(Note: I recognize that Canon 915 and the Papal encyclical should, together with the Cardinal’s letter, make everything clearly defined… but here I will just examine the Cardinal’s letter and what that means now, since it is obvious that the US bishops are not taking Canon 915 and Ecclesia de Eucharistia very seriously or literally…)
Like most things in the Church, the response to this crisis will happen slowly… whether we like it or not. The Church is a very “prudent” (some say too prudent) mother, preferring to wait (and wait, and wait) before admonishing the children. While there are signs that Rome is becoming a bit more urgent in her requests to her “older” children (ie, the bishops), Rome still seems to be coming only a step at a time to actual intervention.
Much as I respect and listen to Cardinal Ratzinger, his statement carries only his weight with it–from what I understand of the Church, his letter alone is not binding, in and of itself, upon all. (This is true even though he is a prefect, and even if it was sent with papal approval). *Only *infallible Magisterial teachings are binding upon reception by all Catholics; and the only Magisterial teachings that can come from a single individual are the ones from the Pope himself, spoken "
ex cathedra".
Therefore, there
is reason to have our US bishops also meet to discuss the matter further after receiving the letter from Cardinal Ratzinger. The normal Magisterial process outside of the Papal decree utilizes the instruction of the bishops as a whole (as in the Vatican Councils etc) It is a matter of implementation and interpretation in light of the unchanging truths known by Scripture and Tradition. As well, it has always been recognized by the Church that there are many different human cultures (including our modern-day American culture), and while the Truth must never be compromised, the way it is taught must be balanced with the needs of the particular people it is addressed to–by each particular bishop.
Now, do I want to see our bishops take a more proactive role in implementing the instructions given by Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal Arinze today? Sure, but I’m not a bishop… and we must never forget the authority factor – even the Pope himself (when not speaking infallibly) is “first among equals” and his positions carry the same weight as any other bishop. Our Church is not a democracy by any means; but it is a “group effort” of sorts, with checks and balances inherent in its human structure.
If you look back upon Church history, you see many individual saints taking quick action when they saw it necessary, but there are few times (if any) where the Church’s ecclesial and Magisterial community leapt to its feet and charged ahead.
All this having been said, I can’t help but think of a signature line that I saw from someone on these forums – “member of the Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club–putting the smackdown on heresey since 1981”!!
Personally, I am firmly in that fan club, and am wishing for a little bit of “smackdown” here! (This kind of attitude probably explains why I am not a bishop…
)
And like I said at the beginning, I do not understand why this “problem” exists in the first place, since there is numerous Magisterial material on this subject that is laid out clearly and unequivocally… but anyway.
Just some thoughts and my :twocents:
+veritas+
