Posted on 08/02/2018 3:21:10 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
August 2, 2018
Dear Bishop S----,
Thank you for your letter and thanks also to S and D and P and R who have also responded to my concerns: I appreciate this, too.
But it is not enough.
Centuries ago, faithful Catholics didn't ordinarily need to question their Bishop. If he were an honest Catholic, well and good; but if not, it made little difference to the average pewsitter. Catholic life was what it was, and it did not change. You didn't need to check your basement several times a day to see if the bedrock was still located under the bearing walls. There was no "Traditionalist" or "Modernist," there was only observant or non-observant.
This has not been entirely true for all of my adult lifetime (I was 16 in 1968), but it has been particularly untrue in the past 5 1/2 years. The ground is moving under our feet.
I look at Amoris Laetitia or the daily Google Alert with keywords "Pope Francis," and what I'm seeing is the ongoing demolition of doctrine. This latest contradiction, "Death Penalty is not admissible" vs "Death Penalty is not intrinsically wrong" is just the latest and the gravest. "Is" or "Is not." It's as stark as it can get.
Until quite recently, I thought that you might have noticed this too, and that you might agree that if it comes down to "Catholicism" or "The-Church-of-What's-Happenin'-Now", we should stick with Catholicism.
If it comes down to "The Church of Sts Peter and Paul" or "The Church of Uncle Teddy and ¡Tío Hagan Lío!" ---we'd best stay with Peter and Paul.
Today, I am not so sure what your answer would be.
The Third Law of Logic, A does not equal Not-A, has been repealed.
2 + 2 equals 5.
2 + 2 has always equaled 5.
`
Is this where we've arrived?
Should I take a sabbatical from the parish RCIA team until it's clarified as to whether I am supposed to teach the Old Catechism or the New Catechism, the Old Truth or the New Truth?
Is our Faith mutable? Might you let me know?
In Christ our Truth,
[signed]
P.S. Just to clarify: I am actually opposed to the Death Penalty.. I confidently teach what the Catechism teaches at 2267:
" Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor... ...cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent."
But if Pope Francis' new doctrine -- that capital punishment is morally inadmissible --- is true, the entire Church has been wrong on this going back to St. Paul, in fact going back to Genesis. I support what Pope Francis' new doctrine in this case directly contradicts: Scripture, Tradition and the Papal Magisterium.
Your thoughts?
The catechism is right. The pope is wrong. He doesnt get to contradict what was taught as correct.
Precisely.
In this very bizarre case, the Pope has come out directly against the Papal Magisterium.
He’s changing the catechism.
We are dealing with hirelings. None have shown themselves to be true shepherds. And those who are not hirelings are wolves. And it is often difficult to tell the difference between the two.
He is as good with h the fifth commandment as he is with the sixth.
The actions of Pope Francis have unfortunately alienated many faithful Catholics. He has immensely disconcerted those who despite all try to remain loyal to the Church. As a Catholic when the Pope speaks ex-Cathedra one is supposed to accept the teaching as “infallible”. Is this latest rant an ex-Cathedra teaching?
This Pope frightens many. When he met Obama at the White House, Obama hosted him in the context of a gay festival. He did not object or walk out. He refuses to be “judgmental” regarding this abomination and has de facto tolerated the continued presence of homosexuals in the clergy. He has done very little to stop the systemic child molestation that further alienates decent Catholics.
Nor has he given his unqualified support to the pro life movement. He has invited and curried favor with pro abortionists at Vatican institutions and conferences.
His currying favor with Muslims who despise and murder Christians is an insult to the martyrs past and present who have died on behalf of their Catholic faith.
The Church is at its best when it is counter cultural and stand for truth, morality and doctrine. This Pope seems a bit too anxious to come to terms and accomadate neo pagan decadence
The Church has survived a major crisis about every 500 years. first the sack of Rome, then the schism in Christianity between East and West and the Reformation. Today it faces the challenge of a clergy and hierarchy.
This challenge will not be solved by this Pope. However the yet faithful Catholics believe that out of the carnage will emerge a faithful remnant. Those currently alive may not live to see it but the Church will once again eventually emerge victorious. You, Mrs. Don-o are to be complimented on your Faith and devotion during these dark times.
Capital punishment is not only correct. If is administered justly and effectively, it is the most moral position a society can take to protect it’s innocent and vulnernerable citizens.
There is a very small percentage of people who are predators. They prey on honest citizens and use violence to get their way. Society has a moral obligation to stop them and protect the innocent and the vulnerable.
Capital punishment is the best way of doing this.
Is allowing more innocent people to be victims of crime and violence moral?
Those who say to abolish the death penalty should have the burden of proof to show that they protected more people.
The death penalty should be used only to protect the innocent. But encouraging evil people to commit crimes is completely immoral.
Pope Francis is an evil man. He encourages governments like Venezuela to starve innocent children and have the secret police torture and murder innocent people.
He encourages those who fund terrorism.
His immoral position on the death penalty is just one of many examples of him siding with evil and opposing the good.
Fortunately none of his rants are ex cathedra.
Amen to that!
He must know that is not true. Just look at the cartel bosses who escape for even modern prisons
Or he must believe that even if those policies are not present in every country, protection of the public is not important.
This is not “development of doctrine” as required for an authentic Magisterial
Pronouncement.
In these cases capital punishment is the more merciful option.
However, he did have it put into the Catechism, which is his weaselly way to try to make it seem like it's part of the "Ordinary Magisterium," when it is not at all.
It's his customary "teaching" by wink, nod, stage-whisper, equivocation, ambiguity. He does not say the death penalty is inherently wrong or that it violates an "exceptionless norm" in those exact words, but he says it's "inadmissible" --- which is in practice the same thing.
Let's ask if this is in continuity with the whole teaching of the Church for the last 2,000 years. His answer will be:
"Yes. No. Maybe. You figure it out."
This is personal policy preference masquerading as doctrine. It's ruling by confusion and subterfuge. He has crossed the line.
Thank you for this great link. I’ll get it on my Kindle.
A repentant murderer would not dispute the justice of his penalty. Cf St. Dismas.
As a Catholic I have never seen any use for the Vatican.
I wonder if the Pope’s anti-death penalty speech was given to get attention off the pedophile articles. It’s a new doctrine liberals love.
I think it was. He’s done this quite often before. He seems to have a quiver full of misdirection arrows he fires at will.
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