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Letter #35, 2016: Athanasius speaks[2016-04-27][Engleză]"If we analyze certain statements of AL [Amoris laetitia, "The Joy of Love"] with intellectual honesty within their proper context, we find ourselves faced with difficulties when trying to interpret them in accordance with the traditional doctrine of the Church." Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan, in his official commentary on the recent Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia ("On the Joy of Love")"Living in an invalid marital union and constantly contradicting the commandment of God and the sacredness and indissolubility of marriage signifies not to live in the truth. To declare that the deliberate, free and habitual practice of sexual acts in an invalid marital union could, in individual cases, no longer constitute a grave sin is not the truth, but a serious lie, and will therefore never bring genuine joy in love." Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. "When dealing with the observance of the express commands of God and the indissolubility of marriage, we cannot speak of opposing theological interpretations. If God says, 'thou shalt not commit adultery,' no human authority could say 'in some exceptional cases or for a good purpose you can commit adultery.'" Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. "If an ecclesiastical document which, in our case, is neither definitive nor infallible is found to contain elements likely to give rise to interpretations and applications that could have dangerous spiritual consequences, all members of the Church, and especially the bishops, as the fraternal collaborators of the Supreme Pontiff in effective collegiality, have a duty to report this and respectfully request an authentic interpretation." Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. "The famous bishop and theologian of the Council of Trent, Melchior Cano O.P., said these memorable words: 'Peter does not need our lies or flattery. Those who close their eyes to the facts and indiscriminately defend every decision of the Supreme Pontiff are those who contribute most to undermining the authority of the Holy See. They destroy its foundations instead of strengthening them.'" Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. "Taking due account of historical and doctrinal differences, our situation shows some parallels and analogies with the general confusion caused by the Arian crisis in the 4th century." Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. "There is an urgent necessity for the Holy See to confirm and re-proclaim the cited formula of Familiaris Consortio 84, perhaps in the form of an authentic interpretation of AL. This formula may be seen, to some extent, as the "homoousios" of our days." Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ibid. ============ Official response of Bishop Athanasius Schneider to Amoris Laetitia The following text was published two days ago in Italian, on April 24, by His Excellency Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the Italian website Corrispondenza Romana (link). It is the first public statement by a Catholic bishop calling for an official clarification by the Pope of several passages in the recently released Amoris laetitia. Today the Rorate Caeli website, a traditional Catholic site, and the One Peter Five website both offered an English translation, which is said to be officially approved by Bishop Schneider. This English text is reproduced below. (link) Rorate Caeli says this reflection is Schneider's official response to Amoris Laetitia. One Peter Five includes a note it says it received from Bishop Schneider: "You can use and spread this my official text to whom you want. The exclusive rights of this text I reserve however with me. Yet I do not make any restrictions in spreading the text. I myself will spread the text, because it should be a pastoral help for many souls in distress in our days. God bless you. Yours in Jesus and Mary, + Athanasius Schneider" (Here, a photo of Bishop Athanasius Schneider (right) during a liturgical ceremony) We offer the text here in this letter with no comment, except this one: that Schneider's quotation of Melchior Cano's words seems important. "Peter [that is, in this time, Pope Francis] does not need our lies or flattery," Cano said at the time of the Council of Trent in the 1500s. "Those who close their eyes to the facts and indiscriminately defend every decision of the Supreme Pontiff are those who contribute most to undermining the authority of the Holy See. They destroy its foundations instead of strengthening them." The Catholic Church is not weakened, but strengthened, by vigorous debate over contested theological questions. The matter for concern would be indifference, not vigorous debate. If, in our otherwise very "politically correct" world where public debate over issues is prevented by the imposition of a pre-determined "correct" position even if the position is not correct there remains a vigorous discussion within Catholicism concerning all aspects of our ecclesial life in the search for greater clarity and truth about the faith we profess, and the morality, or way of living, that faith teaches us is the best way to live, then we can be thankful for this theological vibrancy. It means we are seeking the truth. In this sense, Schneider's remarks, obviously the product of deep reflection, because they are clearly intended as a contribution for the deeper understanding of the faith, can be helpful as we all attempt to "receive" the Apostolic Exhortation that the Pope has just published. Clearly, during the Synod process -- two Synods over two years, in fact -- and during the process of the drafting and publication of the document between October and March, Pope Francis consulted with many as he wrestled with the question of how to articulate the Church's position on matters of profound importance to millions of people in a way that would be both pastoral yet faithful to the deposit of the faith. Now Schneider, in this text, is articulating for the Pope and his advisers, in a thoughtful way, the concerns many traditional Catholics feel about some passages of the document that has been published. Rorate Caeli says that Bishop Schneider wishes this to be read by all who would like to read it, so you may repost and forward it as you wish. ---------------- "Amoris laetitia": A Need for Clarification in order to Avoid a General Confusion By Bishop Athanasius Schneider The paradox of the contradictory interpretations of "Amoris laetitia" The recently published Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia (AL), which contains a plethora of spiritual and pastoral riches with regard to life within marriage and the