Archbishop Alexander Sample's pastoral letter on family and AL

[JimG]

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland Oregon has issued a pastoral letter commenting on Pope Francis’ teaching on the family, including his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia.

Here is the diocesan announcement of the pastoral letter,
and here is a summary of the pastoral letter which appeared in First Things magazine.

 

[pnewton]

I found the letter to be rather hard, definitive and direct, while at the same time both pastoral and general. Now, lest anyone come in and try to set what Archbishop Sample has set as a contrast to what the Holy Father wrote, please, do not go down that road. Archbishop Sample is responding only to misuses of Amoris Laetitia. In no way does he contradict or undermine what the Holy Father is trying to do. His writing is an apologetic support of moral absolutes, refuting the error that conscience can somehow justify moral relativism.

Pope Francis spoke against viewing situations as “rigid classifications”, as well as the demands of truth and charity. I particularly like the way Archbishop Samples addresses the concept of gradualness. As a flash back, here is what Amoris Laetitia says"

Given that gradualness is not in the law itself (cf. FamiliarisConsortio, 34), this discernment can never prescind from the Gospel demands of truth and charity,
as proposed by the Church. For this discernment to happen, the following conditions must necessarily be present: humility, discretion and love for the Church and her teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more perfect
response to it”. These attitudes are essential for avoiding the grave danger of misunderstandings

I note that much of this part is glossed over in the media, especially the part about love of the Church and Her teaching and the desire to make a more perfect response.

Archbishop Samples addressed this:

If a person could not grow, either by nature and grace, we could not speak of gradualness as they develop in responsibility, knowledge, and love.

 

[Richca]

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland Oregon has issued a pastoral letter commenting on Pope Francis’ teaching on the family, including his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia.

Here is the diocesan announcement of the pastoral letter,
and here is a summary of the pastoral letter which appeared in First Things magazine.

Thank you JimG. This is an excellent pastoral letter from Archbishop Alexander Sample.

 

[Lumen_Pro_Via]

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland Oregon has issued a pastoral letter commenting on Pope Francis’ teaching on the family, including his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia.

Here is the diocesan announcement of the pastoral letter,
and here is a summary of the pastoral letter which appeared in First Things magazine.

Like it. Perhaps this will help in the discussion in regards to implementing AL. Rather than grapple with some of the apparent ambiguities in the document, let’s talk about what AL cannot mean.

 

[Paganus]

Like it. Perhaps this will help in the discussion in regards to implementing AL. Rather than grapple with some of the apparent ambiguities in the document, let’s talk about what AL cannot mean.

The Holy Father has approved what the bishops of Argentina have said about implementing AL. Instead of reinventing the wheel, maybe someone could translate their message into English and we could just implement that.

 

[Lumen_Pro_Via]

The Holy Father has approved what the bishops of Argentina have said about implementing AL. Instead of reinventing the wheel, maybe someone could translate their message into English and we could just implement that.

That could be one way, except that a leaked private letter is hardly a definitive proclamation of a path forward. Had it not been leaked, we would know nothing of it. Besides, the Holy Father seems to have opened it up to the bishops and individual bishops’ conferences on how to handle this, so if the pope chooses to remain less than clear on these matters, there will continue to be numerous interpretations that, provided they do not go against doctrine, will have to be accepted as equally valid. Secondly, what Archbishop Sample has done is provide a perspective of how AL could be misunderstood and misapplied – not strictly regarding its implementation.

 

[kyrie03]

I found the letter to be rather hard, definitive and direct, while at the same time both pastoral and general. Now, lest anyone come in and try to set what Archbishop Sample has set as a contrast to what the Holy Father wrote, please, do not go down that road. Archbishop Sample is responding only to misuses of Amoris Laetitia. In no way does he contradict or undermine what the Holy Father is trying to do. His writing is an apologetic support of moral absolutes, refuting the error that conscience can somehow justify moral relativism.

Pope Francis spoke against viewing situations as “rigid classifications”, as well as the demands of truth and charity. I particularly like the way Archbishop Samples addresses the concept of gradualness. As a flash back, here is what Amoris Laetitia says"

I note that much of this part is glossed over in the media, especially the part about love of the Church and Her teaching and the desire to make a more perfect response.

Archbishop Samples addressed this:

I agree Archbishop Sample’s letter was definitive, direct, pastoral and general, but curious to know what you mean by “hard”?

It’s a beautifully written unambiguous, and reasoned letter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be attracting much, if any attention. Would that Bishops and even His Holiness would give it a wider audience in order to it clear up the confusion, the conflicting, erroneous voices that are preaching a different kind of mercy!

“If mercy is to achieve its goal, it must include the proclamation of all that is necessary for salvation. To fail to proclaim all that is necessary for salvation is unmerciful.”

