REALLY, CATHOLICS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE POPE'S INTERVIEW?

Southern Orders ^ | March 6, 2014 | Fr. Allan J. McDonald

[NYer]

It continues to amaze me how some Catholics (not all) and usually supposedly traditional Catholics, continue to nitpick what Pope Francis says and are as manipulative of what he says as the progressive media that does the same thing.

This is what the Pope said about true marriage and civil unions yestersday:

Marriage is between a man and a woman. Secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring health care. It is about pacts of cohabitating of various natures, of which I wouldn’t know how to list the different ways. One needs to see the different cases and evaluate them in their variety.

MY COMMENTS:

First the Holy Father makes clear that marriage is between a man and woman! Duh! But he knows the question is posed to him because there is great confusion in society today from those who are trying to redefine that which is already definitively defined and cannot be changed.

Then he says that secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate economic aspects between persons, such as ensuring health care. (And yes, this is part of the states responsibility, but this is far from the Pope endorsing cohabitation in the sense of a sexual relationship. And he acknowledges that there are many forms of cohabitation--a single son with an elderly mother and he cares for as a son cares for a mother. Can cohabitation have the same civil protection economically in terms of health benefits, social security and the like? It is not a sexual union or cohabitation.)

Keep in mind, that the Church is opposed to legal divorce. In Italy the Church fought tooth and nail to prevent legal divorces. Was this good? My Italian mother and Canadian father, both conservative Catholics told me no!

The problem in Italy prior the the Council was that men would leave their wives and children and cohabitate with another woman. He became a deadbeat dad, did not support his wife or children because the legal aspects of the separation had not been addressed in a court of law for the protection of persons, children and property.

Civil divorce protects the parties who are divorcing and their children and possessions. It is the duty of the state to do this and enforce it. Not the Church.  The Church can only state that the civil union of divorced and remarried Catholics is not recognized by the  Church and that the initial marriage is the valid one until proven otherwise in an ecclesiastical court of law. 

So the Church, in terms of divorce and remarried couples, acknowledges today (not in the past) the need for civil unions to be regulated by the state to protect people and their civil rights. The Church does not acknowledge these civil unions as marriage and in fact says there is a public sin involved which prevents these couples from receiving Holy Communion if the union is sexual in nature, rather than fraternal.

[NYer]

In response to a comment, Father sums it up quite well.

These are legal matters, with some moral obligations. The church doesn't make civil law, but she has to recognize that civil law is meant to protect citizens.

Ping!

[NoLibZone]

Thank you for posting this.

I was getting worried.

[Alex Murphy]

It continues to amaze me how some Catholics (not all) and usually supposedly traditional Catholics, continue to nitpick what Pope Francis says and are as manipulative of what he says as the progressive media that does the same thing.

Birds of a feather and all that.

IB4TPWMA

[franky8]

FROM

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/life-and-family/marriage/cohabitation-and-churchs-teaching/

Cohabitation and Church’s Teaching

Living Together: Questions and Answers Regarding Cohabitation and the Church’s Moral Teaching

The Bishops of Pennsylvania

1. What is cohabitation?
“Cohabitation” is commonly referred to as “living together.” It describes the relationship of a man and woman who are sexually active and share a household, though they are not married.

LIVE LIKE BROTHER TO BROTHER OR SISTER TO SISTER...NO SEX

[NYer]

This post is sourced to a "traditional Catholic" priest .. not CNN or the New York Times or any other secular media. What disturbs me most about certain catholic freepers, is their nitpicking every word spoken by Pope Francis and their willingness to, not only accept, but also believe secular media reporting because it supports their distrust for this pope. It is even more disheartening to witness this shameless display at the opening of Lent, a season for repentance, self-denial and prayer in preparation for Easter. As catholics, you know full well the promise made by our Lord, that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. In distrusting the pope, you demonstrate a distrust for Christ's promise.

We have enough problems battling secularism, narcissism, relativism and all the other "isms". The Catholic Church is under attack from every direction. The Holy Father has addressed a Letter to Families, asking for their prayers. Here is an opportunity to devote the next 39 days, as a family, to pray for Pope Francis. It is also a good time to examine and resolve the motives that drive your distrust for him. I wish you all a Blessed Lent.

