.... with Pope Francis and not against

I have already observed on this blog that I believe that much of the responsibility for the alleged confusion following Amoris Laetitia must lie with those who have promoted that confusion by a persistent campaign of criticism of the Apostolic Exhortation articulated in part in terms of, oh irony, condemnation of the confusion caused by it and by Pope Francis.

A strand in the criticism has been a discussion of whether or not Amoris Laetitia, both as a document in itself or seen in terms of its specific content, can be considered a document of the Ordinary Magisterium (capitals intended). The intention of this line of argument has been to suggest that, if it is not part of the Magisterium, it can therefore be considered non-binding. The term "Magisterium" in this context refers narrowly to teaching offered as teaching for the universal Church and which is permanent in its character and therefore applicable over all time - Magisterium with a capital "M".

This has appeared to me to be rather beside what is the real point. Whatever we think of it, Amoris Laetitia is clearly an exercise by Pope Francis of his office as the Successor of Peter. It may contain pastoral indications that apply to particular situations of our own times, and therefore might not apply in the future; and it may contain indications for pastoral action that are for a time rather than being such that a future generation might consider binding. But it might also contain parts that are of more permanent value (for example, Chapter IV on love in marriage). In this, it is no different than many other actions of the ordinary magisterium, that is, of the exercise of their office by the Successors of Peter and the bishops in communion with him. The strict discussion of whether or not it is "Magisterium" appears somewhat sterile in this context; the real question for Catholics today is a  rather different question.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet's address to the Canadian Bishops conference very subtly captured the appropriate response (with my emphasis added):

So we must re-read Amoris Laetitia in a spirit of pastoral conversion that assumes, first of all a genuine and unprejudiced receptivity to the pontifical teaching; secondly, a change of attitude in the face of cultures that are far from the faith; thirdly, a convincing testimony to the joy of the Gospel that emerges from faith in the Person of Jesus and his loving and merciful gaze upon all of human reality.

The reading from St Peter Chrysologus offered as the "Meditation of the Day" in MAGNIFICAT for yesterday struck me as very apposite. St Peter Chrysologus is commenting on the Gospel text for yesterday's Mass, in which Jesus dines at the house of a leading Pharisee (Luke 14:1-6). The title given to the meditation was Jesus Went to Dine:

When he had entered the house, it says. In the house there was a trap, in the greeting a trial, in the seat at table a snare .....There jealousy was burning, envy was inflamed, anger was being cooked up, pretence provided the seasoning, and all the courses of slander were being made ready.

And, nevertheless, there that Lamb of God was eating, and not to be fed, but to be killed, just as if he knew none of this. He certainly was eating, brothers, not as if he were ignorant of this, but so that at least by his companionship, by their very intimacy and the gracious way in which he dined together with them, their ferocity might be tamed, their anger soothed, their envy extinguished. Then by his very humaneness these men might now return to being human again, they might acquire some affection, they might notice his gracious charm, they might welcome their parent, they might recognise his kindness, they might acknowledge his powers, they might love his curative treatments, and they might desire, and not attack, his acts of healing.

Further reading ....

.... on Amoris Laetitia and the correction (of that which didn't need correcting).

Rocco Buttiglione suggests that the correction is premised on reading in to the text of Amoris Laetitia things that  Amoris Laetitia does not in reality say (read the article in full, do not rely just on the headline): “The correctio? The method is incorrect: they do not discuss, they condemn”.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet has presented a more overarching analysis of Amoris Laetitia and its call for a "pastoral conversion" in speaking to the Canadian Catholic Bishops Conference. The full text has been published at the National Catholic Reporter (scroll down this report to find the embedded text): Critics of Filial Correction of Pope Francis Weigh In.

Statio Orbis homily: "Jesus Christ is the shoot taken from the highest branch"

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Papal legate to the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, preached a rather beautiful homily at the Statio Orbis Mass. The idea of the Statio Orbis is that, on this particular day at the end of the Eucharistic Congress, every celebration of Mass throughout the world has a kind of orientation towards and an alignment with this celebration at the Eucharistic Congress itself. The whole Catholic world looks towards this celebration in a very particular way.

At the end of this celebration we will listen to the message of Pope Benedict XVI. His speaking to us reminds us that this International Eucharistic Congress bears witness to the Catholic Church as the universal communion of many particular Churches. The Bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful here represent the Catholic Church which is found throughout the world in thousands of communities, but which is one in faith and love of Jesus Christ.....

Referring to the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, Cardinal Ouellet said:

We understand the prophecy of Ezekiel in the light of Christ. Jesus Christ is the shoot taken from the highest branch, he is God from God, and planted by God himself on a very high mountain, which is Calvary....

The seed of Christ's love, buried in the ground of Calvary, produced an unimaginable fruit: a tree, the Tree of Life, a noble cedar which is the Holy Church of God, the dawn of the Kingdom. We believe in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church, because we believe in Christ who wills the Church to be His body, born from the self-gift of His Eucharistic Body.

At the present time of the Church, as the Year of Faith and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council approaches, this vision of what constitutes the nature of communion between the local Church and the universal Church, and the role of the office of the successor of St Peter in confirming that communion, is very timely. It should give cause for reflection to both those of a traditionalist inclination and those of a liberal inclination

Things that are passing me by

At this time, there are a number of ecclesial events which, though signficant, are somewhat passing me by.

The first of these events was the Seventh World Meeting of Families in Milan from 1st-3rd June, which took place with the participation of Pope Benedict XVI. This is essentially World Youth Day for families, and the numbers presented at the final press conference give some idea of the scale of the event. It even made the travel advice section for Italy of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office because of the expected impact on life in Milan. The website of the Holy See contains the addresses of the Holy Father. Particularly moving are the answers given by the Holy Father to the questions he was asked during the Evening of Witness, an event watched by more than 3 million people via RaiUno's television coverage. Read particularly his observations about the "for ever" of the commitment of marriage, which have an interesting historical texture as well as a moral character. This meeting could not have taken place at a more culturally and politically significant time for the future of the family, and deserves a much wider coverage than it has so far had in the UK media.

The second is the Spirit in the City event in the West End of London. I took part in this annual event three years ago, but have missed out again this year. I really will make more effort next year, as this really does represent the idea of the "new evangelisation" at a place very near to home. Today, for example, the events take place in Leicester Square, one of London's key landmarks for visitors. The Eucharistic and Marian processions are particularly powerful.

And the third event is the International Eucharistic Congress, taking place in Dublin this coming week. One way or another, I am not going to be there (this time). See here for my posts about the last Congress in Quebec. Of interest so far, and worthy of a detailed study, is the talk given by Cardinal Marc Ouellet to the theological symposium on the theology of the Church as Communion, which he presents as a key hermeneutic for the authentic understanding of the Second Vatican Council. I have been particularly struck by the style of the Marian dimension of life in the Church expressed in this talk (which exactly matches my own sense) and by the long discussion of the relation between the universal Church and the local Church of the individual dioceses. In the light of some reporting of he state of discussions between Bishop Fellay of the Society of St Pius X and the Holy See, this orientation is very important. Cardinal Ouellet hosted the last international Congress when he was Archbishop of Quebec, and he is the Papal Legate to the Dublin Congress.