It’s fair to say he should have seen it coming.
“He” in that sentence is Pope Francis. The thing that was coming, well, it came on Friday: a caustic statement from the Coptic Orthodox Church announcing the suspension of ecumenical relations with Rome.
The reason for the Coptic Orthodox withdrawal was the recent DDF declaration, Fiducia supplicans, on the blessing of couples in “irregular unions” including same-sex unions.
The Coptic Orthodox Church took the decision at a meeting over which their leader, Pope Tawadros II, presided in Alexandria.
“After consultation with the sister churches of the Eastern Orthodox family,” a March 7th press release from the Coptic Orthodox Church reads, “it was decided to suspend the theological dialogue with the Catholic Church, re-evaluate the results that the dialogue has achieved since its beginning twenty years ago, and establish new standards and mechanisms for the dialogue to proceed.”
So, the Coptic Orthodox decision came after broad consultation and is a powerful indicator of Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical sentiment generally.
In fact, the Coptic Orthodox are not the first Orthodox Church to express dismay over Fiducia supplicans.
A high-ranking Russian Orthodox prelate who served as the Russian Orthodox Church’s chief ecumenical officer for years, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Budapest, led a meeting of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission in February, at which Russia’s bishops decided unanimously that Fiducia supplicans is an “innovation” that “manifests a sharp deviation from the Christian moral teaching.”
Coupled with a statement from Russia’s Catholic bishops that was also critical of Fiducia supplicans, the Russian Orthodox statement amounts to a resounding rejection not only of the disciplinary developments Fiducia permitted, but of its entire rationale. The Russians, however, could perhaps be safely ignored—to say it with Pope Francis—as “Putin’s lap dog[s.]” But Pope Francis can’t ignore the Coptic Orthodox Church or Pope Tawadros II, their leader, who sits in the See of St. Mark and is the only other Christian leader legitimately to style himself as Francis does.
One reason this development represents real disaster is that—arguably—Pope Francis has done more to foster relations with the Coptic Orthodox than anyone else in history.
Pope Francis’s decision to recognize the Coptic Orthodox Church’s canonization of twenty-one Coptic Martyrs of Libya was really and truly historic, as was the Divine Liturgy that Pope Tawadros II celebrated in Rome’s cathedral archbasilica of St. John Lateran, both while Tawadros was in Rome for a visit that would have been momentous even without those events.
It’s tough to say exactly how bad this turn over Fiducia supplicans really is, but to say that things had been going well between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church would put one in the running for Understatement of the Millennium, so this is really bad.
Why would Pope Francis blow up his own legacy? Answering that question isn’t tough; it is impossible.
In order to begin the work of answering it, one must be willing to psychologize. For Pope Francis, it’s personal.
“No one is scandalized if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people: and this is a very serious sin,” Pope Francis told Italy’s weekly Credere in February 2024, “while they are scandalized if I give it to a homosexual: This is hypocrisy!”
The thing is, exactly no one was scandalized by the notion of a pope or anyone else giving a blessing to a homosexual. That happens all the time. But Fiducia supplicans calls for the blessing of persons in homosexual relationships who appear as couples and does so by inventing a phantomatic category of “non-liturgical blessings” that somehow—magically?—only bless the persons who are in the union but not the union itself.
The reason folks have a hard time wrapping their heads around that is that it makes no sense.
The interview with Credere was the second that Pope Francis gave in as many weeks to friendly outlets willing to assist him in what appeared to be a sort of Fiducia supplicans damage control tour, the first being to La Stampa (where his comms guy, Andrea Tornielli, long had a home).
There, Pope Francis said, “The Gospel is to sanctify everyone.” Nobody could possibly argue with that. “Of course,” Francis also said, “there must be good will.” Of course.
“And it is necessary to give precise instructions on the Christian life,” Pope Francis went on to say, adding parenthetically that “it is not the union that is blessed, but the persons.”
“[W]e are all sinners,” Pope Francis added, right again.