 

[kyrie03]

“Despite the clear teaching of the Church, some have misused elements of Amoris Laetitia to support positions that are not compatible with Church teaching. This has created some confusion and consternation amongst the faithful. Given the nature of doctrinal and moral development, certain positions are incompatible with genuine doctrine, pastoral practice, and sacramental discipline. Since such positions are illicit, Amoris Laetitia cannot be legitimately used to offer support for them.”

Misuse One: Conscience Legitimizes Actions Contravening Divine Commandments “Encouraging or silently accepting an erroneous judgment of conscience is neither mercy nor charity. Proclaiming the Good News, including the moral demands entailed by the nature of marriage, is a work of mercy, and all parents, schools, Catholic institutions, teachers, theologians, pastors, religious, and bishops have “the ‘grave obligation’ to be personally vigilant that the ‘sound doctrine’ (1 Tim 1:10) of faith and morals is taught” for the proper formation of conscience.”

Misuse Two: Under Certain Conditions Divine Prohibitions Admit of Exceptions “Some have improperly used these considerations to claim that absolute prohibitions admit of exceptions, particularly when weakness of will or the complexity of a situation makes living up to the rule extremely difficult. This is incorrect.”…….However, with respect to exceptionless prohibitions, the law of gradualness is “not a ‘gradualness of law’ … [f]or the law is itself a gift of God which points out the way, a gift for everyone without exception; it can be followed with the help of grace, even though each human being ‘advances gradually with the progressive integration of the gifts of God…’”40 That which is prohibited is prohibited for all, in every circumstance.”

**
Misuse Three: Human Frailty Exempts from Divine Command**
While authentic pastoral care always accompanies people in their suffering and frailty, some have misused the Exhortation’s rightful insistence on the logic of mercy to claim that objectively wrong acts can be accepted, even perhaps sanctified, if a person judges he or she cannot do differently. Not only does this misapply mitigating factors for subjective responsibility with determinations of objective rightness, but it empties the cross of its power. Claiming that individuals cannot change their ways is tantamount to denying the efficacy and power of grace, of denying that God can do what he promises.

 

[irenaeus1]

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland Oregon has issued a pastoral letter commenting on Pope Francis’ teaching on the family, including his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia.

Here is the diocesan announcement of the pastoral letter,
and here is a summary of the pastoral letter which appeared in First Things magazine.

What’s nice is that Archbishop Sample quotes a number of times from JPII’s Veritatis Splendor that surprisingly AL never even cites once. This is surprising considering the focus in Chapter 8 of AL hinges around the licitness of certain moral acts and its relation to personal culpability, which Veritatis Splendor clearly addresses.

 

[pnewton]

What’s nice is that Archbishop Sample quotes a number of times from JPII’s Veritatis Splendor that surprisingly AL never even cites once…

I counted the quotes in the appendix.

27 were from Amoris Laetitia out of 57 references, almost half.

 

[pnewton]

I agree Archbishop Sample’s letter was definitive, direct, pastoral and general, but curious to know what you mean by “hard”?

I was referring to my impression of the writing style. For one thing, it is set up in a “misuse” chapter format, as opposed to extrapolation of the Pope’s document. This was not a criticism, but merely an observation.

 

[irenaeus1]

I counted the quotes in the appendix.

27 were from Amoris Laetitia out of 57 references, almost half.

It should not be a surprise that in Archbishop Sample’s pastoral letter on AL, he would reference AL. I was referring to Archbishop Sample citing from Veritatis Splendor in his letter on AL due to principles on moral theology and my surprise that AL does NOT reference VS.

 

[pnewton]

It should not be a surprise that in Archbishop Sample’s pastoral letter on AL, he would reference AL. I was referring to Archbishop Sample citing from Veritatis Splendor in his letter on AL due to principles on moral theology and my surprise that AL does NOT reference VS.

I see. I see your point, although I also see where AL, not really being a treatise on moral theology in general might not have needed it. It is very heavily footnoted though.

 

[JimG]

An interview with Archbishop Sample
catholicworldreport.com/Item/5130/abp_alexander_sample_discusses_his_pastoral_letter_about_amoris_laetitia.aspx

 

[irenaeus1]

I see. I see your point, although I also see where AL, not really being a treatise on moral theology in general might not have needed it. It is very heavily footnoted though.

But Veritatis Splendor is, which is why I find it strange that when AL needs to appeal to moral theology to make many of the arguments and propositions in Chapter 8, it would seem reasonable to have referenced VS somewhere - at least in a footnote.

 

[pnewton]

But Veritatis Splendor is, which is why I find it strange that when AL needs to appeal to moral theology to make many of the arguments and propositions in Chapter 8, it would seem reasonable to have referenced VS somewhere - at least in a footnote.

I see your reasoning, but we each have our own way of writing and our own style. Pope Francis reminds me a lot of St. John Paul in that he heavily reverences Scripture, probably more than anything else, the exception being when a document is directly related to another, the way Caritas in Veritate was a continuation of Populorium Progressio