There is much about Amoris Laetita that deserves criticism, but let me begin by complimenting its creators, chief among them the man whose name it bears; not for their faithfulness, but for their craftiness.
A hasty reading of the document might leave one to believe that it fails to meet the “revolutionary” standard as predicted by Cardinal Kasper.
Ah, but the Devil’s in the details; more specifically, his hand is clearly present in the footnotes.
For the most part, everything you need to know is in paragraph 305. I provide it here in its entirety with emphasis on the key portion of the text:
- 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.
Footnote 351 is indeed revolutionary! It reads:
In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium [24 November 2013], 44: AAS 105 [2013], 1038). I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak” (ibid., 47: 1039).
Make no mistake, when placed in context with the entire document (which I will do in more detail later), it is clear that “certain cases” includes practically all cases.
There you have it folks. Stealthily planted in the footnotes amid some 58,000 words, the majority of which sound more like relationship advice from Dr. Phil than anything else, is Walter Kasper’s dream come true.
Thus have the doors been thrown open wide for priests to admit to the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, those who are living in mortal sin.
To be very clear, we must now turn our attention toward paragraph 311 and its impact on the confessional, which reads in part:
At times we find it hard to make room for God’s unconditional love in our pastoral activity.364
And what does footnote 364 say?
Perhaps out of a certain scrupulosity, concealed beneath a zeal for fidelity to the truth, some priests demand of penitents a purpose of amendment so lacking in nuance that it causes mercy to be obscured by the pursuit of a supposedly pure justice. For this reason, it is helpful to recall the teaching of Saint John Paul II, who stated that the possibility of a new fall “should not prejudice the authenticity of the resolution” (Letter to Cardinal William W. Baum on the occasion of the Course on the Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary [22 March 1996], 5: Insegnamenti XIX/1 [1996], 589).
In this, Francis is making it clear that he wants priests to overlook the “firm purpose of amendment” that is required for absolution, and to consider persistence in mortal sin as the equivalent of a potential “new fall.”
We would be fooling ourselves if we believed for even a moment that this treatment of both Confession and Communion is ordered exclusively toward the divorced and civilly “remarried” and the cohabitating.
There can be no doubt that those pastors who are inclined to apply this same “standard” (or lack thereof, to be more precise) to those in homosexual relationships now know that they may do so with impunity and without fear of reprimand from their bishop or anyone else; certain that Pope Francis has their back.
In the end, the document contains few if any surprises.
On February 21, 2014, Pope Francis let the world know precisely what he thinks of Cardinal Kasper’s theology, including his vision for inviting those in adultery to the Sacraments.
The only question that has remained since is just how the “God of Surprises” (aka Jorge Bergoglio) would bring that vision to fruition. Now we know.
I will follow up later with a more detailed report on the various ways in which April 8, 2016 will go down in history as one of the most tragic in the history of the Catholic Church.
For now, let us pray and make reparations for the terrible offense against Our Lord that Amoris Laetita represents.
In other words: You may or may not do it this way or that, depending on how or how not you may or may not have formed your own conscience. Makes perfect sense.
The best part? Because some sin is habitual (para. 302), sinners are not guilty, therefore (para. 303) they can receive Communion. Besides, (para. 311), the Law of God is not as important as His Mercy.
But this is coming from someone who can’t even get the Sacrament of Marriage right (para. 80). The preceding paragraph (79) goes into greater detail about how sinners are not responsible for their sin.
By the way – it is people like you and me, who create scandal and division within the Church through the charitable exercise of fraternal correction, who “eat and drink judgment upon” ourselves (para. 186).
Well, this other blog says the exhortation is “a tour de force in rock solid Catholic orthodoxis and orthopraxis.”
http://southernorderspage.blogspot.com/2016/04/jusadbellum-makes-it-clear-about-popes.html
The pope’s paper should have been only a few paragraphs long:
i.e:
Confirming the Truth of the Catholic Church
“After careful thought and consideration, I have learned of a ‘newness’ that I have never heard of in my vocation. The God of surprises has enlighted me to this ‘newness’.
I am happy to share this with the world. I have committed the remainer of my earthly exsistance to spreading this ‘newness’ to all the world. I will no longer make wordy exhortations that confuse the world. This ‘newness’ has brought me to the realization that Truth is short and simple.