“Why,” Pope Francis asked, “should we make a list of sinners who can enter the Church and a list of sinners who cannot be in the Church?” We shouldn’t.
Why not?
“This is not the Gospel.”
Nope, it’s not.
Pope Francis, in other words, views this entire controversy through the lens of his person. He takes it to be a species of referendum on his personal pastoral inclinations, commitments, and decisions.
Thing is, this isn’t really about any of that.
Like many in the Catholic fold—including the Latin bishops of an entire continent and an entire autocephalous Eastern Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church—the Coptic Orthodox Church received Fiducia supplicans as a radical departure not only from Christian doctrine, but from sound anthropology and, frankly, common sense.
This isn’t personal, but it is about personnel.
Pope Francis chose an unready and morally compromised favorite, Victor Manuel Cardinal Fernandez, to lead the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Francis gave Fernandez a broad mandate essentially to “make a mess” theologically and otherwise, but not to meddle in matters of law and justice. Mission: accomplished.
Pope Francis could go a long way toward fixing this particular mess by declaring Fiducia supplicans to be what it almost is in fact: a dead letter. He could get a good way further by firing Fernandez. Francis is highly unlikely to do either of those things, because to do either of those things would be to admit at least tacitly that he made a mistake.
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Turning from error to truth is one definition of conversion. Wasn’t it Francis himself, earlier this week, teaching the mercy and forgiveness of God (and His Church and His People) is without limit?
Guaranteed that MANY in the fold, here on earth as well as in heaven, will rejoice at the conversion of one sinner. Francis has our prayers.
Forgiveness requires penitence and a firm resolution of amendment.
Jesus said, “Go, and sin no more.” He didn’t say, “Hey, I’ll just bless you and your partner in sin, no worries.”
Age matters, even with the Holy Spirit in your corner. We’ve had sketchy popes in history but not very old ones who give frequent worldwide interviews.
The Coptic Church is not Eastern Orthodox; they are Oriental Orthodox. That said, FS is not going to appeal to any Christians who take Christianity seriously, given that at best it is unnecessary and prone to misinterpretation and abuse, and that at worst it was designed to be abused. That means that Churches that have suffered under Islam or Communism or Hinduism will not be impressed by the latest Western progressive adventure.
Neither will serious Protestants. There are many Fundamentalists and Evangelicals who still remember that friendship of the world is enmity with God, and this sort of thing, along with the whole pachamama fiasco, is only going to make them think Jack Chick was right all along about Catholics.
“The Coptic Church is not Eastern Orthodox; they are Oriental Orthodox.”
Yes. And the article does not confuse them. However, it is, for most folks, a bit confusing.
“So, the Coptic Orthodox decision came after broad consultation and is a powerful indicator of Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical sentiment generally.” Their decision cannot exactly be a powerful indicator of a group to which they do not belong, so this statement at least IMPLIES that they are Eastern Orthodox. That’s sort of a tangential point, but it could have been worded better.
It seems as if the writer directly translated from Arabic.
In Arabic, the Eastern Orthodox are called Rum/Greek Orthodox, while the Oriental Orthodox are called Eastern Orthodox.
Thanks! Well, “oriental” really means the same as “eastern”, at least in its etymology, so a sloppy (or computer) translation could explain it. It also seemed odd that the Coptic Church would be consulting either with Constantinople or with Moscow, not that those two Eastern Orthodox Churches are on speaking terms at the moment; presumably they meant the Armenian, Ethiopian, etc. Churches instead.
Great work, Bergoglio! You cozied up to western progressivism, now reap the harvest you’ve sown. It’s too bad that your successors will have to clean up the mess you’ve made (may it be God’s will), and it will take generations to do that. May God save us from this foolishness very soon!
Like a giant swirling oceanic vortex dragging the Holy Father, Fiducia architect Card Fernández, down into some subterranean netherworld, Church and all. Halt! The Church refuses to be drawn down with them.
