More on Amoris Laetitia
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.
The above passage from Amoris Laetitia is already under fire from many conservatives and the sly Cardinal Kasper is using it to justify what he has said. Anyone who has read my blogs from two years ago will be wondering however if the Pope had also been reading them. I was never one to see this as a black and white issue. "You are divorced and remarried and there is nothing we can do about that so come back when things have changed" That was never my call. I have highlighted situations where a person has divorced and later on married or lived with someone else to whom she had children. Now should she leave her partner? Should she deprive her children of their father? Since the children are the innocent ones the answer is most certainly 'No' And consider that today there are few families who have not experienced the pain of this. The Pope is right to highlight these points and what I am doing is bringing his words into the practical family situation.
So having professed that I am not a black and white moralist on this do I believe that divorced and remarried people should receive Holy Communion just like any other member of the Congregation. On this I am black and white and my answer is 'No' As a Christian I follow the Lord Jesus and his teachings. In Mark 10 Jesus was as some would say very judgemental of the Jews before him who were divorced and remarried. He was having none of it. Why? It is no coincidence that after this teaching he turned to little children and warned that anyone who hurt them would be severely condemned. In fact thrown into the sea with a halter around the neck. Divorce is a cruel and terrible thing for children to experience And it is for the Church to proclaim this teaching of Him whom they claim to follow. Most who have been through the rejection and hurt of divorce and do not wish it on any other family will have no difficulty if I say for the sake of others by refraining from Communion you can be a witness to the words of Jesus and an example to the children around you that yes, Jesus was right and Marriage is something to enter with the right partner who believes in marriage the way you do. It is not just something casually entered into and rejected just as easily. You can help them avoid the hurt you felt by your witness.
Many bishops and priests have serious questions to answer Jesus at their judgement. Did the only help they give was a shrug of the shoulder and a murmur that good marriages are just an ideal. We must forget the teachings of Jesus? Or did they present this witness to the person? Does Pastoral Concern only mean making everybody happy?
But the person may ask what they would receive from coming to Church and not receiving Communion? Yes, they would not receive sacramental grace but they would receive actual graces. The priest should be able to tell them the difference. But above all they could be pleasing to God and not use the Church for their own ends.
The Church must start preparing young people for marriage. The priests must stop this insanity of not mentioning this or that from the pulpit in case it offends someone. What about starting to teach the virtue of chastity to young people. Yes it has difficulties, but it would be a start.
The above passage from Amoris Laetitia is already under fire from many conservatives and the sly Cardinal Kasper is using it to justify what he has said. Anyone who has read my blogs from two years ago will be wondering however if the Pope had also been reading them. I was never one to see this as a black and white issue. "You are divorced and remarried and there is nothing we can do about that so come back when things have changed" That was never my call. I have highlighted situations where a person has divorced and later on married or lived with someone else to whom she had children. Now should she leave her partner? Should she deprive her children of their father? Since the children are the innocent ones the answer is most certainly 'No' And consider that today there are few families who have not experienced the pain of this. The Pope is right to highlight these points and what I am doing is bringing his words into the practical family situation.
So having professed that I am not a black and white moralist on this do I believe that divorced and remarried people should receive Holy Communion just like any other member of the Congregation. On this I am black and white and my answer is 'No' As a Christian I follow the Lord Jesus and his teachings. In Mark 10 Jesus was as some would say very judgemental of the Jews before him who were divorced and remarried. He was having none of it. Why? It is no coincidence that after this teaching he turned to little children and warned that anyone who hurt them would be severely condemned. In fact thrown into the sea with a halter around the neck. Divorce is a cruel and terrible thing for children to experience And it is for the Church to proclaim this teaching of Him whom they claim to follow. Most who have been through the rejection and hurt of divorce and do not wish it on any other family will have no difficulty if I say for the sake of others by refraining from Communion you can be a witness to the words of Jesus and an example to the children around you that yes, Jesus was right and Marriage is something to enter with the right partner who believes in marriage the way you do. It is not just something casually entered into and rejected just as easily. You can help them avoid the hurt you felt by your witness.
Many bishops and priests have serious questions to answer Jesus at their judgement. Did the only help they give was a shrug of the shoulder and a murmur that good marriages are just an ideal. We must forget the teachings of Jesus? Or did they present this witness to the person? Does Pastoral Concern only mean making everybody happy?
But the person may ask what they would receive from coming to Church and not receiving Communion? Yes, they would not receive sacramental grace but they would receive actual graces. The priest should be able to tell them the difference. But above all they could be pleasing to God and not use the Church for their own ends.
The Church must start preparing young people for marriage. The priests must stop this insanity of not mentioning this or that from the pulpit in case it offends someone. What about starting to teach the virtue of chastity to young people. Yes it has difficulties, but it would be a start.
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