Lifesite News is reporting that Pope Francis gave a pat on the back to the bishops of Malta:
According to a Maltese news outlet, Pope Francis thanked the Catholic bishops of Malta for their interpretation of Amoris Laetitia, which says active adulterers may receive Holy Communion if they feel “at peace with God.”
Newsbook reported that Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, recently sent the Maltese bishops a letter on behalf of Pope Francis.
The Malta bishops’ guidelines opened the door to Communion for Catholics in adulterous unions, saying it might be “humanly impossible” to follow Church teaching and live chastely while civilly remarried. The guidelines also suggest that a couple in an invalid union might “give rise to greater harm” by not committing adultery.
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is permanent and lifelong, making “remarriage” an impossibility unless the previous union is declared “null.” The Catholic Church also teaches that the Eucharist is the literal body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, so only Catholics in a “state of grace” may receive it. Catholics are supposed to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion if they have committed serious (mortal) sin. Those who are divorced and civilly remarried must live as “brother and sister” in order to receive the Sacraments.
Shortly after their release, the Vatican’s semi-official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published the Maltese bishops’ guidelines.
Go here to read the rest. Remember when popes were defenders of the teachings of Christ? Seems like a long time ago doesn’t it?
“The guidelines also suggest that a couple in an invalid union might “give rise to greater harm” by not committing adultery..” If there is threat of violence, then there is one criminal and one victim, and there is NO marriage. A person promises to love the spouse. With assault and battery, the batterer is a liar., and hell is full of liars.
So Henry VIII was correct after all and all those heroic men and women who died as martyrs defending the Church were wrong?
I understand how people can get themselves into difficult situations. Example: A first wife abandons her husband (or vice versa), takes the kids with her and unilaterally destroys the marriage, co-habitating with a live-in partner. The man (or vice versa, woman) is devastated with grief, his life (or hers) wrecked and sadness at every turn. Then after years of loneliness he (or alternatively she) meets someone else who will love him (or her) and they get married. Yes, messed up, totally. But it happens. Yet the Church should not change rules just because people fail. Yes, that man and woman should live in abstinence from sexual activity, otherwise no Sacraments. And yes, we all understand the devastation that loneliness from a unilateral decision to divorce and destroy causes. But God cannot change the rules just because we get all screwed up over a circumstance.
I really despise this Pope. Sorry. I cannot help it. He is a hypocrite. I live with regulations every day in my work life. The USNRC doesn’t change its regulatory guidance just because a Licensee may find a particular regulation onerous and burdensome. Why? Public health and safety, that’s why. So how is it that spiritual health and safety are not of equal value in the Pope’s eyes?
This has never been about divorce and “remarriage”. Rather it is an unconditional surrender to modernity. “humanly impossible” can and has been applied to contraception, abortion and any other of the numerous below the belt sins.
Second, as many people who are much smarter than me have stated, this is about the destruction of the sacraments. No longer will one need a firm purpose of amendment for confession. No longer will a person have to be free from mortal sin to receive the Eucharist. No longer will marriage be a life long commitment.
So, yes, this pope is a scoundrel who has inflicted grave damage to the Church, but it will survive.
Cardinal Napier spelled it out simply but unfortunately our Pope is “fashionable.”
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2017/01/06/an-african-cardinal-asks-a-good-question-what-about-communion-for-polygamists/
“The Church has no fashion’s. The Church is Always The Same.” – BVM (emphasis added.)
http://www.dominicansavrille.us/those-who-serve-god-should-not-follow-the-fashions-part-2-of-2/
Wake up dear Pope.
Your becoming an example.
Most of the link speaks of attire, however it’s the last segment that speaks to my heart of unworthy fashions that includes disordered conduct. The Lord doesn’t change, neither should our Church.
God will not tempt you beyond your ability to obey his law.
Note to Pope: Since you are taking all the controversy (what Jesus taught) out of Catholicism I guess we are all Protestants now. Right?
Question. If a couple were married not in the Church, is that marriage considered one Jesus is referring to as well? Is such a couple brought together by God?
http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2014/11/06/catholics-in-non-sacramental-marriages/
For a marriage of a Catholic to be recognized by the Church, generally the marriage must have been performed by a Catholic Church and whomever the a Catholic is marrying must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Ghost.