Altieri appears to be beating a dead horse, but this horse is still kicking. Although we all know the dynamics we need a refresher course and advanced knowledge of the immense ecumenical repercussions that Fiducia Supplicans is having in the universe of Christianity. For one, Altieri makes it clear that Francis seeks to distinguish categories of sins, as if some are neutral through ‘his own lens’. Howbeit? His Holiness cleverly chides us for prejudicially making homosexual sin more virulent than, for example, crookery. We can bless crooks, why not the sexual irregulars? Nevertheless it is Francis who is making the distinction, since when was it fine to bless Mafia henchmen, or crooked business men [Francis implies they’re crooks by nature]? Fiducia Supplicans is a blessing in disguise because it caused the necessary worldwide reaction to the charade that’s been in effect with the presumption that it’s merciful for the Church to embrace the reprobate without conditions.
Yes, a charade: it seems to the public that way, hearing from The current Pope “forgive everything” every time he speaks. Taken out of context it gives a ‘carte blanche’ to unrepentant sinners.
Sfiducia.
Rupnik.
Tucho.
The way he stacked the Synodolatry deck with Martin, Hollerich, McElroy, Tobin, Gregory, Cupich and company.
The putrescent McCarrick whitewash.
The repression of the Latin Mass.
The persecution of faithful shepherds like Strickland and Burke.
His preoccupation with the climate warming delusion which impoverishes communities.
The demonization of any who dares question him or his positions.
And now this estrangement from the Coptic Church, outlined above.
* * *
Thank you, Mr. Altieri, for continuing to document the toxic fruits of this, the historically regrettable Bergoglian papacy. They are clearly not the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but of that other one.
You forgot how he betrayed the Church in China. Its persecutors now have the authority to make episcopal appointments. Atheist, communist persecutors are naming the bishops with his approval. Nothing after that should have surprised us.
You’re absolutely right, jp!
Bergoglio is a leftist first, a Catholic second.
When push comes to shove, he’ll sell out the Church to leftist governments without hesitation.
Dear jpfhays, SPOT ON!
The most craven Judas betrayal of King Jesus’ beloved little ones in China.
Since even that did not wake up the average Catholic to say: “No way!” is it any wonder that PF and his henchmen continue piling on betrayal after betrayal.
In one way God is showing us that as a whole, we Catholics don’t obey Jesus where He commands: “What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay awake!'”
That is at Luke 13:37.
He also threw the Ukraine under the bus.
Excellent news. As I see it, the Eastern Orthodox still FEEL that the Revelation is something above them hence they cannot stomach ‘FS’. Thank God for this “rigidity” and “traditionalism” = sticking to the Scriptures and tradition of the Eastern Orthodoxy.
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Not just that – we all view anything through the lens of our persons, to some extent at least, but we still have something above us, like Magisterium. The real problem with Pope Francis is that he (as I wrote before) is a walking lens or a mechanism which processes and spits out everything in the Church in accordance with his person – and his person believes he is above all because everything he is doing is “always for a good reason”. In his mind, he is always after greater good for all hence there is nothing above him, not even Christ. Christ was not nice; Pope Francis is. Hence, Pope Francis attempts to rearrange everything in the Church in accordance with himself, not in accordance with Christ (in fact he even tries “to rearrange” Christ Who is not nice enough) – all that while giving homilies about the necessity to do away with the sin of pride thus confirming the Eastern Orthodox view of a sin of a hidden pride as the most blinding and dangerous, for a person and those around him.
Nothing should surprise anymore.
The Orthodox have rightly not jumped in the some shallow communion with the Catholic Churches. They sensed and saw that a pope has unlimited power and can do pretty much as he pleases. Orthodox, run, do not walk, run. Until we have a humble, orthodox and reasonable man’s on the Chair stay away. What we are seeing in Rome is not what the Lord said to Peter
“Shallow” is the key word here.
