"FRATERNAL CORRECTION" - "essential part of Christian life" - Pope Benedict

[ANNE_2]

calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=182c49f2-4b16-4f4f-bb9f-3d225072fa9d

Fraternal Correction - - -

" Correcting the behavior of those gone astray is an essential part of Christian life " said Pope Benedict XVI

" If a fraternal correction is rebuffed, said the pope, then Christians should follow the advice of Jesus – seek the witness of others and, if necessary, the sanction of the wider Church ".

This includes correction of Priests or Bishops or USCCB if necessary.
Read your “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” for the facts.
" The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I have approved…and the publication of which I order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of Catholic Doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium. I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the Faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion." - Pope John Paul II, with Imprimi Potest by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. (CCC pg 5)

 

[Joe_5859]

But of course, this quote from the Holy Father is not carte blanche to lay the smackdown by whatever means necessary under any and all circumstances our own whims fancy.

If a priest is teaching that contraception and homosexual marriage are okay, then fraternal correction is called for – provided we follow the prescript of our Lord from last Sunday’s Gospel:

“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

If a bishop refuses to exercise prudential judgments according to our own liking, I would be more likely to recommend filial obedience than fraternal correction as the best course of action.

 

[ANNE_2]

But of course, this quote from the Holy Father is not carte blanche to lay the smackdown by whatever means necessary under any and all circumstances our own whims fancy.
If a priest is teaching that contraception and homosexual marriage are okay, then fraternal correction is called for – provided we follow the prescript of our Lord from last Sunday’s Gospel:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”
If a bishop refuses to exercise prudential judgments according to our own liking, I would be more likely to recommend filial obedience than fraternal correction as the best course of action.

Thank you, but I’ll follow the Pope for Fraternal Correction as fully explained in the article - with humility.
Filial Obedience in wrong doing (not according to the CCC) is sinful.

 

[Joe_5859]

Thank you, but I’ll follow the Pope for Fraternal Correction as fully explained in the article - with humility.
Filial Obedience in wrong doing (not according to the CCC) is sinful.

If you’re interested in following what the pope has to say, I would recommend going to the source and reading his entire address as it stands:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20110904_en.html

He is reflecting on the Gospel reading I quoted above and is talking specifically about “if my brother commits a sin against me…” And, of course, the first thing Benedict says is:

“…I must treat him charitably and first of all, speak to him privately, pointing out that what he has said or done is wrong. This approach is known as “fraternal correction”: it is not a reaction to the offence suffered but is motivated by love for one’s brethren.”

Note what Pope Benedict does not say about fraternal correction. He does not say we should correct those who are halfway across the world because we perceive they have sinned against someone else. He does not say that we should air our “corrections” in the form of ranting blog posts that are directed towards the entire world.

Let us not misconstrue the teachings of our Holy Father. He is not encouraging us to be hypercritical of our bishops and priests. He is not encouraging us to be watchdogs for Christ. He is reflecting on the Gospel passage about how to handle situations where someone sins against us. It would be inaccurate to extrapolate his words to be some sort of treatise opening the floodgates for fraternal correction with complete abandon.

EDIT: I should add that I’m not trying to pick on you personally, Anne. I do not mean to imply that you are advocating for such things. I do not think you are. I simply offer it as a cautionary caveat as part of a general discussion on this topic. I get irritated when quotes like this (or events like Jesus chasing out the money-changers from the temple) get extrapolated to serve as justification to be crochety internet cynics condemning all we come into contact with. So I feel compelled to share that concern when the subject comes up.

 

[ANNE_2]

Quote from VATICAN web site -
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html

" [184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or** lay member **of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.[290]
It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity."

I read the Pope’s entire address.
Wrongs need to be corrected - appropriately and in charity.
We must not let wrongs stand.
I never said we must be hypercritical of our Bishops. I have stated that we must use the “CCC 2nd Ed” to insure our own accuracy.