Lifesite News claims: "Bishop apologizes to unrepentant adulterers, invites them back to the sacraments "

[Dovekin]

His use of the word “rigid” is a big red flag here as he is implying that St. John Paul II was being “rigid” when he stated that Catholics who are in invalid marriages cannot receive the Eucharist,

Applying a standard rigidly does not imply that the standard is rigid. Apologizing for one’s own rigidity does not mean the rigidity is in the standard. Often it is a sign that the standard is not rigid.

The diocese may have a tradition of denying annulments rather than making the careful discernment called for in the judicial process. Some pastors may have prejudged and discouraged people from applying, leaving them in what is only the appearance of a marriage. These can reflect rigidity in applying JP2’s teaching without implying rigidity in the teaching itself.

 

[Pnwcatholic]

Why are people so upset when others recieve mercy?

 

[Elf01]

Why are people so upset when others recieve mercy?

Allowing people to receive our Lord in the state of mortal sin is not mercy.

 

[whatistrue]

Allowing people to receive our Lord in the state of mortal sin is not mercy.

That’s true. However:

• Where in the actual documents (not the article) was it stated that this would happen?
• How do you know whether anyone other than yourself is in such a state?

 

[Pnwcatholic]

But the people charged with the pastoral aspects of the faith are the bishops. It isn’t right for us to think we know better. This bishop is following our Pope in reaching out to the periphereries. The Eucharist is not yours to “protect”.

 

[commenter]

He apologizes for the hurt felt by people who felt cast out not only from the sacraments, but also from the community and its support at a difficult time, for the lack of pastoral sensitivity some experienced

In 2019, are there that many Catholics who previously had support from parishioners, but then that support was cut off in scornful rejection after a divorce? Do they now wear a red letter A when out walking?

I bet there may be a few out there. But in 2019 a bishop would find a much larger population of Catholics whose understanding of marriage is almost identical to that of secular Society.

Many religious educators, priests, and religious, are rigidly opposed to restoring the traditional Christian teaching on indissolubility of marriage. The bishop could have chosen to address that rigidity
as well.

 

[whatistrue]

Many religious educators, priests, and religious, are rigidly opposed to restoring the traditional Christian teaching on indissolubility of marriage

…citation needed

The bishop could have chosen to address that rigidity
as well.

And how do you know he didn’t? Maybe not in the letter that the site who will not be named made such a big deal about, but perhaps in another that could not be spun as contrary to doctrine and was not reported on?

 

[OddBird]

In 2019, are there that many Catholics who previously had support from parishioners, but then that support was cut off in scornful rejection after a divorce? Do they now wear a red letter A when out walking?

The Bishop would probably know about the numbers better than I do, but I do have first-hand knowledge that it does happen. Because some of these people then end up in my office (Protestant pastor on her way to Rome here) or in my husband’s (Protestant pastor on his way to nowhere else), or in a colleague’s.

This is anecdata, but I still find it telling : last September, I intervened in our (Reformed) formation cursus for future deacons, to teach them about music and liturgy. This year, there are eight candidates. On these eight, guess how many are originally Catholics who left the Church because they were hurt by the reactions to their divorce ? Seven. Seven ! (In the last group, they were four out of six.) All decent persons who would have been ready to dedicate their time and skills to Christ in the Church, hadn’t their marriage failed.

Granted, from what they told me, they are hurt for what I would say are bad reasons (because they do not understand that the Church does not conform to societal norms). But, whatever I think of their reasons, it doesn’t change the fact that the hurt, the feeling of having been abandoned and the resentment are very, very real.

I, for one, am happy when something is done to reach out to these couples who are turning their backs on the Church, and to explain, with kindness and compassion, Her position on remarriage, the conditions which would make an annulment possible, and how to still find purpose and fulfillment in remaining in the Church when you cannot access the sacraments any longer. This is exactly what I see the Bishop doing. He is not making promises, he is acknowledging the hurt and opening a space for discussion and, let’s hope, catechesis (and maybe a change of heart and life).

Many religious educators, priests, and religious, are rigidly opposed to restoring the traditional Christian teaching on indissolubility of marriage. The bishop could have chosen to address that rigidity
as well.

How do you know he doesn’t, in the right forum (ie not an open invitation letter to couples) ?

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

because the letter has been printed in its entirety in its English Translation.

Then the letter alone should be linked, not Lifesite News.

 

[GiftofMercy]

Then the letter alone should be linked, not Lifesite News.

This is CAF. People read news sites.
I guess you could suggest this with the mods .

 

[Mark121359]

Doesn’t this article say basically the same thing that LifeSiteNews is saying???

Italian bishops face blowback for opening to divorced/remarried Catholics

Two Italian bishops are currently making waves after issuing public statements allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments and apologizing for having “ignored” these couples in parish life, insisting that their decisions are in line with Pope Francis’s own view.

cruxnow.com

 

[Emeraldlady]

Doesn’t this article say basically the same thing that LifeSiteNews is saying???

Italian bishops face blowback for opening to divorced/remarried Catholics

Lifesite news takes the unChrist like approach of the people stoning the adulterous because they feel superior and sinless and authorised to judge hearts. The Bishop takes the Christlike approach Jesus demonstrated by offering by His love and mercy the opportunity to experience the grace of repentance.

 

[Vico]

… Those who are repentant (including the firm resolution to go and sin no more) have never been denied the sacraments. …

Conditions not to give scandal exist for those that are repentant, such that reception of communion is still not possible where their living together in merely a civil marriage is know to the congregation.

 

[commenter]

Lifesite news takes the unChrist like approach of the people stoning the adulterous because they feel superior and sinless and authorised to judge hearts. The Bishop takes the Christlike approach Jesus demonstrated by offering by His love and mercy the opportunity to experience the grace of repentance.

Anyone who defends indissolubility of marriage is going to be denounced nowadays. In 2019, that’s almost on the level of getting labelled as Hate Speech.

This kind of gut reaction tells us nothing about the nature of marriage. It says much about 2019.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

What about CruxNow?

 

[Emeraldlady]

What about CruxNow?

You can’t see the difference between the reports? I think that this reflects the erosion in the traditional factions, of a sense of Christlike behaviours and attitudes. That is, not regarding the theft of the figures at the Amazon synod as sinful and now not even recognising that to regard people en masse as “unrepentant adulterers” as completely unChristlike.

Crux reported another area of eroded faith when it quoted a traditionalist as stating… and are a sign “that the processes strongly desired and initiated by Bergoglio are beginning to bear fruit.”

They refer to our Pope as “Bergoglio” with not a blink of the eye from anyone else in the traditional factions. I have told my kids that that is a disgraceful insult to Christ and they are right to feel repulsed when they see it used.

 

[Pnwcatholic]

Luckily what I took from this story is that we have a good bishop being highlighted and a true man who smells like his flock.

 

[Pnwcatholic]

I wish I could like your post more!