POPE LEO GIVES AN ADDRESS TO POLITICAL LEADERS AND IN DOING SO SHOWS HOW HE WILL MAKE SURE THAT NATURAL LAW GUIDES THE SO-CALLED SYNODAL WAY OF THE LATIN RITE CHURCH

Pope Leo gave a vey lucid, unambiguous and quite clear address (press title for full address): 

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV TO MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

The quote below from Pope Leo on natural law is important not only for civil or secular societies and how they are governed and form their secular laws, but also for the Church. 

Pope Leo quoteS De Re Publica that states the natural law is right reason, universal, constant, eternal and no change may be made to this law nor can any part be removed. 

This, of course, has implications for the Catholic Church and the synodal way, where discussions seem to verge on changing natural law, as well as defined Divine Law, by changing doctrines, dogmas and moral teachings of the Church, which can be discovered by anyone through natural law. 

1. Respect for human life from conception through natural death (no change to the sanctity of innocent life in the womb and no exceptions to the killing of that innocent life)

2. Respect for humans created as male and female and a prohibition against violence to one’s natural gender to make it something else

3. Marriage between one man and one woman for stable love, community and the begetting of children by natural means

4. As it concerns the Church moral and sacramental teachings, Humanae Vitae is clearly based upon Divine Law which can be found in natural law too by anyone, religious or not or of any religion or none. 

5. Natural law cannot be changed thus the Sacraments of the Church as it concerns all of them, cannot be configured on anything that offends natural law as it concerns the male/female configuration of all of them, Christ (Male, Son of Man) as the Bridegroom and the Church, (female) meaning baptized souls, being the Bride (female) of Christ the Man. Thus no to same sex marriage or any LGBTQ+++ configurations, and to so-called “multiple” gendered Holy Orders. This is opposed to Divine law which is can be discovered in Natural Law. 

Here is Pope Leo’s section on natural law in his address: 

 In order to have a shared point of reference in political activity, and not exclude a priori any consideration of the transcendent in decision-making processes, it would be helpful to seek an element that unites everyone. To this end, an essential reference point is the natural law, written not by human hands, but acknowledged as valid in all times and places, and finding its most plausible and convincing argument in nature itself. In the words of Cicero, already an authoritative exponent of this law in antiquity, I quote from De Re Publica: “Natural law is right reason, in accordance with nature, universal, constant and eternal, which with its commands, invites us to do what is right and with its prohibitions deters us from evil... No change may be made to this law, nor may any part of it be removed, nor can it be abolished altogether; neither by the Senate nor by the people, can we free ourselves from it, nor is it necessary to seek its commentator or interpreter. And there shall be no law in Rome, none in Athens, none now, none later; but one eternal and unchanging law shall govern all peoples at all times” (III, 22).

Natural law, which is universally valid apart from and above other more debatable beliefs, constitutes the compass by which to take our bearings in legislating and acting, particularly on the delicate and pressing ethical issues that, today more than in the past, regard personal life and privacy.