Well, it is not to forgive sins but to lift the canonical penalty for the offenses which one could be excommunicated.
They will tell you that it includes women who have procured an abortion, but this is not the case. Long ago, this authority was delegated to the bishops and then to the priest in most places of the world so that women suffering from post-abortive distress would seek the spiritual salve of the Sacrament and return to the faith. Yes, that is mercy.
But what are the others?
Profanation of the Holy Eucharist to be sure is a most heinous crime. How many still pour the Precious Blood down the sink, let alone a sacrarium and equally as blasphemous, whether out of ignorance or disbelief in the Real Presence. But these are not held accountable as it happens in the course of the team of "Eucharistic Ministers." The wording is "one who throws away the consecrated species or, for a sacrilegious purpose, takes them away or keeps them”; What others?
Well, what layman has broken the seal of the confessional?
Since the laity are not priests well, it doesn't apply; specifically, a confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal”; and a confessor who absolves “an accomplice in a sin against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue.”
Have you consecrated a bishop lately or received it without a papal mandate? Perhaps they can show some mercy to Bishop Richard Williamson as I know no other but him.
But here is the big one.
"A person who uses physical force against the Roman Pontiff."
Fisichella now says “I would say that we need to understand well ‘physical violence,’ because sometimes words, too, are rocks and stones, and therefore I believe some of these sins, too, are far more widespread than we might think.”
Who is he speaking of?
What on earth are these 800 priests to do? How many penitents are there in these categories for the Holy See to lift the canonical penalties?
Reading Fisischella, one realises how fishy this year of false mercy really is. Perhaps he might wish to consult one of the world's leading Canonists, Dr. Edward Peters.
19 comments:
It is pathetic: neo-modernist and "ashamed of the Gospel" churchman dares to threaten Catholics with excommunication! The insanity in Rome has become so profound that these poor, deluded men are not even aware of the laughing stock they are making of themselves. With, for example, homosexuality rife in much of the clergy, this man dares complain when Catholics take umbrage?
Those who have tried to introduce Heresy into the Catholic Church no longer belong to it ,and are not in a position to excommunicate anyone,common sense tells me that if you don't believe in a Catholic God your not a member of the Catholic Church ,and therefore have no authority over Catholics.Somebody please correct me if that does not make sense.
Has this arch-modernist considered an interdict being issued against the churchmen who are engaged in the disgustingly blasphemous "light show" to be staged on Vatican Hill within a few hours?
This logo for the year or false mercy... I saw it in church yesterday for the first time. Could not believe my eyes. It looks like a mockery to me. How appropriate for the project of dismantling the Church.
Who believes, that after the year of false mercy, it will all end, the extra mercy, compliments of the pope and his minions?
What right does the pope have to be more merciful than God already is, while establishing and guiding His Church? The merciful God needed humble Bergoglio to add to His mercy?
It is a farce, like everything with Bergoglio. Go ahead, excommunicate me, pope's minions! You will not excommunicate Truth from my mind and soul.
Every thing that's happening in Churches from liturgical abuse to the lack of respect and sacrilegious treatment of the Blessed Sacrament is Anti Christ ,voodoo doctors and animists invited into Assisi to "pray "but those who criticize the One in charge of this disorder can be excommunicated .That's like a married man going out to find new lovers and accusing his wife of adultery,because she nags him about it.
And a question: Why the third eye on the logo? The eye Jesus and the sheep carried as though to a slaughter (admit it) by His distorted figure in a pose hard to hold, and its purpose or reason hard to understand? What is that one eye?
Greg J Ben,
Imagine the "disorganized, weak institution" that existed 2,000 years ago. Pope Saint Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus Christ. One of our bishops, Judas, betrayed Jesus. Apostles scattered.
Imagine years later when Saint Peter acted in such fashion that promoted Saint Paul to challenge Saint Peter...right to Saint Peter's face.
Imagine the "disorganized, weak institution" that existed for decade upon decade during the Arian Crisis. Bishop vs. bishop. Catholic vs. Catholic. Heresy had engulfed the Church.
Imagine the horrific times of massive corruption within the Church...Popes sinned gravely...millions of Catholics abandoned the Faith...the Protestant Revolt...heresies widespread among Eastern Catholics.
Well, welcome to the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, during even Her most "disorganized" times, God calls His creation to join and remain within the Catholic Church. Each person is called by God to embrace holiness no matter how many sinners abound within the Catholic Church.
We should not wonder as to why "any sane human being" would wish to "belong to a disorganized, weak institution" know as the One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Instead, we should wonder as to why "any sane human being" would not wish to join the Catholic Church. After all, outside the Church, one finds far greater disorganization, evil, and chaos than one finds within the Church.
Even on Her most dreadful day, the Church is the Garden of Eden as compared to the world.
Even where sinners abound within the Church, anybody who desires will find holiness via God's Sacraments, pious practices, and holy devotionals. That is why any sane human being should attach himself to God and His Catholic Church.
Conversely, the only thing that the world has to offer is the Culture of Death.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
@ Greg J Ben
Dear Greg, your point is well taken. However, one significant proof that the Catholic Church founded on Saint Peter by Jesus Christ is truly THE Church (sorry, not shouting, just using caps for emphasis) is that she has survived and will continue to survive the weaknesses of her children and the pressures of worldly men.
As a convert, one truth among many which persuaded me to 'swim the Tiber' is the authority of the Office of Peter. The Catholic Church, unlike other christian communities, has never taught heresy. Catholics, for example, hold to the teaching that divorce and remarriage (the previous union is presumed valid until determined otherwise) constitutes adultery, while other communities have abandoned that teaching. One wonders how such communities can continue to refer to themselves as Christian when they have jettisoned a teaching that Christ restored with such force (Mt 19:3-9).
