That Christianity gives joy and breadth is also a thread that runs through my whole life. Ultimately someone who is always only in opposition could not endure life at all.
Evil too, will always be part of the mystery of the Church. And when we see what men, what the clergy have done in the Church, then that is nothing short of proof that he [Christ] founded and upholds the Church. If she were dependent on men, she would long since have perished.
One can readily admit that the Magisterium's manner of expression does not seem very easy to understand at times. It needs to be translated by preachers and catechists into a language which relates to people and to their respective cultural environments. The essential content of the Church's teaching, however, must be upheld in this process. It must not be watered down on allegedly pastoral grounds, because it communicates the revealed truth.
To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth – that is not living, but existing.
Assuredly, the word of truth can be painful and uncomfortable. But it is the way to holiness, to peace, and to inner freedom. A pastoral approach which truly wants to help the people concerned must always be grounded in the truth. In the end, only the truth can be pastoral.
Not unsurprisingly, VoxCantoris takes on Bergoglio's decision to change the catechism and claim that the death penalty is "inadmissible". He brings up all of the main points and I can only agree with his conclusion:
We are alone against the cowards. Half of our shepherds are cowards and the others are wolves. May they repent, lest they are damned.
Distinctions Matter
Distinctions Matter Forward
Missale Romanum
Pre-1951 Calendar