“The Joy of Love” – Without a Doubt Tidbits WITHOUT A DOUBT Bishop Thomas J. Tobin Posted: Thursday, April 14, 2016 12:00 am • The Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, is long, really long – 60,000 words, 325 paragraphs, 256 pages. That’s unfortunate. I’m convinced that the length of a Church document is inversely proportional to the number of people who will read it and the impact it will have, especially in our fast-paced, digital age. • Nonetheless, perhaps because of its content or the Pope’s style, it has the unique ability to simultaneously please and disappoint just about everyone who reads it. The letter, like its author, is enigmatic. And that’s not necessarily a bad trait. Jesus was often enigmatic too. • Traditionalists who have worried about the erosion of Catholic moral values can relax. Amoris hasn’t overturned any fundamental moral values professed by the Church. Fornication is still a sin; adultery is still a sin; homosexual acts are still sins; and marriage is still between one man and one woman. • I wonder if the enormous attention given to Amoris will push some of the Pope’s other documents and programs into the background, for example, Evangelium Gaudium, Laudato Si, the reform of the annulment process, and the Jubilee of Mercy. How many initiatives can we absorb and promote at the same time? Respectfully, Holy Father – please take a break, and give us a breather too! • In the long run, one of the most consequential statements of the document might be this one: “We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.” (#37) • Towards the beginning of the letter the Pope confronts one of the hot button issues of the day, so-called “gender theory.” He writes: “This ideology leads to educational programs and legislative enactments that promote a personal identity and emotional intimacy radically separated from the biological difference between male and female . . . It is a source of concern that some ideologies of this sort manage to assert themselves as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised . . . Let us not fall into the sin of trying to replace the Creator.” (#56) • I was very pleased to see the Pope’s strong condemnation of abortion: “If the family is the sanctuary of life, the place where life is conceived and cared for, it is a horrendous contradiction when it becomes a place where life is rejected and destroyed. So great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right to one’s own body can justify a decision to terminate that life.” (#83) • In the same paragraph, we find an intriguing comment about those who work in healthcare facilities: “The family protects human life in all its stages, including its last. Consequently, those who work in healthcare facilities are reminded of the moral duty of conscientious objection.” Think about the implications of that statement! • The Pope takes on the celebration of weddings themselves. In words sure to challenge the priorities of some brides and grooms and their families, he says: “Short-term preparations for marriage tend to be concentrated on invitations, clothes, the party and any number of other details that tend to drain not only the budget but energy and joy as well. The spouses come to the wedding ceremony exhausted and harried . . . Here, let me say a word to fiancés. Have the courage to be different. Don’t let yourselves get swallowed up by a society of consumption and empty appearances. What is important is the love you share, strengthened and sanctified by grace.” (#212) • The Pope’s advice about preparing for weddings seems especially appropriate here in Little Rhody, doesn’t it, a location known for hosting so many glitzy “destination weddings?” • And moving beyond the wedding day, the Pope also has some very relevant advice about parenting: “Only if we devote time to our children, speaking of important things with simplicity and concern, and finding healthy ways for them to spend their time, will we be able to shield them from harm. Vigilance is always necessary and neglect is never beneficial . . . Obsession, however, is not education. We cannot control every situation that a child may experience . . . If parents are obsessed with always knowing where their children are and controlling all their movements, they will seek only to dominate space. This is no way to educate, strengthen and prepare children to face challenges.” (#260-261) • Some people complain that celibate old men, because they lack personal experience, have no right to lecture others about marriage, family life or parenting. Hmm . . . given the enormous worldwide discussion of the Pope’s letter, it seems to me that lots of people are keenly interested in what at least one “celibate old man” has to say on the topic. Really, who else would you rather get marriage advice from: Bill Clinton? Donald Trump? • Amoris Laetitia, is a very substantial work. It is filled with relevant insights and healthy challenges, firmly grounded in the Catholic tradition. As I suggested previously, like a fine red wine it should be sipped and savored, not chugged all at once. Or, as Cardinal Sean O’Malley said far more eloquently, “Rather than try to draw immediate conclusions from the text, we are urged to reflect upon it and to ponder, patiently and carefully, what the teachings will mean for the Church and her ministry to families.” http://thericatholic.com/stories/The-Joy-of-Love-Without-a-Doubt-Tidbits,8111?
"Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them." I have just returned from the ANZAC dawn service here in Morrinsville. Old Cliffie my neighbour, still strong in voice and proud of heart, barked out the commands to his troop of veterans and the bugle, as always played the last post while the flag was lowered in memory of lives lost in the terrible slaughter and of the remarkable valour shown by men of both sides during the Gallipoli campaign of WWI. Those men did not have much if any time for repentance but I am certain many a silent and not so silent prayer was said as the waves of war rolled in and over these soldiers. Most historians see Gallipoli as a disaster from a military point of view. It's amazing however to see these services well attended right across our fair land in memory of the sacrifice made and they are well attended by the young. A deep and lasting impression has been made on their minds, not to the glory of war but in appreciation of the duty and sacrifice of comradeship and courage shown by their parents, grand parents and great grand parents. This accolade has become a unifying force for all generations in New Zealand and Australia. Unlike the fallen heroes of war age will weary us and bring most of us much sickness and many aches and pains. I treat many old folk and they suffer well. There is an old maxim that growing old is not for cissies. So true. What legacy do we want for the children of tomorrow. Do we want them bound by the chains of legalism? Do we want their hearts confined by a judgmental, rigid and exclusive approach to the practise of their faith? Do we want them to see God primarily as judge or as a strong and loving Father? Most Catholics have neither the need or the interest in reading either in secular or church media about conflict in the church: they trust the Pope and especially this Pope. They love him. Even my non Catholic friends and patients recognise in him a man of God reaching out to His flock in a way never done by any previous Pope. They see a man who understands the true needs of humanity and who tries to meet them. He has never compromised doctrine or dogma. And yet he is attacked from within by enemies of the truth who claim to be trying to preserve truth. How perverse is that and how obtuse their commentary. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but so is evil. I have the privilege of being in the position to discuss our faith with non Catholics. Often the question of confession comes up. They often say it is a farce and just gives us Catholics excuses to go on sinning because we know we will be forgiven. After I explain the conditions for confession they change their minds as they do when I explain our attitude to Mary and the Saints and the reason for purgatory. They become less judgmental and more accepting. I sometimes wonder if they become a little envious. To some of them I talk about Fatima and Garabandal and Our Lady of Akita and tell them that our Church is always open during the day and that they will be welcome to come in and look around. They like the idea that Mary will protect and preserve us through the approaching calamities. It's amazing how receptive they are to our Faith when properly presented. This is what Pope Francis is doing - changing the psyche of believers and those who would believe but not the tenets of what they will believe. Then there are those well meaning folk who say it does not matter what your faith is or how you practice it as long as you believe. These are the ones who give primacy to personal feelings. I suggest to them that if your life depends on your faith it matters greatly what you believe. I use the example of a bare wire exiting from an electrical power point. I say that even if you believe with all your heart and mind that the wire is safe and it turns out to be live, if you take hold of it, you will be killed or at least maimed. Your faith will not save you if it is malformed or misplaced. The protection of obedience and loyalty to the Pope protects us from hidden dangers. We do not know better than the Holy Spirit who guides us in the Holy Father.....at least in my simple faith. It seems, however, we are polarised on this forum. There are far better minds than mine here who can justify their assaults on Pope Francis from wonderfully informed intellectual and academic perspectives. I am just sad that this Catholic site has become a vehicle to run over and through the good work of Our Holy Father. I am sad that it allows agents of dissent to freely sow seeds of doubt and deception. In the end, like Gallipoli, I believe the legacy of Francis, will be one of love and admiration for his valour in the face of enemy fire and gratitude for the way he made a stand for Mercy rather than might. His words will continue to be twisted and used against him but in the end right will prevail. I know what side I want to be on in the end. It is clear to me where I belong. On the side of Amoris Laetitia. There may be a worse sin than unworthy reception: the sin of falsely accusing the Vicar of Christ of encouraging unworthy reception. That potentially leads many into the temptation of doubt and loss of faith. That surely is a sin against the Holy Spirit. And for that kind of sin, we are told, there is no forgiveness. How sad.
