Before we start, I think I will replace the word "synod" with a more accurate term - "SinNod". That's precisely what the Pirolas are advocating: giving the nod to mortal sin. The same can be said of those who want to "soften" language used to accurately describe sin's utter horror. I cannot take credit for coining this term; I saw this in the comments on one of my colleagues' blog post and I don't remember which. Anyway, let's proceed with some lunacy disclosed today.
On Monday, Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary opined that it's "unrealistic" to expect immediate acceptance of the Church's teaching on birth control. Furthermore, he stated that Humanae Vitae "must be considered in light of the law of graduality." Hmmm! The "law of graduality"! My goodness! I never knew there was such a law! Apparently neither does the spell-checker in my blogging software, for it keeps putting those red squiggly lines under the word "graduality".
But I suppose the good cardinal does have a point! After all, Humanae Vitae was just promulgated a mere 46 years ago! My goodness! We can't rush things, now, can we? Why, no wonder our bishops and priests have been mum about Humanae Vitae in the pulpits these past few decades! The "law of graduality" demanded that they suck their thumbs instead of trying to prevent so many of their congregations from committing mortal sin and placing their souls in grave jeopardy.
Moving further down the article, we see that this double-talk is really a (not so) clever maneuver to introduce the pernicious idea of allowing Catholics in adulterous situations to receive Holy Communion. Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich admitted so much when he spoke of "divorced and civilly remarried Catholics..who have not obtained annulments from their first sacramental marriages". That phrase in quotes is a tad incorrect. An annulment doesn't dissolve a valid Catholic marriage. It is a declaration that the marriage never was valid; that's why the process is rather rigorous. The truth must be obtained and acknowledged. If a Catholic is "civilly married" to another and is still in a valid Catholic marriage, he/she is committing adultery and cannot receive Holy Communion in that state of mortal sin. That has been the teaching of Christ for the past 2000 years. This "law of graduality", as coined by these bishops, is nothing but denial of Jesus' clear teaching regarding marriage to please certain elements of their congregations. They are not acting as bishops but panderers and enablers of mortal sin.
Yes, this is a SinNod.
Great minds... I thought "Sin Odd," but I think yours is a tad better.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Again, this term was the creation of an anonymous commenter on one of our colleague's blog. I am happily using it as I do believe it describes what appears to be devolving into a debacle.
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