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THE MOST important thing to bear in mind when considering Amoris Laetitia, the “apostolic exhortation” from “Pope” Francis on marriage and family, aside from the fact that Francis does not possess the authority to guide Catholics given that he himself rejects certain Catholic dogmas, is the context. We live in an age of moral relativism. That is the context. The last thing people need to be told today is that everyone’s situation is different, that ethics are ambiguous. Everyone knows that. What everyone does not know, what most people do not know, is that ethics are not situated primarily within the purely human realm but within the mystical connection between God and man. Jorge adds fuel to the already raging inferno of naturalistic moral relativism — and worse. He has, as was widely anticipated through the charade of a democratic process, opened the door to reception of the sacraments to those who are living in objective sin. He does it through the modernist’s trump card: the theological loophole, which is a perversion of the compassion due to individuals in a variety of difficult circumstances. God loves the repentant sinner. Jorge loves the unrepentant sinner.
The home-wrecking pseudo-pontiff once again attacks Holy Church in his diabolically crafty, lovespeak way, accusing those who have upheld and taught the moral law — and who thereby protect the young and rejected spouses — of throwing stones at people’s lives and possessing a “closed heart.” From his exhortation:
305. For this reason, a pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws to those living in “irregular” situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives. This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teachings, “sitting on the chair of Moses and judging at times with superiority and superficiality difficult cases and wounded families”.349 Along these same lines, the International Theological Commission has noted that “natural law could not be presented as an already established set of rules that impose themselves a priori on the moral subject; rather, it is a source of objective inspiration for the deeply personal process of making decisions”.350 Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God’s grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church’s help to this end.351 Discernment must help to find possible ways of responding to God and growing in the midst of limits. By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and of growth, and discourage paths of sanctification which give glory to God. Let us remember that “a small step, in the midst of great human limitations, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order, but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties”.352 The practical pastoral care of ministers and of communities must not fail to embrace this reality.
God, according to Joyful Theology, has thrown stones at people: “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery?”
Joyful Theology is a condemnation of the Church’s perennial teaching and its inherent justice toward the vulnerable. Jorge doesn’t give a flying fig for the welfare of children whose lives have been torn asunder by divorce and “cohabitation.”
Rorate Caeli writes:
Though released only this morning, Catholic observers and commentators have already begun to identify several objectionable passages in which the doctrine and discipline of the Church’s Faith is elided, wrested, and contradicted. We at Rorate Caeli will have more to say on this subject, but we can affirm that the headline of Maike Hickson’s commentary at OnePeterFive is correct: “Pope Francis Departs from Church Teaching in New Exhortation.” Also correct is Voice of the Family’s observation, “There are many passages that faithfully reflect Catholic teaching but this cannot, and does not, lessen the gravity of those passages which undermine the teaching and practice of the Catholic Church.”
Do read Hickson’s comments, and when you have time, visit Canonist Edward Peters’ weblog and read his “First thoughts on the English version of Pope Francis’ Amoris laetitia.” His criticisms isolate what are probably the worst aspects of the pope’s exhortation (there are many others that are also very bad), and the criticisms are charitably presented — to my mind charitably to a fault. Here is the core of Peters’ critique (emphasis added) ..
The Catholic Church has always shown mercy toward men and women with serious marital discord. But the mercy has been tempered by justice and reverence. Joyful Jorge doesn’t like that. There’s not enough joy in limits. Amoris Laetitia marginalizes the important roles of justice and reverence due to God alone.
Robert Royal writes:
Amoris Laetitia hopes to resolve the situations of many in the modern world, but is far more likely only to add further fuel to the holocaust. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that once Communion can be taken by the divorced/remarried in some circumstances, it will soon be assumed licit by all. And – why not? – by people in gay relationships, who probably have an equally good claim to mitigating circumstances.
I have not had the chance to read through the whole text yet or comb through the best analysis out there yet as I have unfortunately not been able to do much blogging this week because of pressing obligations at home, but here is some initial commentary from the blogger Mundabor, who sadly believes that a pope can be a heretic: Read More »