Sure, many Catholics—including yours truly—are more or less successful at living the Faith undefiled depending on the degree of our embrace, by the grace of God, of the authority of Christ and His Church. There is little doubt that Catholics-in-name-only mock Christ and His Church by living double lives, for example. There is an ancient maxim that might help: abusus non tollit usum. "The abuse of a thing does not render it useless". The abuse of the name "Catholic", and a failure to follow the rules, does not render the Catholic Church useless, so-to-speak. We are all sinners who depend on the mercy of God. The Church remains holy despite the sins of her children because Christ is wed to His Church and Christ, of course, is the Holy One. Christ provided for our weakness and restoration in the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation: John 20:21-23 cf http://www.catholic.com/blog/tim-staples/is-confession-in-scripture-0)
The concerns you have legitimately raised really require a personal encounter allowing for lots of time and mutual prayer to do justice to your comments. The private counsel provided to me by host of this blog, Vox (David D.) has been a blessing of inestimable value. I suggest you contact him and engage him in dialogue on spiritual and doctrinal matters.
Peace be with you, brother.
CS
Veiled threats against the Catholic Faithful? From the lips of a Cardinal? Whatever next? Time to close your wallets, chaps, take out your rosaries daily, find a decent priest who says Mass reverently minus altar girls and Communion Ministers and support those faithful Catholics who have the courage to criticise heresy and sin where they see it.
The Roman Catholic church hierarchy has gone mad and is bad. (With a few notable exceptions!) As Greg J Ben said, changing everything until nothing is left! I am lining up to be excommunicated but . . . there is one problem, I am a baptised Coptic Orthodox believer. So what will the Cardinal do with people like me? (Vox - since this "confession" I hope you will continue to allow my comments?!). Eirene (or as some say - Pax)
Having read carefully the first time around the initial three words of Greg J Ben's post, there wasn't anything emotional about my response in question.
If anything, perhaps Greg J Ben may wish to re-read the first three words of his post as His Holiness Pope Francis enjoys immense popularity among non-Catholics. In fact, it is believed popularly among non-Catholics that Pope Francis adheres to and promotes Jesus Christ teachings in more powerful fashion than our past few Popes, if not any Pope in history.
Greg J Ben's premise falls apart as the reality is that far from believing that the Church is a circus or jungle, non-Catholics believe popularly that Pope Francis has solidified the Church and made known to the world Jesus Christ's teachings.
Love and respect for Pope Francis abound among non-Catholics.
Sorry, but I am not the one who needs to re-read the first three words of Greg J Ben's initial post.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
@ Greg J Ben
I left the Church over 25 years ago - due to doubts concerning her doctrine and due to hypocrisy within her ranks.
I surrounded myself with good, well-meaning non-Catholics. Over the years I saw their tastes become increasingly vulgar, their arguments decreasingly rational. I saw them deteriorate right in front of my eyes, their high IQs and worldliness infusing them with a sense of superiority. They are now tolerant and accepting of all sorts of irrationality, ugliness and evil. They believe themselves good and enlightened, while they demean me as a backward hater - all lovingly, or so they think.
There is no place on earth one can turn today, to learn about Truth, but the faithful Church. There are some protestant ministries as well, but the traditional (the only true) Church is there for those of us, who are on our own, being patronized, marginalized and persecuted by barbarians everywhere. Most people are not educated enough, not strong enough, not determined enough, they do not have enough time, to find their way to Christ without the Church's help.
How tragic for them, that the Church has been taken over by those humanists and Gaia-worshippers!
Try to imagine that the true Church is not there any more. Would I be able to help anyone, including myself, to stay strong? Where would those, who have not heard of Jesus, turn?
The logo perfectly describes what been done to the Faith its been deformed
Somebody had better inform His Holiness Pope Francis that "the world wouldn't find anything different offered in the current state of the Catholic Church" as Pope Francis has...
-- Declared (at least twice last December and once in January 2015 A.D.) that the Catholic Church is the True Church.
-- Warned Catholics and the world countless times that Satan is real and determined to devour souls.
-- Exhorted us countless time to go to Confession.
-- Has denounced homosexual "lobbies" as evil.
-- Has denounced "powerful forces" that promote homosexual unions.
-- Has praised people who work to pass laws that prohibit homosexual unions and adoptions of children by homosexuals.
-- Has praised and promoted Humanae Vitae.
-- Has condemned artificial birth control and abortion on numerous occasions.
-- Has exhorted people to cultivate deep devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and all Saints.
-- Has promoted Indulgences.
-- Has exhorted people to pray the Holy Rosary.
-- Has declared that the world persecutes Christians today more than any time in history.
-- Has condemned on numerous occasions Islamic persecution of Christians.
-- In his Encyclical Laudato si, exhorted people to reclaim Sunday as a day of worship and rest. He exhorted us to center each Sunday upon God. He said that each Sunday should be "centered on the Eucharist..."
Sorry, but the claim that "non-Catholics who wish to reform themselves and repent from their sins and from the world wouldn't find anything different offered in the current state of the Catholic Church" doesn't hold water.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
To Mark Thomas
Might I suggest that you carefully and seriously read the exhortation written by The Remnant to the Pope. You will find it on this blog. It is long. I believe he has a lot to answer for, don't you? Eirene
Sorry Bergoglio..i am not a protestant. The TRUE and HOLY Catholic Church will outlive you as it has done with many other Apostates. WE are strong, firm and will live by the Word of God until we die. We are repelled by worldly flirtations. I pray for those in Rome who ignore Holy Doctrine.
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