I humbly ask in light of the progressive reading of Amoris Laetitia, why does anyone need to go to confession? If I feel at peace with my conscience, why would I need confession? If people can remain living in a state against the teachings of the church and still be able to receive absolution and communion, what meanings do these sacraments have?
Dear Origen52,
The key word here is “progressive reading”.
Regardless of how many different “interpretations” of a particular Papal document there may be, the only true one is the one in line with the sources of Revelation: Scripture and Tradition.
That a number of folks are indulging in a “progressive reading” (and remember, they’ve been doing this since Pius IX; a noted Bishop of Bl. Pius IX’s time wrote a book that “explained away” the Syllabus of Errors, so there is nothing new under the sun!) cannot alter that.
Moreover, even in such a “progressive reading”, the path indicated by the plain text is “pastoral accompaniment”, then Confession, and then (possibly) readmission to the Eucharist.
Amoris Laetita may be an earthquake, but it is not the end of the world.
The following passage from your namesake is worth reflecting upon:
“But now contrary to what was written, some even of the rulers of the church have permitted a woman to marry, even when her husband was living, doing contrary to what was written, where it is said, A wife is bound for so long time as her husband lives, and So then if while her husband lives, she shall be joined to another man she shall be called an adulteress, Romans 7:3 not indeed altogether without reason, for it is probable this concession was permitted in comparison with worse things, contrary to what was from the beginning ordained by law, and written.” (Origen of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, book XIV, section 23, link
here). As I said, there is nothing new under the sun.