It is not well-known fact but we were one in practice, in USSR, Brezhnev’s time, when the Russian Orthodox Church decided to allow Roman Catholics to receive communion (and other sacraments) in our churches. It was done to help Roman Catholics whose situation was worse than Eastern Orthodox. And so, we had a very interesting ecumenical situation when two Churches were one in sacraments. By the way, this is the only type of ecumenism I consider to be real: to receive from the same Cup out of need, not out of some “ecumenical theories”. (This is why I now worship with Roman Catholics, out of need).
As a result of that situation, Russia produced some people who, while remaining Orthodox, knew what Catholicism is in practice. It is impossible, for an Eastern Orthodox, to understand Roman Catholicism without going into their churches and worshiping there – just like it is impossible for the Roman Catholic to understand Orthodoxy without going to our churches and worshiping with us.
In any case, we have never had total and absolute schism. There was always connection and communion through history, even very obscure, out of need – especially in Russia.
Anna, these are details. We need to understand well, delve into the bond between Kirill and Putin, the altar and the throne, and above all what the Russian state is: a military caste that since its origins, with Ivan the Great, since the 1500s, starting from Moscow, has spread throughout Asia and Europe, the Balkans, the Baltic countries, and Sweden. It holds the state in its hands and regenerates, perpetuates itself ad libitum, and the Russian people are the ones who provide soldiers, shed blood, and remain silent. The czar who does not win a war is deposed, as happened to Nicholas II, the last Romanov, after the defeat of the First World War, at the hands of Lenin.
It is impossible to change this dynamic: who provoked the war in the Middle East? The USA has internal replacements proper to a democracy, but it is absolutely not the case for Russia.
Kirill is directly controlled by the Kremlin. He is isolated from the entire Orthodox world. The bond between the Kremlin and the Patriarchate is that of ideological justification. It is what already characterized tsarism, a fusion of religion and politics or rather de facto military power. (A bit like Carl Schmitt’s political theology.) They have just finished the Russian People’s Council in the congress hall of the Kremlin, where during the Soviet Union period, the Politburo of the party was held. On that occasion, Kirill dragged the assembly by praising Putin. The pope would say he is the acolyte of power. Kirill has inspired the doctrine that the Russian people feel they have the right to assert themselves, an inspiration that has been given by spiritual values, religion, and the Church, to achieve a kind of Kingdom of God on earth.
The religious component, the support of a state religion to Russian neo-imperialism, is a “mission” matured at the beginning of the second millennium, occupying the countries it had before, rediscovering its Orthodox roots, its role as the third Rome.
It is a project that compared to communism is even more dangerous because it resonates with the people.
Many of us Catholics have not grasped at all, are not at all aware of the dangerousness of this earthly messianism.
It is a colossal, naive mistake to think that the collapse of communism is the victory of religion!
No, those are not “details”. It is an important reality which is very useful for the purpose of an understanding of what is happening now and of what to do.
In your comments you touched many subjects, outlining them in an extremely simplified way. To answer properly would take a very long time and many words. I would say your view lacks those very “details” which I spoke about. For example, Patriarch Kirill is not isolated from the whole world – because many Orthodox who do not like Patriarch’s Bartholomew’s line. And so on.
Likewise, you say that “The USA has internal replacements proper to a democracy, but it is absolutely not the case for Russia.” To this I say that in a superficial sense you are right. However, we all witnessed “a democracy” and “freedom” in the West falling apart with pandemics. All human rights had gone. I lost illusions about “free West” after I, among others who did not comply (in my case because I rejected the abortion-tainted vaccines, was prohibited to enter shops and other necessary places. Worst of all, I was prohibited from entering the church. Since then the West has no moral rights to present as something “more democratic and free” than Russia.
So, while you are right to speak about the unwholesome union of the Russian Orthodox Church with the state power, the same happened all over the West as well when Pope Francis and most of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy were united with the Western governments in pushing the abortion-tainted vaccines onto believers. It is the same thing.
Hence, we have two opposing forces: one is straightforward ancient evil “kill and conquer” acting out by Putin etc. and another is the newer evil acted out by the West which uses the slogan “we do this (evil) for your own good”. Putin etc. say “we will kill you if you do not submit” and the West says “submit to self-killing (of a soul or body or both) for your own good”.