'• In the long run, one of the most consequential statements of the document might be this one: “We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.” (#37)' Yes the Bishop is right, this one stuck with me...and yes a lot of the Holy Father's stuff is, 'enigmatic'... or who knows what it means. The above quote being one such. It can mean just whatever you want it to mean.
To save people searching for the context of the sentence, I'll quote it here: I wonder if the enormous attention given to Amoris will push some of the Pope’s other documents and programs into the background, for example, Evangelium Gaudium, Laudato Si, the reform of the annulment process, and the Jubilee of Mercy. How many initiatives can we absorb and promote at the same time? Respectfully, Holy Father – please take a break, and give us a breather too! I have to disagree with the good bishop's comment, although I suspect it was said in a lighthearted way. Please, Holy Father, please continue leading us to a closer relationship with the Lord.
“We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them” This is the new framework for Church doctrine on the family that emerges from the “Amoris Laetitia” ANDREA TORNIELLI The Church is “called to form consciences, not to replace them”. This is the key phrase for understanding Pope Francis’ post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the family. In many places, the text laments the defensive approach that has been taken so far in addressing the issue. First of all it should be said that the text is complex, clear and well structured. It doesn’t resort to catchphrases or inappropriate summaries. The Pope himself is aware of this. He acknowledges the that the Exhortation treats a “wide variety of questions” in “different ways” and advises against a rushed reading of the text but encourages people to “read” “each part” “patiently and carefully”. The document starts as such: “The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church. As the Synod Fathers noted, for all the many signs of crisis in the institution of marriage, ‘the desire to marry and form a family remains vibrant, especially among young people, and this is an inspiration to the Church’. As a response to that desire, ‘the Christian proclamation on the family is good news indeed’.” In the introduction, Francis explains that the “complexity” of the issues “revealed the need for continued open discussion of a number of doctrinal, moral, spiritual, and pastoral questions”. It recalls the intense “debates in the media” and even among the Church’s ministers, that “range from an immoderate desire for total change without sufficient reflection or grounding, to an attitude that would solve everything by applying general rules”. Not everything must be resolved according to the positions adopted by the magisterium. Although “unity of teaching and practice is certainly necessary,” Francis observes, “this does not preclude various ways of interpreting some aspects of that teaching or drawing certain consequences from it” and “every general principle… needs to be inculturated”. It is striking that on more than one occasion, the Pope points out that “there is no sense in simply decrying present-day evils”, rather what we need is an effort “to present the reasons and motivations” for choosing marriage and the family, “acknowledging that at times the way we present our Christian beliefs and treat other people has helped contribute to today’s problematic situation. We need a healthy dose of self-criticism.” “Then too, we often present marriage in such a way that its unitive meaning, its call to grow in love and its ideal of mutual assistance are overshadowed by an almost exclusive insistence on the duty of procreation. Nor have we always provided solid guidance to young married couples, understanding their timetables, their way of thinking and their concrete concerns. At times,” Francis writes, “we have also proposed a far too abstract and al¬most artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families. This excessive idealization, especially when we have failed to inspire trust in God’s grace, has not helped to make marriage more desirable and attractive, but quite the opposite. “We have long thought,” Francis adds, “that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were provid¬ing sufficient support to families, strengthening the marriage bond and giving meaning to marital life. We find it difficult to present marriage more as a dynamic path to personal development and fulfilment than as a lifelong burden. We also find it hard to make room for the consciences of the faithful.” “Yet we have often been on the defensive … without being proactive in proposing ways of finding true happiness.” Hence, “many people feel that the Church’s message on marriage and the family does not clearly reflect the preaching and attitudes of Jesus, who set forth a demanding ideal yet never failed to show compassion and closeness to the frailty of individuals like the Samaritan woman or the woman caught in adultery.” “We put so many conditions on mercy,” the Pope observes, “that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance. That is the worst way of watering down the Gospel.” “Marital love is not defended primarily by presenting indissolubility as a duty, or by repeating doctrine, but by helping it to grow ever stronger under the impulse of grace.” http://www.lastampa.it/2016/04/08/v...place-them-CWgpBbVvON7xQ1bW404diL/pagina.html
We serve neither king nor kaiser... Whilst I have sympathies for the man on the street in WWI I personally have no sympathy for the brits pretence of fighting for the freedom of small natons. On this the 100th anniversary of THE rising I say Èirinn go bràch.
