In the preceding posts, I have offered some personal reflections about Amoris Laetitia and the confusion and contention surrounding it.
I have shared my thinking about how the Church's teaching regarding conscience removes, for me at least, the moral impasse which exists at present between the Holy Father and those who oppose his Exhortation.
These are personal reflections which make sense to me. I do not mean to suggest that they will be of benefit to others, though I hope they will encourage others to give serious thought to this matter on their own and not just rely on the secular press in coming to their conclusions about this issue.
So often, in disputes involving matters of faith and morals, both sides advocate a particular good they perceive and wish to uphold or defend.
In this case, the Pope wishes to advance the good of providing compassionate care and acceptance of those Catholics who for too long have felt themselves judged by the Church as unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. In pursuit of this good, the Holy Father has suggested and encouraged policies which may seem somehow to violate the traditional teaching of the Church regarding the sacramental indissolubility of valid Catholic marriages.
On the side, there are those who wish to preserve the good of upholding the divinely revealed truths proclaimed by the Church regarding the sacredness of the marital bond and the moral implications it has upon sexually active divorced and remarried Catholics. These persons sincerely believe that the Holy Father's Exhortation does violence to Marriage as well as the whole basis of the moral theology of the Church.
So, here we have two side both wishing to advance goodness and truth but in ways so different that they find themselves contradicting each other.
As the division continues, human frailty begins to exhibit itself. People become less and less objective and begin to personally identify with the positions they have taken. This personal dimension oftentimes is exacerbated by pride and people begin to say and do things which do violence to the values of the Gospel both sides say they are advancing or defending.
To a disbelieving world, secular and materialistic, this division among believers does violates the very message of charity which is at the heart of the Gospel of Christ.
"By this shall the world know you are my disciples, that you have love for one another," is the mandate and responsibility the Lord Jesus has placed upon all those of us who identify ourselves has His People, the Flock He guides.
How can any side in this dispute claim to be serving the Lord and His Gospel by staking a claim on one aspect of truth while denying the fundamental truth and obligation to which we are all called: to be a sign of God's love and forgiveness to a broken world?
The Church finds herself divided at this moment in her pastoral care for the divorced and remarried.
Already some scathing remarks have been made. Many are shocked by the personal sniping which has taken placed among Cardinals and Bishops. Accusations and threats of reprisal abound.
This is not the work of the Holy Spirit, the Consoler, the Paraclete, Who is charged by the Lord Jesus to foster peace and unity among Christ's faithful people.
The Spirit is most efficient where the Spirit is most welcome, most invited. That welcome invitation comes only in prayer.
So, so often that is the refrain that echoes forth from the digital pages of this blog. A call for prayer to the Holy Spirit for our beloved Church.
And so, in closing these reflections, I beg that you join with me in asking the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of all of good will.
May the Church find a common ground upon which dialogue and effort can be made to afford understanding to our divorced sisters and brothers, to assure them of our love and desire that, in every way, they too know and experience Christ redeeming Grace in their lives.
God bless and thank you for your patience over the course of these past six postings. These are my thoughts and prayers. What are yours?
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