Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and a contributor with four other cardinals (and four additional scholars) to the new book, Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church (Ignatius Press), has expressed concern over several aspects of the Synod, including the push for changes in the handling of Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics and the way that information about the Synod is being, in his words, "manipulated."
Cardinal Burke responded late yesterday to questions from Carl E. Olson, editor of Catholic World Report, about his concerns, his view of the mid-term report, and why he thinks a statement from Pope Francis is "long overdue."
CWR: In what way is information about what is happening in the Synod being either manipulated or only partially reported and made public?
Cardinal Burke: The interventions of the individual Synod Fathers are not made available to the public, as has been the case in the past. All of the information regarding the Synod is controlled by the General Secretariat of the Synod which clearly has favored from the beginning the positions expressed in the Relatio post disceptationem of yesterday morning.
While the individual interventions of the Synod Fathers are not published, yesterday’s Relatio, which is merely a discussion document, was published immediately and, I am told, even broadcast live. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to see the approach at work, which is certainly not of the Church.
CWR: How is that reflected in the Synod's midterm document, released yesterday, which is being criticised by many for its appeal to a so-called "law of graduality”?
Cardinal Burke: While the document in question (Relatio post disceptationem) purports to report only the discussion which took place among the Synod Fathers, it, in fact, advances positions which many Synod Fathers do not accept and, I would say, as faithful shepherds of the flock cannot accept. Clearly, the response to the document in the discussion which immediately followed its presentation manifested that a great number of the Synod Fathers found it objectionable.
The document lacks a solid foundation in the Sacred Scriptures and the Magisterium. In a matter on which the Church has a very rich and clear teaching, it gives the impression of inventing a totally new, what one Synod Father called “revolutionary,”teaching on marriage and the family. It invokes repeatedly and in a confused manner principles which are not defined, for example, the law of graduality.
CWR: How important is it, do you think, that Pope Francis make a statement soon in order to address the growing sense—among many in the media and in the pews—that the Church is on the cusp of changing her teaching on various essential points regarding marriage, “remarriage,” reception of Communion, and even the place of “unions” among homosexuals?
Cardinal Burke: In my judgment, such a statement is long overdue. The debate on these questions has been going forward now for almost nine months, especially in the secular media but also through the speeches and interviews of Cardinal Walter Kasper and others who support his position.
The faithful and their good shepherds are looking to the Vicar of Christ for the confirmation of the Catholic faith and practice regarding marriage which is the first cell of the life of the Church.
17 comments:
This man will be Pope and clear the filth from Holy Mother Church.
Anonymous@11.25:
Either that or he's headed for the first vacant diocese in the midwest (my money's on Gary, Indiana)...
Cardinal Burke will be mocked, undermined, isolated and ultimately crucified for upholding the truths of the Faith.
How shameful is the silence of the pope. His refusal to clearly and without spin safeguard the teaching of the Church is.....I don't know how to say it except shameful.
It looks like Bella Dodd was correct. If you don't know who she is look her up, believe me it's worth it.
In short she was a communist who was converted by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in the 1950's. Among the things she revealed was that the church was infiltrated by communists and within 15 years (from 1955) the Catholic Church would be unrecognizable. Was she right? I guess it's for others to decide. I for one think Our Lady of Fatima was correct. Don't consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart and her errors will spread. Well well well, just look at Rome today. I smell something and it isn't the smell of the sheep or the shephard.
From the Cardinal's lips to God's ears...It can't be spun anymore, no more excuses. It is time for the Pope to act like the Pope....(not just when he feels like crushing the FFI or appointing Cupich either)
Cardinal Burke is demonstrating heroic virtue, and we know where that leads!
Who am I to judge?!,
My Diocese of Lexington, KY, is vacant!
Seriously, I've been a longtime fan of Cardinal Burke, but love him now more than ever.
The SSPX bishops have been saying the same thing now for many years... Maybe if others had stood with them, the church wouldn't even be in this current predicament.
Quas Primas, that would be very cool. Although unlikely.
the Cardinals who are pressing this line, awkwardly, I might add, are trying to maneuver for an event. I think the lavender mafia want to come out and are hoping to construct a chance.