We, Christians (Eastern Orthodox and Catholics” must oppose both evils. This is why by the way I wrote about the intercommunion of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics in USSR’s times. We need to see everything through Christ and not take sides.
I completely agree with you, Anna. Thank you for your detailed response, even though I’m afraid of summarizing because it would require being able to analyze first. But who will free Rome, the Catholic West (the set-up) from this false, demonic religion that is imposed with the violence of the mass media and parliaments, which reduces man to an animal, to a mere instrument of production? It is the religion of the mass-individuals, the dumb people, on one hand. It is the religion of the affluent or welfare society, evolutionist, libertine, therapeutic, absolutely relativistic: Ritalin for children, cannabis, occultism and porn hub for the young, contraceptives and abortion in fertile age, scratch cards and slot machines, sildenafil and wellness centers for the elderly, extra morph and muzak for everyone.
And it is the religion of the gnostic upper class, Masonic, rationalist, promoter of the Joachimite third age, or of reason, of the kingdom of freedom, of man emancipated from the Father, of the digital revolution, of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, of AI and transhumanism – ecclesiastically modernist, secular nominalist, Herodian. And who will free us from political theology, from the messianic neo-imperialism of the third Rome, from its military caste that perpetuates and endlessly causes wars, including the Middle East – ecclesiastically traditionalist, clericalist, religious nominalist, Pharisaic? Who will free us from these malevolent forces? Reset: Humility of the Crucified Christ will free us, the New Adam, the Madonna in the time of secrets, the New Eve, the chaste heart of St. Joseph, the antithesis of Satan.
The Pope and some of his close advisors of theological misfits have indeed screwed up big time with the promulgation of Fiducia Supplicans, but based on the words and actions of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church is and always will be the One and Only True Church. As such, moving further and further away from Christ’s Church is never, ever a wise call even when the Pontiff himself fails in many of his duties.
Moreover, while some other commenters are also signing the praises of the Coptic church in general as if its corporate reaction to the disaster known as Fiducia Supplicans somehow gives it greater credibility as an ecclesiastical body, it remains true that they are a schismatic group that would be better off trying to grow closer to Rome and, hopefully, eventually enter into full communion with the Catholic Church instead of using Fiducia Supplicans as an excuse to move further away.
And from the lofty perch it appears they have assumed in looking down on the egregious actions emanating from the leadership in Rome that prompted their particular protest, they might want to look into a big Coptic mirror and re-examine their own disgusting practice of licensing polygamy in the unique form of divorce and remarriage.
“they might want to look into a big Coptic mirror and re-examine their own disgusting practice of licensing polygamy in the unique form of divorce and remarriage.”
The Copts, like the other Oriental Orthodox churches, are much stricter about divorce-and-remarriage than are the Eastern (Chalcedonian) Orthodox churches. While most of the latter permit remarriage after divorce (first a “civil divorce,” then a “church divorce”) the Copts allow divorce in only one case, that of adultery, and allow remarriage thereafter only to the “innocent party” in the case.
I should have written, above:
“While most of the latter permit remarriage after divorce (first a ‘civil divorce,’ then a ‘church divorce’) in a variety of circumstances, differing from church to church, the Copts allow …” (etc.)
Allowing any kind of remarriage after divorce is immoral, period. What you set forth is a relativistic “they aren’t as bad as others” flaccid defense for the immoral practice.
By the bye, I believe the Copts also allow for divorce from a party who leaves the Coptic faith, but no matter. Divorce and remarriage is a major sin.
” . . . to do either of those things would be to admit at least tacitly that he made a mistake”.
And that would take humility.
And not the fake humility that is praised by the media.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-the-humble-pope/2013/07/25/959d62d2-f572-11e2-a2f1-a7acf9bd5d3a_story.html
Today, with much affection and filial obedience, I would like to remember the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on the anniversary of his election.
It seems appropriate to invoke Father McTeigue’s Law, “Most institutions would rather die than admit to a mistake”. In this context, the institution is a person and his minions.
