blessing were not aiming for chastity if we priests can actually bless any person or any object? I assume this is because the bishop wants to defend the heretical paragraph 31 above from the Vatican website calling for “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” while still not going full-bore heresy like Cdl. Fernandez. He must have forgotten that the traditional Magisterium of the Catholic Church states that making any “defense of the ill done” makes one an accessory to another’s sin, including heresy. And yes, paragraph 31 is a heresy, encouraging “blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex.” Would any US bishop approve of a child-trafficker and an abused-child being blessed together or separatelyby a priest as long as there were some amorphous pledge of future “repentance and conversion” on the part of the sex-trafficker? Of course not. Especially if the trafficker identified “slavery” as his impetus for the request of the blessing. No, that person obviously needs to go to the confessional, not receive “a blessing.” I recently heard a woman my age speak on the FOCUS YouTube about how she has struggled her whole life with same-sex attraction. But she said she doesn’t like to be pigeonholed into that sin when there is so much more to the story of her falls and redemption than just that one thing. In fact, she said something very beautiful and powerful on that topic of same-sex attraction: “Satan calls you by your sin. Jesus calls you by your name.” Translated into today’s topic: Why do we have to talk about blessing chaste Catholics “with same-sex attraction” if we really believe they are first sons and daughters of God? Why would so many American priests and bishops play into the Vatican’s insistence that we call same-sex attracted people by their sin as we priests approach them to bless them? Why approach any Catholic based on their struggles instead of their baptismal identity? I suspect it is because many don’t believe in sin or redemption by the blood of Jesus. But a few do, and even they seem woefully ignorant of the fact that a change in the practice of the blessings of the Catholic Church will immediately effect a change in the lifestyle of the baptized. In other words, “gay civil-union” blessings will most certainly lead to “gay marriages” in mainstream liberal parishes. This happens practically, whether or not certain hand-wringing bishops want to see this happen doctrinally, or not. All in all, I think we see that the Vatican-document linked at the top of this article is [barely] more honest than the so-called “conservative” bishops who will play word-games in their dioceses simply to avoid falling into the denotation of heresy or fall short of doing damage-control for the Vatican. But we will all answer for our denotation and connotation. This is something the first century Pharisees probably didn’t realize until their condemnation. Some bishops of the United States would rather defend the blessing of mortal sin than admit the obvious, namely, that heresy is currently being produced in such documents. In fact, many US bishops would apparently either remain silent or bless one of the four major sins that cries out to heaven for vengeance than simply indicate the commandeering that happened in the Vatican in 2013. This evil has led to the destruction of souls—vulnerable souls struggling with certain disorders who were redeemed by the blood of Christ, yet may be unable to attain it as they are deceived by imposters who pose as shepherds. Someone in the hierarchy needs to finally stop this madness by beginning an honest appraisal of the canonical crimes that happened in Rome during 2012 and 2013. Nothing will get fixed until that happens. And that admission of duress in Pope Benedict XVI’s putative-resignation will also provide the lynchpin to all these heretical documents that no one needs to defend. Sent from my iPhone
Medjugorje, for myself, was a like a swing. One day yes, another well.....Reading the book, "My Heart will Triumph", basically won me over. And sad to say, I have always wondered if the Cardinal is a "faux supporter"....what better way to cause more division, given what else he supports?
Jesuit word play at its finest 'come down from the cross and we will believe'. Smoke, mirrors, diabolical deception.
I have a priest friend who is very careful and considerate to be obedient to his bishop and I am sure the Holy Father. But he also has been very clera that he will protect his soul because he knows as a pastor and priest he ultimately has to answer to God. He has said that the last cannon of the Church from his perspective supersedes all the others including anything related to "following orders" so to speak. Can. 1752 In cases of transfer the prescripts of can. 1747 are to be applied, canonical equity is to be observed, and the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes. So while I have not talked to Father about this situation my guess is he would look at this blessing issue in light of does it ultimately meet this supreme cannon? I would ask any bishop the same question. Does blessing anyone or thing ultimately lead to their salvation. Even if the word splitting can be taken on face value, the deep question that a bishop and priest need to ask themselves to protect their own salvation is this truly going to help those who are receiving the blessing in their salvation? Is there not the risk that such a blessing could in fact hide from them that they need to repent and convert. And believe me, I do not say this in a "holier than thou" mindset. I know I am a sinner and I continually need to convert I trust that the blessing I receive at each Mass help me in that regard.
I keep thinking of Father Charles Murr's response. He said "there are all sorts of ways to give a blessing" and cites his mentor Cardinal Gagnon who he considers a saint. When asked sarcastically by a feminist nun for his blessing the Cardinal immediately complied. He asked her to kneel and proceeded to ask God's blessing upon her soul to grant her the grace to escape the hell fire she was heading toward. Now thats a blessing!
