"It's the Final Countdown...."
Posted on 12/29/2015 10:03:40 AM PST by ebb tide
1. A clear “yes†to Communion for the divorced and remarried, even if it would require some discernment in individual cases. 2. A clear “no,†while still stressing that divorced and civilly remarried believers remain part of the Church and can participate in its life in various other ways. 3. A call for more study and reflection, saying that the time isn’t right to make a decision. 4. Decentralizing the question to some extent by offering broad guidelines and then encouraging local bishops to make decisions. Tosatti believes that Francis will choose door No. 4, using language that won’t be seen as a clear win for the “yes†camp associated with German Cardinal Walter Kasper, but which will encourage greater latitude for local bishops.
Doesn’t this Pope face credibility issues — after declaring that Christ is not the Savior?
He is the Catholic Church’s Obama.
Though I believe in the Catholic Church. I do NOT believe in this POPE.
He’ll take excerpts from “Heather has Two Mommies.”
Satan has done a number on you folks...the pope is evil, the Church of Christ is going down. My favorite...a man can ruin everything. Jesus Christ. Nuf sed.
He’s the head of that church is he not?
Not sure I follow your use of English, what is the point you were trying unsuccessfully to make?
Breitbart has a really good photo of the Pope with a big smile. This photo proves that Pope Francis is capable of smiling broadly. I watched Christmas Eve Mass, and the Pope looked miserable throughout the service. Am I the only one who noticed this? Even if your arthritis is kicking in or you have a bellyache from some bad pasta, really, a scowling Pope celebrating the birth of Christ??? Yup, he can’t even fake it.
Best critique of Pope Frank thus far. Sadly, the disease may have to run its course before the church is healed if, indeed, it is to be healed at all.
Just what constitutes a “family” to this Pope?
You’ve got it all wrong. Satan has done a number on Bergoglio.
In my lifetime I have not seen the Roman Catholic Church discipline or excommunicate politicians and other other powerful people such as Pelosi, Biden, and Kerry who endorse and facilitate abortions, gay marriage, and other behavior the church claims to view as sinful. Pope Benedict publicly appeared with with twice divorced French President Sarkozy and his concubine Carla Bruni during his visit to France in 2008. The same conservative Pope had an audience with the self proclaimed “ardent Catholic” Nancy Pelosi in 2009. In the same year he also met privately with strong abortion and gay marriage advocate VP Joe Biden. John Kerry has also met with the Pope.
Joseph Kennedy, JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy were notorious philanderers and adulterers but still received the sacraments and were honored by church leaders at their funeral services. Teddy Kennedy even callously divorced his wife, when she was struggling with alcohol dependency. The church granted him an annulment. Why does the church deny sacraments to common sinners when it honors the wealthy and powerful despite their wickedness? What would Christ, who allowed a whore to wash his feet with her tears, say about denying Communion to sinners? Did he not share the last supper and his blessing with Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter, even though he knew in advance one would sin by betraying him and the other would sin by denying him?
Perhaps Francis is struggling and failing to reconcile the church’s hardline view toward average sinners with its public tolerance of the same sins when committed by the wealthy and powerful. Would Christ accept Teddy Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi at his table while turning away a repentant divorcee who aborted a child? Should a mortal man presume to deny God’s grace to any person? Heavy questions for any Pope, holy man, or lay person of faith to ponder.
Two and Half Men
Correction: Two and a Half Men
"It's the Final Countdown...."
Probably will tell us family is great, but you can get to heaven without it.
Pope Francis:
“...This was a pastoral concern: will we allow them to go to Communion? Communion alone is no solution. The solution is integration. They have not been excommunicated, true. But they cannot be godfathers to any child being baptized, mass readings are not for divorcees, they cannot give communion, they cannot teach Sunday school, there are about seven things that they cannot do, I have the list over there. Come on! If I disclose any of this it will seem that they have been excommunicated in fact! Thus, let us open the doors a bit more. Why cant they be godfathers and godmothers?... “
Would Christ accept Teddy Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi at his table while turning away a repentant divorcee who aborted a child?
If someone is "repentant," they can go to confession and get back in God's good graces. It doesn't cost anything, and is not only open to the rich and powerful. Part of repentance involves not intending to continue to commit the same sin on an ongoing basis, though.
The issue with divorce-and-remarriage (not just divorce) is that the person is objectively not "repentant" if they are not living as brother or sister with their new (in civil law, at least) spouse. Again, that has nothing to do with wealth or power.
A Catholic funeral, strictly speaking, is not meant to "honor" the deceased but to pray for his soul. You aren't even *supposed* to have a eulogy.
Lots of people who aren't rich get church annulments.
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