You know we Catholics are in deep trouble when we have to look to the Coptic church to provide moral guidance. But at least we don’t have to worry anymore about those horrible Latin Mass types who have been summarily suppressed and marginalized.
Ive read that Christianty has been practiced in Egypt since AD 43 so I suppose there are worse examples of who we can look to for guidance. The Holy Family sheltered there once.
I saw that a Presbyterian church in a town down the road from me allows Coptic worshippers to use their facility. Apparently men and women sit on different sides during Mass.
Ive always been curious about the Eastern churches and have had the privilege of visiting both Russian and Greek orthodox churches. Eastern Catholic Rites,too.
Why do you think it strange to look to the Coptic Orthodox Church for moral guidance? What do you think of the Coptic Orthodox Church that you do not expect it to be able to provide such guidance?
Father Farrington: I think you missed my irony. One might expect that the leaders of the Catholic Church would be well-positioned to convey the tradition of the Catholic Church regarding moral truths. The fact that the Copts walked away from talks with Rome over the teaching of FS with regard to blessing homosexual “unions” in effect admonishes Rome and Her Magisterium on the matter. I’m not so much surprised that the Copts get it right as I am that Rome gets it so wrong. But thanks anyway.
“By their fruit you will know them.”
Time for Pope Francis to take his own advice offered to Ukraine and “waive the white flag of defeat” for his disastrous invasion of orthodox moral practice with Sfiducia supplicans. 💋
Ironically, Sfiducia Supplicans Is an important ecumenical document. As an egregious abuse of papal authority, it highlights the limits of the papacy. Peter is free to promote pastoral heresy. As such, a Pope can fail pastorally by encouraging and even enabling couples to avoid repentance, to take up the Cross of Christ (Matthew 16:23).
Sfiducia Supplicans seeks to circumvent the orthodox teaching of Christ by promulgating a “pastoral blessing” for “couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples.” So rightly, Orthodox Bishops reject this heteropraxy. All valid Bishops are successors of the Apostles. Each Shepherd is called to lead the flock away from sins that can separate them from union with God.
This too shall pass. Stay Catholic. Christ is the Good Shepherd.
Alas. I can’t be optimistic that it will pass very quickly – Francis has stacked the College of Cardinals with men who share his “vision.” My expectation is that things will continue to worsen considerably, and I can’t foresee that they’ll improve at all in the foreseeable future. Of course, it would surprise me if, as a paring gift, the Pope decided to prohibit the TLM completely. On that and similar topics, he is indeed a man of steel.
I too tend to feel somewhat pessimistic about the state of the Church for the foreseeable future. I’m now 70 and seriously doubt I’ll ever live to see the mess this papacy has created cleaned up. Ultimately, that’s of no consequence. The one shred of hope I do feel regarding the College of Cardinals is that the current occupier of Peter’s Chair has elevated a number of bishops from “the peripheries,” and though I know it’s a generalization, those bishops don’t tend to “veer left” when it comes to theology. Recall who were the most vociferous in their denunciation of FS.
I tend to agree with the caveat set by the first apostles at the death of Jesus on the cross. The Pentecost followed by a mere 50 days, Peter’s repentance followed by only a few days, and doubting Thomas believed a mere 10-18(?) days after the cross. There is hope; with God all things are possible.
“When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.”
I’m envisioning hundreds of searches for “Coptic Church near me.”
That’s funny. I did that awhile back just out of curiosity and it’s surprising how many there actually are. Even in the Bible Belt.
I lived in Lancaster, PA, for over 25 years. There was a Coptic Church there. I regret never having attended it, though I have attended both Greek and Russian Orthodox liturgies and worshipped at a Byzantine Catholic Church two or three times. One of my closest friends is a Russian Orthodox priest.
Okay, Ken: Have you had any success in reaching out to your friend and others to try to get them to convert to the One True Faith, or do you believe that those outside the Faith are gonna be saved anyway if they are “good people”? Or worse, do you believe they all practice the One True Faith even though they are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, and their being in schism doesn’t really matter all that much?