I'm a hardcore sceptic on Medjugorje. I have to say that some of the holiest people I've ever met are devout followers of it. They're so holy that I have to admit that there are times I think maybe there's something wrong with me for not believing. Knowing that Cardinal Schonborn is a follower helps set my mind at rest. On the topic of Pope Francis and the problems in the Church, there's an interview that Eric Sammons did with a man named Joshua Charles who wrote a book about saints who had problems with their Bishop or the Pope in their time. The whole video is worth watching but the best part for me begins at about the 42 or 43 minute mark: During the interview, he quoted from Sirach 3 which is about the honour due to parents. He thinks, and I agree with him, that this could also apply to our spiritual fathers (Bishops/Pope). Here's a link to the passage from Sirach: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/3
Yes, Medjugorje is not only an apparition currently unapproved by the local Bishop (who has the authority), such as Garabandal. Medjugorje is one of the cases where the local ordinary, the Bishop of Mostar Pavao Zanic, has explicitly ruled against the validity of the apparitions.
The passage from Sirach is powerful. I think it applies to our bishops and the pope. That is why I try to keep it in mind when feeling anger toward the pope and some bishops. Keeping charity is difficult in these times but absolutely necessary. We are all being sifted like wheat including Cardinals bishops and the pope. We cannot and must not leave the Church and we must pray for Pope Francis as we would our own father and not judge. God will judge--all of us when the time comes. In the mean time we must pray for him. For all of them. " it is a terrible thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God" I realize this goes against what so many on the Forum feel. Each must obey his or her conscience in this matter. I have had to go to confession over this several times. I have never been more aware than I am right now how precarious our situation is and how the enemy is using EVERY stratagem to trip us and send us down the wrong road. We must truly work out our salvation with fear and trembling. What would Padre Pio do? He was falsely charged and unjustly punished by Church authorities more than once. Never did a word pass his lips against them or the Church. And yet he could breathe fire and brimstone at sinners. What is Cardinal Burke doing? Bishop Strickland? They are carrying this cross with no condemnation of their persecutors. I ponder these things. May Our Lady keep all of us safe in these treacherous times.
Fr. Francis preached on the recent Sunday when the relevant passage of Sirach was included in the readings. As a priest called to provide Sacraments to the dying in nursing homes, he lambasted Catholics, in general, who neglect visiting loved ones in institutions. He called it abandonment. However, in today's instant information culture, who is responsible to warn the flock of the wolves in our midst? This must be part of our personal discernment. What I try to do when instructing on the issue at hand is to teach the simple truth and say avoid those who would teach otherwise.
Some people go way over the top in their criticisms. It's hard to find the right balance, so probably best for us to cut it to a minimum. We are entitled to clear teaching from our spiritual fathers. We're not getting that when the pastoral practice doesn't match what's written in the documents. Example is a teaching method. Fr. James Martin isn't just any old Jesuit. He was handpicked by the Pope as some kind of consultant on Vatican communications. Are we expected to believe that, before the ink was dry on the document, a homosexual couple spontaneously asked Fr. Martin for a blessing simultaneous with the arrival of a photographer from the New York Times? People like Michael Lofton would probably say it was all a coincidence or that Fr. Martin was being disobedient. Anyone with a smidgin of wit would conclude that Fr. Martin, who has a special role bestowed on him by the Pope, got the wink and nod from the Pope to pre-arrange the blessing and the photographer for maximum publicity of the real message of the document.. That's where I struggle - the obligation to disbelieve my lying eyes. Fr. Martin certainly disobeyed the document as written but I'm finding it hard to accept that he wasn't following what will come to be called the spirit of the document a la the infamous "spirit" of Vatican 11. Are we called to deceive ourselves? I do fear that when I stand before God I will be shown how my failure to pray enough for the Pope and Bishops contributed to the mess. Sins of omission can be soul destroying. Least said, soonest mended is probably the wisest way for those of us with no authority.
I do fear that when I stand before God I will be shown how my failure to pray enough for the Pope and Bishops contributed to the mess. Sins of omission can be soul destroying. Least said, soonest mended is probably the wisest way for those of us with no authority. (from Whatever’s previous post) Wise words.
I'm in a really frustrated mood today for lots of reasons. So rather than respond in a way that will likely cause me to go to confession, I will just say there is more to your answer above. I will leave it here ... not getting into a debate . Have a good day ..peace The Church's Position On Medjugorje
St. Paul said: 4:25 Wherefore, putting away lying, speak ye the truth, every man with his neighbour. For we are members one of another. 4:26 Be angry: and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. 4:27 Give not place to the devil. It's sometimes very difficult to reign in righteous anger before it turns to unrighteous rage. But, imho, as difficult as that may be to do at times, it is well worth the effort.
I just read yesterday that the couple said that Fr. Martin texted them and asked if they wanted their “marriage” blessed.
