2. Cardinal Raymond Burke, in this Catholic News Service video, explains why
he hopes October's synod of bishops will close the debate over Cardinal
Walter Kasper's proposal to make it easier for divorced and civilly
remarried Catholics to receive Communion.
3. One cardinal says the synod will openly discuss sensitive topics
4. Archbishop Jose Gomez used his Twitter today to share a message for Respect Life Month.
In this #RespectLife Month, let’s pray for one another and let’s pray for our nation.
— Archbishop Gomez (@ArchbishopGomez) October 3, 2014
5. God loves you.
2 comments:
May we all get an explanation from CNS/USCCB on why Cardinal Kasper's video includes a "loving" portrait of what would seem to be a couple who are divorced and remarried "Catholics" whereas the video with Cardinal Burke on his stance contains no such "loving" portrait. Can anyone fail to see the imagery portrayed with each by CNS? Can we Catholics who are faithful to the Church's Magesterium receive an explanation as to why these two videos have explicit differences in the portrayal of Sacramental marriage?
I find myself in the most horrifying place after being a practicing Catholic for 54 years and a social worker for 25. I find myself wondering where to go once the Church under the current decision makers decides to abandon the Lord. It is the direction will be taken if Cardinal Kasper and the Pope, if he truly is listening to Cardinal Kasper, are all taking us under the guise of the "Holy Spirit". You see - there should be no debate about the things the Lord said. That there is signals that many of you are willing to abandon the Lord, leading us with you in the name and mission of one-sided mercy and social justice.
For the sake of social justice, I have labored for 25 years. Salvation does not come through social justice. Mercy is complex. In the often cited Prodigal Son parable - the son chooses to repent and go home - does the permanent adulterer repent by being given second class citizenship or is their presence and faithfulness as non-receiving communicants in our parishes serve as a greater witness and also a greater request for mercy? Which in the end is more just? Do we abandon teaching related to the real presence in Christ? That even though I do not partake of the sacrament, the actual consecration impacts me spiritually by being present in that holy space? (I admit we could do more to make the remarried feel less judged, but in the end - why have they decided to abandon the Church?) Finally, the Holy Spirit would never go against the words of the Lord.
Salvation comes from the Lord. For any cardinal or any Bishop to do go along with changing practices that are directly linked to doctrine is a signal all of us should pay attention to - it is quite unpastoral. It signals our souls are not valued, only the comfort of our present physical existence is. The domain for taking care of our physical existence is social work and the many professions that help people - the kind of work the Church has always provided in the past through its Charities, Schools and Hospitals, etc. These have been abandoned as priests, sisters and laity have been encouraged to separate their callings to serve the Church to being individuals called to bring their gifts to the world. Some have made huge individual differences but what a difference they could make working with the Church (members of the LCWR quickly come to mind here). The difference between Church and helping is very apparent. The care of souls is the domain of the church and the care of the now is the domain of my, and many other, professions.
And so I am faced with the horrifying prospect of asking myself the question with a totally different answer. Peter said to the Lord to whom shall I go - you are the source of life. After the Synod if practice goes against doctrine we shall have to ask ourselves a question - since obviously 2000 years of practices and beliefs are unimportant to the Church and I have been a fool to follow them, to whom should I/we go? and when I/we find ourselves answering that we cannot stay within the body of the Church because the body no longer really spiritually exists-for her stewards no longer believe in the Lord's words nor in the Church's understanding of herself - we will know the price the Lord paid. We will have been abandoned.
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