Cardinal Burke: Pope Francis has spoken unambiguously on abortion, contraception, marriage

Catholic World News / Catholic Culture ^ | February 24, 2014 | CWN

[Mrs. Don-o]

CWN - Citing remarks made by Pope Francis, Cardinal Raymond Burke emphasized that Pope has spoken “unambiguously” in defense of Catholic teaching on abortion, contraception, euthanasia, and marriage.

“It is not that the Holy Father is not clear in his opposition to abortion and euthanasia, or in his support of marriage as the indissoluble, faithful and procreative union of one man and one woman,” the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura wrote in L’Osservatore Romano. “Rather he concentrates his attention on inviting all to nurture an intimate relationship, indeed communion, with Christ, within which the non-negotiable truths, inscribed by God upon every human heart, become ever more evident and are generously embraced.”

“We should not think that such an invitation requires that we be silent about fundamental truths of the natural moral law, as if these matters were somehow peripheral to the message of the Gospel,” Cardinal Burke continued. “Rather, the proclamation of the truth of the moral law is always an essential dimension of the proclamation of the Gospel, for it is only in light of the truth of the moral law, written on every human heart, that we can recognize our need to repent from sin and accept the mercy of God offered to us in Jesus Christ.”

“In the face of a galloping de-Christianization in the West, the new evangelization, as Pope Francis underlines, must be clearly grounded in Christ crucified who alone can overcome the world for the sake of its salvation,” Cardinal Burke concluded.

[Mrs. Don-o]

+Raymond Burke defending Pope Francis. I find Burke one of the best men in Rome --- I know many of us do --- so this is good encouragement and a good example to us all.

[NYer]

Catholic ping!

[irishjuggler]

Cardinal Burke is a good guy— one of the very best. However, the mere fact that Burke feels the need to say that Pope Francis supports Church doctrine on these issues speaks volumes. I don’t remember any other pope having this problem (i.e., widespread public perception that he’s jettisoning Catholic moral teachings).

[2ndDivisionVet]

Surprise: The Pope is a Catholic!

[Bayard]

You don’t defend either of these things when a few soundbites are all the media needs to completely transform any message.

This Pope has been pigeon-holed as a “liberal reformer,” and unless he’s willing to do something as equally dramatic as many of his poverty advocacy escapades, he won’t be seen as anything but a “liberal reformer.”

I’d suggest finally removing a few Bishops who have abused the trust of the Catholic faithful, or even encouraging some local Bishops to grow a spine and start excommunicating politicians who think they are “consistent” in their Catholic faith.

[BlatherNaut]

This Pope has been pigeon-holed as a “liberal reformer,” and unless he’s willing to do something as equally dramatic as many of his poverty advocacy escapades, he won’t be seen as anything but a “liberal reformer.”

His image is based on his own words and actions and on the Exhortation he wrote. Opposition to abortion, contraception and euthanasia is so basic to Catholic belief that the fact that a Cardinal feels the need to actually defend him on those particular issues is not only mind boggling but is also illustrative of the confusion and division that has been unleashed during this papacy.

[Salvation]

Great article that I read yesterday. Thanks for posting it.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, I don't think any other pope ever made moral statements as unequivocal as Francis/Bergoglio has...

... only to be maniacally distorted by the EneMedia in a quite delirious manner...

(The Advocate, as you may know, is the largest-circulation LGBT magazine in America...)

All of this of course shows the truth of what Pope Francis said about "a machination of the Father of Lies."

They want to kill Pope Francis' message in the most smarmily manipulative way possible: by burying him in rainbow colored balls in a carnival ball pit, and then hugging him to death. Very effective use of the "confuse and deceive" strategy by the proud sodomites, I would say.

[BlatherNaut]

There is nothing unusual about a media hostile to the Catholic Church. The problem is that his own words and actions as well as the comments made by his chosen mouthpieces (e.g. Maradiaga, Kasper) have generated much confusion and division. Also he appears to be narrowly focused on a particular segment of the Church (the "poor") and his oft-repeated vision of the Church's mission (the servant Church) grossly under-emphasizes the Church's primary mission (the salvation of souls).

Is the media responsible for this?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Now that' a distressing picture. But it raises odd questions. Somebody gave him a ball and a jersey? It doesn't look like the altar is dressed for a Liturgy--- so why would he even *BE* at the altar, and why would he be putting stuff down on the altar? Generally if somebody gives the Pope a little gift (sombrero, a signed copy of your book) he'll beam, say thankyou, hand it off to an aide.

And it wouldn't be happening at the altar.

So whart gives? What's the context? Do you know?

[BlatherNaut]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_zaxwd1xFzw

[Mrs. Don-o]

I hope I am being neither ignorant or nitpicky, but it's still not clear what's going on. The Blessed Sacrament was evidently not present in the tabernacle, because there was no genuflecting by anybody, the candelabra were not lit, and there was no tabernacle lamp. Only, I can see the Easter Candle was lit, making me think, "Hmmm." The altar was not set for Liturgy.

In fact, it's not clear what they were purporting to do there. Was the Holy Father going to give an address? A press conference? People seemed to be not in any particular orderly placement. They were neither in the pews not forming up a procession--- just "milling around."

There must be hundreds of altars in Rome. Are some of them deconsecrated and the sanctuary and nave used for such things as lectures, press conferences or concerts? It seems that would be an important thing to know.

If one of my RCIA students put something on an altar while we were doing a tour of our Day Chapel (we have no tabernacle and do not reserve the Blessed Sacrament in our Day Chapel) ---- a piece of sheet music, say, or a study notebook or a camera --- I would say, firmly but gently, "We don't randomly 'put stuff' on an altar. The altar of sacrifice represents Christ."

But Pope Francis seemed to be putting the ball and jersey there, not randomly but with intent. Presumably (I'm guessing) he meant it as a symbol of his WYD activities being given to Christ?

Puzzling and casual. I am not ready to conclude, however, that it was a desecration.

You've probably heard the old, OLD saying, "Confused as a Jesuit during Holy Week."

[BlatherNaut]

It was at St. Mary Major, in front of a tabernacle.

http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2013/07/pope-offers-beach-ball-to-our-lady-at.html

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yes. That's why I wondered about the Blessed Sacrament not being reserved n the tabernacle.

That's about all I have to say about it... :o/

[Salvation]

BTTT for an old article.