Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What Does the Cardinal Really Say?


Fr. Fessio on Schonborn's alleged endorsement of homosexual relationships and the divorced/remarried.
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This is better news than I expected and much more credible than what I'd expect from Catholic blogs, or even a Vatican spokesman.  Fr. Fessio offers some background to the soundbites taken from Cardinal Schonborn's interview as reported in The Tablet this past weekend.  The cardinal, known for his 'openness and transparency', invited leading editors to his residence for an 'off the record' discussion on the intricacies of Catholic moral teaching.  Fr. Fessio:
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...[T]he context for the cardinal’s saying: “We should give more consideration to the quality of homosexual relationships,” adding: “A stable relationship is certainly better than if someone chooses to be promiscuous.” This does not at all mean that the cardinal was advocating or even suggesting that the Church might change her teaching that homosexuality is a disorder and homosexual activity is always a grave evil. It is always grave, but there can be gradations of gravity—or, to call it by its true name, objective depravity.
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This is also the context of the Tablet’s statement: “The cardinal also said the Church needed to reconsider its view of re-married divorcees ‘as many people don’t even marry at all any longer’.” This “reconsideration” does not mean a change in the Church’s teaching that a valid marriage is indissoluble, and that someone who is validly married cannot remarry validly. It means that perhaps—but only perhaps, because this is an opinion that does not have the authority of a magisterial pronouncement—the Church should find new ways of leading the weak and confused to the difficult but liberating challenge of Christ’s demands.
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In the course of this “off the record” meeting, the cardinal also frankly expressed his belief that a “reform of the Roman Curia” was needed. It’s not as if nothing had been done. In fact, the cardinal recognizes that the transfer of all sexual abuse allegations against priests to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) in 2001 was already a major reform. He was referring to an attitude of secrecy and defensiveness, as well as an inability to comprehend the gravity of the scandal. He cited Cardinal Sodano’s Easter remark as an example. It was a criticism, not an attack, of a fellow cardinal. It was much milder than what he could have said.
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In sum, Cardinal Schönborn is not calling for any change in the Church’s teaching or discipline. He is calling for a deeper understanding of the struggle to live the high demands of the moral law. He is critical of an attitude of defensiveness and dismissiveness still present in the Roman Curia (not to mention many episcopal curias—but the meeting was not about that). And he is trying to be transparent and responsive to the press. - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
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See, I knew that. 
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Obviously I did not.  Yet when will I learn not to react in haste to a news story or something someone says or does, without first checking sources, finding out the full context, and so on?  See - you have to watch out for me too.
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As for Schonborn, I'll let the powers that be sort all of that out.
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Art: Cardinal Burning Papers - John Pettie

8 comments:

  1. We all need to try and be a bit more like the Major in Fawlty Towers. As your caption in the side bar says, he added his own interpretation to things, but if I remember correctly, he was always hopeful and imagined the best of intentions in events/news unfolding etc, even if it did turn out to be less pleasant in the end,"eh what old chap??"

    Hope you OK, your latest profile shot looks a little sad? A lot sad?

    Off to pray my Rosary, will offer a decade for your intentions. Expect positive results!!

    God bless.

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  2. Austringer10:57 AM

    Terry, you're the soul of prudence compared to this die-hard hip-shooter...

    I take a great deal of comfort from what you've posted.

    That's a terrific painting, by the way! Where do you find all of your images??

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  3. Austringer - isn't it a nice painting though? I chose it especially for this post - pictures say thousand words... Cardinal burning the evidence...

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  4. Forgive my forwardness, but this apostolate is bringing the REAL MEN back!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56F4N_H9PDI

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  5. Cool Kepharocks - I posted it.

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  6. Maria6:37 PM

    Fessio SJ and Shoenborn are purportedly friends...

    Shadowlands--Hope you are better. I sent up prayers for you...

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  7. Maria6:38 PM

    Whoops. Shonborn, that is.

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  8. Thank you Maria. I am much improved.

    ReplyDelete


Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.