The following is a list of the ‘newness’ that I will expect all Catholics and non Catholics to follow:
Declare that Christ is the King of the World and Society.
Serve God first every day
Obey the 10 Commandments
Become Catholic, all other religions are false and they will lead you to Hell.
Go to confessions
Attend Latin Mass every Sunday (at least)
Memorize the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
Read the Gospels
Return to Tradition
Have lots of children
Say the Rosary daily
Pray as a family daily
Homeschool your children
Encourge your children to vocations in religious orders
Obstain from all sexual activity outside of Traditional Marrage (i.e. MAN AND WOMAN)
Do missionay work to bring more souls to the Church.
Follow all the above and you will have a good shot of Heaven when you die—
**A special note to all Catholic Bishops of the world: Please book your fights to Rome asap, I will be Consecrating the Immaculate Heart of Mary to Russia next week. Be there!
To all the world, I will also be reading, live on CNN, MSN, and FOXNEWS, the Third Secret of Fatima before the Consecration of Russia…please be sure to check your local listings so you won’t miss this event. Twitter your friends!
In addition, the ‘God of surprises’ wants me to inform the world that Vatian II was a big mistake. Disreguard everything. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I would also like to take this opperuntity to publicly apologize to the Society of St. Pius X.
As of this moment in time, they are now our example to facilitating the rebuilding of Tradition within our churches and seminaries.
I personally asked Superior General Fellay of the SSPX to reside over all the retraining of all Catholic priests to the Latin mass.
In addition, I want to apologzie in advance for all the construction and displacement you will experience as we return our churches to their former glory with high altars, communion rails, stainglass windows, statues and real candles.
We will no longer be in need of eucharisitc ministers, if you would still like to participate at mass, please see the Gregorian Chant Master of your local parishes.
I have ordered a new pair of shoes and I will be getting them by this Sunday.
I do like red, what was I thinking?
God Bless
Pope Francis
P.S. If you disagree with this exhortation, sorry you can not be saved. Have a nice day.”
CMRosary, you have a point about “habitual sin” which, however, does not work with the income tax office. I continually confess to the income tax agent that I habitually spend all my money such that I cannot “habitually” pay my tax debt. I do not understand it, I have received no mercy. So rigid, righteous and doctor of law “fundamentalist” is the IRS agent. And quoting Francis does not help me. I am not just trying to be humorous. The Pope’s line of argumentation fails re my debts in the “modern” secular world, but relieves me for my debts for eternity.Now that is a contrast. In this point the Pope has not opened up to the world. I do not mind too much a bit of corruption in the world, but am disturbed when it finds an abode in the papacy.
The word “penance” is conspicuously absent from the document. However, “conversion” does appear: For those living in an “imperfect manner” (cough – paragraph 78), the Church “seeks the grace of conversion for them, encourages them to do good.” Despite the entirety of the document telling everyone that their sin no longer matters, because, Mercy.
Thanks for posting this. Totally made my day! I think I would dance in the streets if this would happen.
The devil is in the details indeed. The lamb with two horns speaks like a dragon, Revelation 13. Will the few faithful prelates finally speak up resulting in the schism described in the Akita prophecy?
And the woman is clothed round about in purple and scarlet. -Revelation 14.
Jeremiah 51:45: Go out of the midst of her, my people; that every man may save his life from the fierce wrath of the Lord
Apocalypse 18
2 And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: *Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen: and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird:
3 Because all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her: and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the strength of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Go out from her, my people: that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.
This was fabulous! I could get great mileage out of this, with your permission of course, and just a tweak or two.
Father McDonald also has rabbis give the sermon at Mass, and thinks Judas should be canonized. So, yeah.
*Douay Catechism or Catechism of Trent or Catechism of Pope Pius X, etc.
CCC is heresy.
Love the post!
I’ll be watching for that 3rd Secret! 🙂
Someone please help me out here. CMRosary brought up para. 302 and it’s reference to CCC 1735. This brings us back to a product of Vatican II (CCC) and maybe even back to the council itself, though 1735 does not reference via footnote a previous teaching.