Malachi, first of all Gallipoli was WWI. Secondly I was talking about the principles of duty and sacrifice and how this has impacted on the young. I was hoping the likes of you would see the parallels I was drawing with the sacrifice and bravery and legacy of Pope Francis. When my maternal grandfather died Gran found a Luger and a letter to him from De Valera. Gran knew nothing about this side of his life. Not for nothing was he known as the quiet man... Long before the movie of that title with John Wayne. I spent many happy childhood holidays in Tyrone and later did what I could to support friends and families who had been tortured, imprisoned and persecuted by the Brits and their allies. I knew all the verses of the songs of freedom, far more than any Scottish songs and I knew the history of Ireland far better than Scotland. I took part in many protest marches in London against the presence of British troops and British rule in the Six counties. I wrote many times to the press. Occasionally I would receive a reply from the newspaper saying they were not permitted to publish my letter. Many a good Irishman, however, would have set aside their justifiable anger to help liberate the Jewish people from the ravages of Nazi Germany even if it meant joining the British army. My paternal grandfather was a victim of the persecution Catholics suffered under British rule. He was forced out of his family and sent to work for nothing on a farm in Scotland at the age of ten. He became the first Catholic ever to become a foreman on the docks in Glasgow. He put five sons through private education one of whom became a priest. His spirit lives on in my brother who became the first Catholic ever to become president of the Scottish Rugby Union. I have always supported Ireland's right to self determination and her fight for freedom when conducted well. I have always been proud of my Irish heritage and its Catholic identity.
Time will tell - Some of us who have concerns over how Amoris Laetitia will be implemented pastorally (and in this regard I am of the opinion that it is a revolutionary document) are accused of being anti Pope (not true). How will AI be read and interpreted? Through the hermeneutic of continuity or through a discordant hermeneutic of revolution and rupture? The signs of the times indicate that as with many of the Vatican II documents it will be the latter rather than the former.
Joe fair play. I knew it was WWI My post was WWI and then I personally I have nothing against the soldier and the whole concept of sacrifice. The boys in the trenches I'm sure cared nothing about the empire. Alas if only it were the same in the cold white houses of power
I doubt if the document itself will find much of a place in history but its ramifications will be treasured as its principles are adopted by future generations of the faithful after the dust has settled, when the times of Tribulation and Chastisement have come and gone and The Immaculate Heart stands humbly and proudly in Her triumph.
I know this is pushing the boundaries of the thread but this does deal with marriage and the heroism it entails. It is in this sense about Amoris Laetitia.
"Kasper speaks about the further Church-reform plans of Pope Francis and his intention “not to preserve everything as it has been of old.” With Pope Francis, “things are not any more so abstract and permeated with suspicion, as it was the case in earlier times” within the Church. When asked whether there is also a new tone within the Church, Kasper answers: “Yes, a new tone.” He also responds in a more positive way to the question as to whether the German Bishops’ Conference now have a “tail wind” and says: “Certainly.” And he continues, in the context of the question about “remarried” divorcees, by saying that Pope Francis has agreed with him about making some “humane decisions.” http://www.onepeterfive.com/kasper-pope-intends-not-to-preserve-everything-as-it-has-been/
So Kasper is saying Pope Francis has given the nod to sacrilege.Wow. "Kasper speaks about the further Church-reform plans of Pope Francis and his intention “not to preserve everything as it has been of old.” Fatima'In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved':
I am not certain what you are saying but the song you posted says nothing to me about the joys, sacrifice or sacrament of marriage or its reality. In fact it is almost an insult to the subject matter of "Grace." Maybe that is what you are saying about my commentary and perhaps even myself. Maybe you are saying I am just a dreamer, that nothing I have said about AL has any real substance or basis in reality. If that is the case I fully accept your right to express your opinion about me even if it leaves a nasty taste. I am afraid I found your song to be rather sickly,Brian, and not at all to my taste, but each to his own. Your song has nothing to do with AL and addresses none of its content in any meaningful way. I suspect your reply was simply a slight on me. If so I can take that. Thank God I do not have your mind or your heart with regard to Our Holy Father. Now that sentiment has substance.