Book recommendation for you and others gushing a bit about the Copts and other forms of Orthodox churches:
“Deadly Indifference” by Eric Sammons. In this excellent book, Sammons challenges Catholics to live up to the perennial Catholic doctrine of extra Ecclesiam, nulla salus (“Outside the Church, there is no Salavation”) if they truly care about the salvation of souls.
🤣🤣🤣
All are welcome…
And so are you welcome to come home to Catholicism: warts and all.
Maybe it’s time for a thought experiment?
If Charles Martel had not won the Battle of Tours in southwestern France in October A.D. 732, then the so-called Dark Ages would have been a lot darker. Not Aquinas at the 13th-century University of Paris, but instead, imams from the fideistic Al-Azhar University in Cairo (A.D. 970). Too bad for the universal coherence of Faith & Reason which helped define the cultural event known as Europe.
So, today, the Coptic Church recalls the fall of Byzantium in the east in A.D. 1453 to non-Trinitarian monotheism and mega-tribal Islam. And, today beholds the annexation of the West by post-Christian Secular Humanism—with capitulation on the meaning of Man and the reality of “marriage”—and with the meaning of “blessing” and “couple” simultaneously redefined by an alchemist/word merchant within the walls of Rome itself.
A “thought experiment”? We’re watching history in the making! “Time is greater than space!”
Holy mackerel! Do you mean Cardinal Fernández is actually an alchemist/word merchant? I thought he was just another garden variety homoerotic scribbler.
Well, shucks, I’ve caused cognitive dissonance, for which I apologize to you and all CWR readers.
Waiting now to see whether the follow-up document on a bunch of moral issues, scheduled for April, rescinds Fiducia Supplicans, or not.
Also, waiting to see if the related (?) year A.D. 2025 will bring us a redefinition of the Council of Nicaea (1700th Anniversary)—by synodally/tautologically redefining that Council as more of a forwardist, consensus-building synod on the move, rather than as a more “backwardist” Council of the Successors of the Apostles. A council which, therefore, clearly recalled the received Deposit of Faith from the beginning. And as providentially a few years earlier, was proclaimed in St. Athanasius’ treatise “On the Incarnation” (probably written in A.D. 318).
Guardians, not mere “custodians”: that is, the Council inoculated the perennial Catholic Church from Arianism’s invitation to insert additional manifestations–pagan pluralism/polytheism–into inclusive Christianity. Is the Incarnation event mostly semantic? And welcoming to “irregular couples,” including Islamic polygamy, Pachamama, Germanic priestesses, Marxist “dialogue” and such?
How to be fraternal without eclipsing or even contradicting the paternal and maternal?
Yes, a momentous expectation, perhaps analogous to the expectation that unidentified blips in a pilot’s visual field are evidence of life out yonder. We’re kept focused on surreal possibilities, that blessing deviants are not blessings of deviants, that Pachamama worship in the sanctuary of St Peter’s is not idolatry, rather fraternity, that euphemisms replace the harshness of blasphemies. Nicea already scheduled for the museum of ancient Church history, an object of curiosity.
Doesn’t an old Chinese curse say “may you live in interesting times”?
Alexandria fell centuries before Constantinople.
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev is not a Putin lapdog, in fact he was banished to Budapest by the lapdogs in the Russian Orthodox Church.
The language of Fiducia Supplicans clearly allows blessings for imperfectly contrite sinners. The Church has been blessing imperfectly contrite sinners since the very beginning. Allowing these blessings is an act of mercy. Mercy has the power to bring about perfect contrition (repentance). If blessings have the power to impart grace, including the grace of repentance, everyone should be able to receive them. If not, nobody should receive them.
Let the Coptic Orthodox go on their merry way. Maybe in another 1,000 years, they, too, will figure out the power of mercy. Until then, they, like conservative and Trad Catholics, can continue clinging to legalisms and binding heaving burdens to the shoulders of people without lifting a finger to help them carry them.
