“Nevertheless sacramental eating is not without avail, because the actual receiving of the sacrament produces more fully the effect of the sacrament than does the desire thereof,” - Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica
Sure, when you’re properly disposed, it’s available, and you can digest it. On his dying bed, try as he and we wanted, my father could not take in even the smallest piece from the priest.
So Thomas Aquinas outweighs Trent?
Yes, I think you are correct. He is trying to resolve real points of pain in pastoral practice. Nothing wrong with that. But how do you do that without undermining the integrity of doctrine or modifying pastoral practices in a way that opens the door to widespread confusion about teaching and/or deliberate abuse and misapplication of altered practices? That’s the question. The Vatican II experience must be considered here.
We all take care of the Church, together. I think he’d say “yes, of course!” to that.I agree, and I see the dilemma. I do not mean to make light of the concern of others, either. Out Holy Father is, in a certain sense, walking a tightrope between the varied concerns of the members of the Church. But he seems to be doing it deliberately, inviting dialogue, even heated debate. It would be easier, I suppose, if he just “laid down the law,” but that does not seem to be his tactic, so far. Trust, trust - trust that he knows what he’s doing, and that God is guiding him. And pray for him too!Yes, I think you are correct. He is trying to resolve real points of pain in pastoral practice. Nothing wrong with that. But how do you do that without undermining the integrity of doctrine or modifying pastoral practices in a way that opens the door to widespread confusion about teaching and/or deliberate abuse and misapplication of altered practices? That’s the question. The Vatican II experience must be considered here.
He does really sound like a man of the Church though. Fair-minded and honest. I think he is the kind of man you could really have a heart to heart with, even if you disagreed with him - a lover of truth, not an ideologue. All in all, this is good for the Church. But that is not to say we call off the watch.
Why do you people always look for contradictions in the Church? I was posting what Thomas Aquinas wrote to bring home the final point of the Trent Catechism that proper sacramental communion is better than just spiritual communion. ProVobis was trying to establish that spiritual communion is of the same quality as sacramental communion.
Well, for starters, if he had his mind completely made up, there would be no need for a synod.Still haven’t the slightest clue where the Holy Father stands on this…
Well, it might be noted that Christ did not go around “laying down the law”. And when asked what the greatest law was, He gave a positive law (Love God with your whole heart…), not a negative law (Don’t…), and followed it up with another law - also positive.
You suppose it might have been better for the 10 Commandments to have been expressed in a positive way? They could have been written up that way, you know. Be truthful, be chaste, be law-abiding, etc. Did they do it all wrong in the OT, especially with Adam and Eve? Eat of any tree but this one.
Gee - I guess those are all better than what Christ said.
Yes, when I said it would be easier if the pope just “laid down the law,” I meant easier for all of the worried Catholics who don’t want the Church to change in a way they might find difficult or impossible to accept. Actually, “laid down the law” misses the point as well: “Stuck to the law as it has always been” is what many Catholics want (even though the Church has never been static or unchanging). Personally, I have no problem with the way Pope Francis has gone about his mission, but then I am not one of the worried Catholics. Maybe God has bestowed on me a healthy dose of unawareness too
.I really hope that you’re right