In proclaiming the faith and in administering the sacraments every priest speaks on behalf of Jesus Christ, for Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."
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.
“If you believe what you like in the Gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
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.
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.
I ran out of tags for Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke's tremendously lucid address at the Franciscan University of Steubenville on the Instrumentum Laboris and attempts to reform the annulment process. This was delivered, whether intentionally or co-incidentally, ont he same day that Pope Francis decided to attack marriage through his Motu Proprios regarding changes to the annulment process.
Distinctions Matter
Distinctions Matter Forward
Missale Romanum
Pre-1951 Calendar