What I need help with is how in the hell does a person not have culpability for a sexual sin they have made habitual? Isn’t this the textbook definition for “vice”- a bad/sinful habit? Are we now to understand a person with a vice to be free from all responsibility and presume they are in a state of grace? St. Alphonsus does not seem to share this same idea.
http://www.copiosa.org/liguori_sermons/liguori_sermon_30.htm
Where does the Church, prior to VII, teach that habitual sin is actually not a mortal sin due to the person not being responsible for such actions?
“The Devil’s in the details” can be shortened:
The Devil’s in.
The God of Surprises: “Surprise! Your Anglican!”
1 John 1:6-9
If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
1 Cor 11;27-29 Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 28But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.
There it is! The Word of God – plain as day. Acknowledge your sins first, and do not receive the Eucharist unworthily. How much further in opposition to Scripture can these idiots go??? False teachers all of them. Shame on Catholics who do not study Scripture! This false pope and his false bishops should be opposed at every chance.
Michael F Poulin
Cardinal Kasper : I think you are a spinner, dumm beutel, plappermaul, schlappschwanz , angst hase, popel fresse, gelecktes wurstchen, mistkerl, penner, ekel packet, ganove, arschloch, drek sack, nichtsnutz, fettwanst, and the biggest pummel fee viper that has come out of Germany since Luther.
“In addition, the ‘God of surprises’ wants me to inform the world that Vatian II was a big mistake. Disreguard everything. Sorry for the inconvenience. ”
Classic. Loved this post.
I believe you’ve misread me. All my references were to paragraphs of Amoris laetitia, not the CCC.
(I never reference the CCC, except to Novus Ordos, because they have no issues with it.)
My comments were, of course, sarcastic.
Of all that I’ve read today concerning the exhortation, this post by Homeschoolmom is my favorite!
Best Post of the Day Award!
Personally, I think Traditionalists should be extoling this blessed document! Did ya catch that little gem “Not everyone in an *irregular* situation is in mortal sin, incapable of receiving sanctifying grace…” Clearly, Francis is intending to say the SSPX are totally fine, and shouldn’t be “excluded from the life of the Church”! We must find ways to “include” them, even sacramentally! I mean, this document is all about love, and the Society’s logo has two hearts… He must be including them!! 😉
The Great Commission UPDATED:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…..or, if this gets too complicated, just tell them to follow their own conscience.”
As Jewish-Catholic philosopher Walter Sobchak said in another context, “Has the whole world gone CRAZY? AM I THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO GIVES A [EXPLETIVE] ABOUT THE RULES?”
Yes. In other words, “Do what thou wilt.” Ask your parish priest for “mercy” based on the “discernment” of your “special case” in Amoris Laetitia.
Pope Francis: “No one can be condemned forever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel! Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves.”
Go for it! Share it with everyone!
Just be a “good person” according to your “conscience” and do whatever the hell you want.
Something’s not makin’ sense to me, seeing as how they’ve been preaching hell is empty for years, i.e. there is no condemnation at all. Vennari released a video about how many trees have been lost and bucks wasted to produce this papal “exhortation” to sin, and I can’t but add how many bloggers including this one have wasted so many words on it (as well as VC2).
http://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/c433566697a7891a3b64430b6434b342-563.html
Seems Team B/the devil is just using another whip to beat the herd into hell. I still say the central attack is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that Jesus Christ entrusted to the apostles on the night of his death – He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins by His sacrifice on the cross. Suggest all compare and contrast this papal exhortation w/first one given by St. Peter: Acts 2 14-40. (takes about 2 min to read)
http://www.drbo.org/chapter/51002.htm
P.S. Must ask LV whether he believes SSPX priests during the “Year of Mercy” & beyond are following pope’s exhortation (even weeping as Fellay puts it–wonder if they will ‘celebrate’ the N.O. mass that way also) in the confessional (+ of course, contraception too) and if that violates Catholic doctrine (even though they can discuss VC2) or do you plead the 5th?
The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Akita, Japan,
to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa
October 13, 1973
“My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior.”
After a short silence:
“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests.”
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres…churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.
“The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them”
“With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and to accomplish works of reparation.”
“It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community.”
And She smiled and then said:
“You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior.”
“Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”