See here:
"We blame the Council for the synod's problems."
http://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/we-blame-council-synods-problems-5239
This all could have been avoided how??? By not having the Second Vatican Council take place duh!!!
the problem is not the Council but making it a super-council and giving an infallibility status to time constrained concerns. As well it is the little spirit of Vatican II that is the problem.
But with that said, the bedside manners of those who have pastoral care of sinners can be improved and rather than driving sinners further away from Christ we should try to engage them (especially those who are further from the truth than closer, especially in lifestyle choices) in order to bring them to Christ, conversion, repentance and salvation.
"Bedside manner," Fr….really? LOL!!
You don't need a Synod to improve bed-side manners during one-on-one pastoral ministry.
The problem in the Church is a lack of faith in the living God, in the reality of grace, in the power of the sacraments. In the truth of the doctrine.
It's for a lack of faith on the part of pastors who then water down their ministry that we are in the sorry state we're in.
We are all called to bear witness to the Gospel. In every age, in every circumstance. And so we can choose to be either 'white' martyrs who face social ridicule and disdain for Christ...or capitulate and seek a non-aggression pact with the world and eventually reap the overtly hostile world who will demand either total apostasy or 'red' martyrdom.
Everyone has 1 of 3 choices: white, red, or surrender?
And this is not something we can outsource to clergy or pope or Synod.
When we stand before the Judge He won't ask whether our bishop or pastor or USCCB or the Synod or the Pope gave witness. He will ask each of us by name whether we spoke up for Him before men or did we value their opinion of us...or our own lives....in place of our friendship with Jesus?
Ultimately who is Our Lord? The world (other people), the flesh (our own lives), the devil (and all his pomps and works)...
Jusad, AMEN!
The entire premise of this Synod is dishonest. We do have a crisis in the world as it relates to the family, but this Synod is attempting to solve a phony problem that has nothing to do with it. A high divorce rate, heterosexual partners living with one another while sodomite partners get married, children living with a divorced mother/father and her/his boyfriend/girlfriend, married men hooked on porno, sodomite adoption etc., are the obvious issues. The Vatican had a number of topics that it could have addressed as the attack on the family but instead we get ideas floated that will have no positive impact on the salvation of souls. The document that was released the other day is an example of a dishonest practice used by political hacks when they want to float an idea. Ok in political circles but very devious for the Church to use. In this case the Vatican floated the more alarming ideas and then it will moderate the final product so the dumb conservatives will be relieved that it “could have been worse” and we’ll all go back to our lives sadly practicing our faith inside a seriously wounded Church. You’d think the last experimentation of getting cozy with homosexuals and recruiting them into the seminaries would have taught someone a lesson. But it looks like we have too many billions left in our pockets with a desire to pay them out in lawsuits for the next couple of decades after the seeds of this Synod reap a new harvest.
Mike
“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” asked Erdo’s summary of the synod’s discussion. If they obey Church teaching and live chaste lives,yes- but "gifts and qualities" can be ascribed to some degree to all human beings..
Atheists and agnostics have gifts and qualities also. As do Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. So what does this have to do with the Catholic faith and those who can't abide,accept and adhere to its teachings other than that we as good and faithful believers should be respectful of others. In all the different Catholic churches I have attended in my life not once (that I remember) did I hear anything from a homily disparaging homosexuals. I liked Fr Z's comment (alluding to the small percentage of the population that homosexuals comprise) that this is the "The tail isn't wagging the dog. The tip of the tail is."
Few Catholics go to Confession anymore. Many have left the Church. There are couples who use artificial contraception and those who are in irregular marriages who receive Communion. Many people today have lost the sense of the sacred and the sense of sin. When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel, it was not in accommodation to human nature. Adultery for instance. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Likewise His teaching on divorce.
What has been going on in Rome is not a good beginning. I'm keeping in mind that it is just that though. Let's hope and pray that there will be some needed revisions before final pronouncements are released next year . The release of the report has done damage though. How much remains to be seen.
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