[catbertz]

I have experienced some concern with our new Pope, but it still appears that he is trying to speak in neutral, conciliatory tones. That’s fine, as long as he doesn’t betray the Churches fundamental beliefs.

[verga]

Every year at lent and advent the secular media tries to find ways to stir the pot and get Catholics and other Christians all jacked up over nothing.

[Salvation]

**First the Holy Father makes clear that marriage is between a man and woman! Duh! **Hooray for Pope Francis!

[redleghunter]

I am so glad for Pope Francis he has the FR RF in his hip pocket making sure he is ‘clearly understood.’ If it was not for you and a few more posters, this Pope would just be judged on what he actually says and not what others say he actually says.

Now if you have a few minutes, perhaps you can post on the thread to defend the Pope lifting a rosary in a casket from a deceased priest. The apologetics for casket ‘lifting’ should be interesting.

[metmom]

I am so glad for Pope Francis he has the FR RF in his hip pocket making sure he is ‘clearly understood.’ If it was not for you and a few more posters, this Pope would just be judged on what he actually says and not what others say he actually says.

Hey, they've had plenty of practice with the *It doesn't mean what it says, it means what we say it means* meme.

They've been using it with Scripture for centuries.

[Bigg Red]

Every year at lent and advent the secular media tries to find ways to stir the pot and get Catholics and other Christians all jacked up over nothing.

&&&
You are so right. And they love to twist every word that the Holy Father utters.

[Bigg Red]

Thank you for posting this.

[piusv]

In distrusting the pope, you demonstrate a distrust for Christ's promise.

In the spirit of Lent, I will forgive you for this very ignorant and malicious statement.

[piusv]

We have enough problems battling secularism, narcissism, relativism and all the other "isms".

Don't forget Modernism....in the Church.

[NYer]

Now if you have a few minutes, perhaps you can post on the thread to defend the Pope lifting a rosary in a casket from a deceased priest.

Another example of a lie posted to distort the truth. First of all, let's begin with facts. He removed only the crucifix from the rosary and now wears it in a pouch next to his heart. Let's revisit the event.

Francis made the revelation Thursday during an informal chat with Roman priests about the need to be merciful to their flocks. He told the story of the "great confessor" of Buenos Aires who had heard confessions from most of the diocesan priests as well as from Pope John Paul II when he visited Argentina.

When the priest died, Francis went to pray by his open casket and was stunned that no one had brought any flowers.

`'This man forgave the sins of all the priests of Buenos Aires, but not a single flower ...?" Francis recalled. So he went out and bought a bouquet of roses, and when he returned to arrange them around the casket, he saw the rosary the priest still held in his hand.

"And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it," he said, showing with his hands how he pulled the cross off the rosary. "And in that moment I looked at him and I said `Give me half your mercy.'

The pope asked for half his mercy. He then went on to say:

"And whenever a bad thought comes to mind about someone, my hand goes here, always," he said, gesturing to his heart. "And I feel the grace, and that makes me feel better."

The priest is long dead but, through the cross from his rosary, the mercy he showed continues through the pope. To honor the memory of the deceased is wrong?

When my grandmother died, just before they closed the lid on her coffin, I took her rosary. During her life, she counted off prayers for friends and family on those beads. Today, I do the same and will now add you to my list.

[RetiredArmy]

Yup. Hoooray. All the atheists are going to heaven and the muzzies and Christians all worship the same God, so says Fran.

[Salvation]

Great post.

[Alex Murphy]

I am so glad for Pope Francis he has the FR RF in his hip pocket making sure he is ‘clearly understood.’ If it was not for you and a few more posters, this Pope would just be judged on what he actually says and not what others say he actually says.

I'd prefer that this pope be judged on what he actually says, but none of the Catholic bloggers and their ilk are content to let that happen - "what the pope actually meant was", "the pope's words were mistranslated", etc is the "Catholic word of the day" every day for these people. It's called being a "public relations manager", and I'd swear that the Catholic Church must have invented it.

[Salvation]

Are you, too, a man who has served in the military and knows how to discern right from wrong, believing this media?