Following below is a joint post by Barona and myself. Preceding it is a link to Father Z's take and the opinions of those in his combox on the interview given by a producer of Salt + Light.
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2014/10/salt-and-light-attacks-card-burke-sticking-to-the-ideal-instead-of-ministering-to-people/
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A joint post by Barona and Vox Cantoris
No one can fail to realize that these approaches pose a challenge to the very identity of the moral conscience in relation to human freedom and God's law.
Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor
Bishop Athanasius Schneider |
We also hope that Fr. Rosica will correct the chronology of events pertaining the interjection of the eventually rejected passages on homosexuality in the mid-term relatio. The homosexualist and Adulterist positions must be utterly rejected as unCatholic.
Of the insertion of the text on homosexuality into the relatio,Ambrosio says:
A: "So, the function of that mid-term document was really: here's the summary of what you all have said. I'ts like the mirror being held up to the bishops; here you go, this is what you have been talking about. So it's not exactly a prescription, these are the topics you talked about, and these were the key points you made about these topics. So, it's telling the bishops: you said this! When I, when I hear that statement, what I'm hearing is, really for the first time, in that room, bishops were talking about the reality of people who are in same-sex relationships, who want to come to church, and have not found their place in their parishes and they are asking: OK, so what do we do? Where do we find the balance"?
There is ample evidence from Synod Fathers that the events leading up to, and the manner in which the relatio was written, is not as Ambrosio related it. Will Rosica correct this? We await the lecture.
Next, we have this:
Q: "...so, is it a change in Catholic teaching"?
A: "No, but it is a change in tone. And the change in tone, I believe, from what I'm seeing - and just because I'm hearing it coming not just from the top, but from the bottom up - that's going to result in, on the ground, in parishes, a change in attitude. A change in: you know what? Maybe we don't have to tell people they're wrong. Maybe we can work with them, and find a way to welcome them into our community, even though they might not be perfect in our eyes. So that's going to be huge!"
Italian report taken from Toronto Catholic Witness |
We hope that Thomas Rosica, CSB, will correct the Christological heresy that Ambrosio articulated; that being doctrine will not be changed, only pastoral practice. As Cardinal Muller has noted pastoral practice is founded on doctrine. To invert this is heresy by the backdoor. We await Fr. Rosica's condemnation of pastoral practice that runs contrary to doctrine.
Finally, we have this:
"Q:... re: Francis DeBernardo's of New Ways Ministries comments on the relatio"...it is not just a change in tone... never before Lesbians and gays have gifts to offer.. never before has the Church accepted that their sexual orientation ..... gifts to give".
A: "Which is true, and in the past, probably, you know, if a pastor did feel, that that the um, the gays in his community had something to offer to the parish it was said quietly. And it was kind of, they were welcomed into the parish and it was hush-hush. And not in every parish. Um, and I think also that also there's a tendency with groups like "New Ways [Ministry]" to really, maybe hoping for a little too much...hoping that doctrine will be rewritten, that Church teaching will be rewritten.But that, that shift in tone is big, I think he's right, that is big, because like I said before it means on the ground level, it's not going to be acceptable to other faithful, it's not going to acceptable to exclude someone who has a sincere thirst for God, and has a sincere desire to practice their faith, but is either in a same-sex relationship, or is divorced and remarried; it's not going to be acceptable to exclude that person anymore and that's huge"!
We hope that Fr. Rosica will correct Ambrosio's statement, that the Church will no longer be telling people who are committing intrinsically evil homosexual acts, that these acts are indeed wrong; that such people need to repent and confess their sins - an amended life is a manifestation of a true, sincere desire to thirst for God. The person has always been accepted, but the sin is to be utterly rejected. Ah yes, that dirty word is missing again for all of this: "sin".
Archbishop Gadecki |
In the words of Bishop Athanasius Schneider: we "refuse to throw grains of incense before the staute of the idol of gender ideology, before the idol of second marriages, of concubinage..." This fight is not over, as Archbishop Gadecki said; it has just begun.
Barona and The Vox