Christian family in our times, has unfortunately, within a very short time, led to very contradictory interpretations even among the episcopate. There are bishops and priests who publicly and openly declare that AL represents a very clear opening-up to communion for the divorced and remarried, without requiring them to practice continence. In their opinion, it is this aspect of sacramental practice, which, according to them, is now to undergo a significant change that gives AL its truly revolutionary character. Interpreting AL with reference to irregular couples, a president of a Bishops Conference has stated, in a text published on the website of the same Bishops Conference: This is a disposition of mercy, an openness of heart and of spirit that needs no law, awaits no guideline, nor bides on prompting. It can and should happen immediately. This opinion was further confirmed by the recent declarations of Father Antonio Spadaro, S.J., after the Synod of Bishops in 2015, that the Synod had established the foundations for the access of divorced and remarried couples to communion by opening a door that had still been closed during the previous Synod in 2014. Now, as Father Spadaro alleges in his commentary on AL, his prediction has been confirmed. There are rumours that Father Spadaro was a member of the editorial group behind AL. The way to abusive interpretations appears to have been paved by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn himself, who said, during the official presentation of AL in Rome, with regard to irregular unions, that: My great joy as a result of this document resides in the fact that it coherently overcomes that artificial, superficial, clear division between 'regular' and 'irregular.' Such a statement suggests that there is no clear difference between a valid, sacramental marriage and an irregular union, between venial and mortal sin. On the other hand, there are bishops who claim that AL ought to be read in the light of the perennial magisterium of the Church and that AL does not permit access to communion for divorced and remarried couples, not even in exceptional cases. This statement is fundamentally correct and desirable. In fact, the content of every Magisterial text must, as a rule, be in its content consistent with the former teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, without any break. It is no secret, however, that divorced and remarried couples are admitted to Holy Communion in a number of churches, without their being required to practice continence. It must be admitted that certain statements in AL could be used to justify an abusive practice that has already been going on for some time in various places and circumstances in the life of the Church. Certain statements of AL are objectively vulnerable to misinterpretations Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has invited us all to make a contribution to reflection and dialogue on the sensitive issues surrounding marriage and the family. The thinking of pastors and theologians, if faithful to the Church, honest, realistic and creative, will help us to achieve greater clarity (AL, 2). If we analyze certain statements of AL with intellectual honesty within their proper context, we find ourselves faced with difficulties when trying to interpret them in accordance with the traditional doctrine of the Church. This is due to the absence of the concrete and explicit affirmation of the doctrine and constant practice of the Church, founded on the Word of God and reiterated by Pope John Paul II, who said, "However the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist. Besides this, there is another special pastoral reason: if these people were admitted to the Eucharist, the faithful would be led into error and confusion regarding the Church's teaching about the indissolubility of marriage. Reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that they take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples" (Familiaris Consortio, 84). Pope Francis had not established "a new general norm of Canon Law, applicable to all cases" (AL n. 300). He says, however, in note 336: "This is also the case with regard to sacramental discipline, since discernment can recognize that in a particular situation no grave fault exists." Obviously referring to the divorced and remarried, the Pope says in AL, no. 305 that, "because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such a person can be living in Gods grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Churchs help to this end." In note 351, the Pope clarifies his statement by saying that "in some cases, this may include the help of the sacraments." In the same chapter VIII of AL, n. 298, the Pope speaks of the divorced involved in a second union consolidated over time, with new children, proven fidelity, generous self giving, Christian commitment, a consciousness of its irregularity and of the great difficulty of going back without feeling in conscience that one would fall into new sins. The Church acknowledges situations 'where, for serious reasons, such as the childrens upbringing, a man and woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate.'" In note 329, the Pope cites the document Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council; unfortunately, he does so in an incorrect fashion, because in the passage in question, the council refers only to valid Christian marriage. The application of this statement to divorced persons may cause the impression that a valid marriage is to be equated to the union of divorced persons, if not in theory, then in practice. The admission of divorced and remarried persons to Holy Communion and its consequences Unfortunately, AL contains no verbal quotes of the principles underlying the moral teaching of the Church in the form in which they are formulated in no. 84 of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio and in the encyclical Veritatis Splendor of Pope John Paul II, particularly on the following topics of paramount importance: "fundamental choice" (Veritatis splendor, nos. 67-68), "mortal and venial sin" (ibid., n. 69-70), "proportionalism, consequentialism" (ibid., no. 75), "martyrdom and universal and unchanging moral norms" (ibid., no. 91 et seq.). However, a verbal quote from Familiaris Consortio n. 84 and of some of the most significant affirmations in Veritatis splendor would render AL unassailable by heterodox interpretations. General allusions to moral principles and to the doctrine of the Church are certainly insufficient in a controversial matter that is both sensitive and of fundamental importance. Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com Contor Accesări: 1186, Ultimul acces: 2026-07-30 14:36:06
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