Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 4:27am

PopeWatch: Morally Confused

Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture gives us the latest example of the moral confusion of our Pope:

Last week, in his own address to the tribunal judges of the Roman Rota, Pope Francis observed that a marital union “cannot be extinguished in its entirety with the declaration of nullity” when there are children involved. The Church—the tribunal—must be mindful of the welfare of those children.

So far, so good. But now watch how the Pope illustrates his point:

… how can one explain to children that—for example—their mother, abandoned by their father and often not willing to establish another marriage bond, receives the Sunday Eucharist with them, while their father, cohabiting or awaiting the declaration of the nullity of the marriage, cannot participate in the Eucharistic table?

In this remarkable example, Pope Francis reveals his sympathies. The abandoned mother who is “not willing” to remarry—in other words, the woman who holds fast to her marital vow even at sacrifice to herself—is the villain of the piece. The father who remarries is the aggrieved party, who deserves extra pastoral attention.

The Pope suggests that the children will be troubled not because their father abandoned their mother (and presumably abandoned them, too), but because their father, who is now engaged in an illicit union, cannot receive the Eucharist. The Pontiff has enlisted these children as witnesses for his argument. But is their testimony reliable? More to the point, do these children exist? Good luck finding them.

Go here to read the rest. Heckuva job Conclave of 2013, heckuva job.

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Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 3:41am

Pope is just confirming how our Novus Ordo Church has been operating for some time.

David WS
David WS
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 6:32am

Pope Benedict warned us about the tyranny of relativism…..
“ Heckuva job Conclave of 2013, heckuva job.”
!!!!!!!!!

Dale Price
Dale Price
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 8:32am

A preferential option for the cad.

It seems he doesn’t like women very much: rabbit mom, castigating the woman who introduced him to a convert in South Africa, the handshake lady from China and now this strawwoman.

James
James
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 9:56am

…all the while praising a strident italian abortionist.

GregB
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 11:21am

This is like defending Adam and Eve for eating the forbidden fruit. Demanding that they be let back into the Garden of Eden. Sinners in the Church appear to be absolutely proud and evangelical about their sins. Shout your sin. How many people are really children of the serpent, intent on making the Church of Christ into the Church of Satan? Satan’s Synods as it were.

Aqua
Aqua
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 1:19pm

My former FSSP Priest, many years ago, told me not to worry about Fr. Bergóglio (Pope Francis). “He is above your pay grade. Take care of your own family at home. Let the Church take care of itself”.

Clericalism, in my humble opinion.

I told him, “what happens when my wife goes into the confessional asking for absolution for an affair? I may never know about this affair. My wife’s soul might depend upon this Priest. Now – you (FSSP Priest) are required by obedience to give her absolution and confirmation in this affair; for what has always been the most grievous of sins. And that is not “above my pay grade”. Rather it strikes you (FSSP Priest) and it also strikes me – directly at the heart of our Christian faith”, (end quote).

He had and has no answer to this. Because he accepts Fr. Bergóglio as his Holy Father and Bergoglio’s magisterium as the Magisterium. I might assume he contradicts the Pope’s clear directives privately in the confessional, but then again … if he (FSSP Priest) is truly honest he must not contradict in private what he affirms in public.

I say now, as I said to my FSSP Priest then, as you believe so you live. If Fr. Bergóglio is your Pope, then follow him. If he is a heretic, then declare it and act publicly in accord; separate, publicly, to the extent of said heresy. If Bergóglio is antipope, then act accordingly as well (which I do).

But don’t say it doesn’t matter and just ignore the “Pope” and his heretical teaching magisterium. Because that is Protestantism by definition.

Aqua
Aqua
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 2:14pm

“No Pope can require us to go against Church teaching”? No Pope has ever tried to take us against the teachings of the Church. Not like this. Not in such pertinaciously foundational ways. And the Church has always stood firm to correct such Popes who have always repented in time.

“The Pope is not the Church and the Church is not the Pope”.

Obviously not, since the Church is the Body Of Christ. But the Cornerstone means something elemental. From New Advent:

“In the Constitution “Pastor Aeternus”, cap. 3, the pope is declared to possess ordinary, immediate, and episcopal jurisdiction over all the faithful:

We teach, moreover, and declare that, by the disposition of God, the Roman Church possesses supreme ordinary authority over all Churches, and that the jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, which is true episcopal jurisdiction is immediate in its character (Enchir., n. 1827).

It is further added that this authority extends to all alike, both pastors and faithful, whether singly or collectively.”

And this divinely ordained jurisdictional “authority” (so called) is wondering why the ‘woman is unwilling to establish another marital bond’.

The worst thing that Fr. Bergóglio has done is to render practically irrelevant to orthodox Catholics the authority of the Throne of St. Peter, Vicar of Christ Our Lord. As if: Just another opinion emanating from the old man.

Well, these are not that. These are his “magisterium” and he insists on it. And he intends to impose them forcefully on us all. His “magisterium” is is reaching us closer, and closer. Getting harder to ignore, no?

Bai Macfarlane
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 2:38pm

Thank you Donald McClarey.

With the non-profit organization Mary’s Advocates, I work to reduce unilateral no-fault divorce and support those who are unjustly abandoned. I’d like to share with you our resources by sending you an email with links. Could you write me directly please, so I could correspond with you outside comments section. Email : ma.defending@marysadvocates.org

Thank you,
Bai Macfarlane

Art Deco
Art Deco
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 3:05pm

Been about 15 years since I’ve seen your name in print. Hoping you are well, Mrs. Macfarlane.

Karl
Karl
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 5:51pm

The Pope needs to come to America and talk, face to face, with Standers, like myself, who have experienced the corruption in both Catholic pastoral practices related to marriage and the annulment process. Twice, I successfully defended our marriage in this process, about 20 years apart. Both times I was successful before the tribunals, ultimately, but I had to take the first annulment case to the Roman Rota because nullity was found in an American Tribunal, where the corruption was obvious. The clergy and bishops, who KNEW our marriage was valid, openly encouraged adultery and all its attendant crimes, everywhere my wife and her lover lived. This was also done in front of our children. One Byzantine Catholic priest held a Byzantine wedding ceremony for my wife and her longtime lover, even though he knew that our marriage was valid and a Sacrament.

Edison Frisbee
Edison Frisbee
Tuesday, February 9, AD 2021 7:57pm

I’m beginning to think sedevacantists are getting a bad rap. The same people who go apoplectic when you postulate that Francis may not be the pope just gloss over having a manifest heretic in office. I guess it’s just more important to be confident in the elevations of Blazing Cupich and the Holy Wilton….

Ronald Sevenster
Ronald Sevenster
Wednesday, February 10, AD 2021 4:28am

The Catholic Church is no more.

GregB
Wednesday, February 10, AD 2021 9:38am

We were only promised that the Church as a whole would endure. We were told nothing about each individual Catholic. We don’t know how big or how small the Church will be at any given time. Christ was willing to lose most of His followers over His teaching about the Holy Eucharist.

Kmbold
Kmbold
Thursday, February 11, AD 2021 6:59pm

So we were mistaken in believing that the pope was infallible when speaking/teaching of faith and morals? So far I have heard that pf (I don’t even capitalize that anymore) has not proclaimed any of his little scribblings and utterances ex cathedra, so we are still safe from error…I make it a practice to give a big sniff to whatever spills forth from his sorry soul.

Frank
Frank
Friday, February 12, AD 2021 7:48am

@KMBOLD I’m not sure what to think about the Vatican I pronouncements on infallibility any more. But I am pretty sure your approach to pf is a correct one.

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