Rose, there’s no such thing as conservative Catholicism. It’s about orthodoxy and devotion.
Nicely and concisely put, mrscracker. As you always do.
That’s very kind, Mr. Lex.
RoseL, blessing people who are defiantly living in sin is not “mercy.”
It is the promotion of suffering. Misery. Death.
Sin is not love. It is degradation and isolation.
And are you sure you want to slander traditional Catholics? If Catholics dispense with our traditions, then where do we go to find the teachings of Jesus?
BTW, there’s no such thing as “liberal” and “conservative” Catholics. There are only Catholics and non-Catholics.
Bergoglio has confused you badly, I fear. I will pray for you.
“The language of Fiducia Supplicans clearly allows blessings for imperfectly contrite sinners.”
Correction: The language of Fiducia Supplicans clearly allows blessings for unrepentant gay couples who are living in disobedience. There is no mercy in that.
“Legalism” is the favourite swearing of the Eastern Orthodox when they speak of the Roman Catholic Church. Precisely because we are not legalists, we reject the heretical ‘FS’. We have had a practice of dealing with homosexuals for ages. It is called “pastoral practice”. I.e., everyone including homosexuals know that it is a disorder so we must be compassionate, treat homosexuals with kindness and leave their confessor to lead them to Christ – just like heterosexuals.
I am sure that the Roman Catholic Church has had a similar pastoral approach for ages. That means ‘FS’ was needed for something else.
Rose, exactly. The Church has been blessing imperfectly contrite sinners for years. So why do we need a document that only results in confusion? All FS does is stir the pot, a pot full of misinformed and low-catechised Catholics, with the unfortunate result of more members leaving and Orthodox being further alienated. Every time Pope Francis speaks he runs the risk of opening another can of worms.
The Pope Screwed up here so badly…
Magari! Finally, we have a Pope more merciful in practice than The Word of God. Blessings for every couple – no questions asked! Repentance has been relegated to the rigorists! Now everyone will like us! Sola Misericordia! Adultery, sodomy, whatever! No more need to bother with the burden of the Cross! Let’s all frolic in fields like St. Francis in a 70’s Zeffirelli film! Brother Sun, Sister Pachamama! Kisses to the brethren! 💋
God’s Fool, your comments always make me think, and they regularly make me laugh. The combination guarantees my rapt attention. Your comments (with their judiciously-placed graphics!) are appointment reading. Keep them coming!
Appreciate the support. Synodaling in cyberspace can be lonely. I would parody Xi Jinping, but unlike the dictator in the Vatican, his administration is tech savvy and would do more than gaslight me. Alas, perhaps this pontificate is right to let him appoint Bishops…
GOD’S FOOL: Christ has been rendered redundant.
You know my Backwardist compatriot that Christ is the Alpha and Omega.
All the attempts of this pontificate (or any of us) to make permanent pastoral heresies eventually die with us as redundant. In the end, we only own our sins. Anything promulgated on petty acts of resentment and revenge will return to dust -as if we can force God to bless sin or act in His Name divorced from His Truth!
Jesus Christ is Lord. All are welcome to repent and believe in Him.
That is at Luke 13:37.
Ecumenism or truth . . . ecumenism or truth . . . ecumenism or truth?? O what’s a “modernist” to do!?
Kudos to Mr Altieri on pointing, yet again, to the destructive impulses of our current Pontiff. It is curious, that in Africa, in Eastern Europe, nearly all around the world, that the leading christian churchmen react to FS as if it was a bald-face heresy; yet in our beloved US, or own bishops rushed to pronounce that there was no change in Church doctrine. It is remarkable that our pope is so messed up, that even his opponents cant agree on what is wrong with the man and his teachings. Yet, I think the meme that captures our pontiff quite well, was coined by Gavin Ashenden, which is that Francis is engaged in the “ministry of Judas”, which is to say that the apostle Judas was more concerned about the political mission in the world, rather than in the spiritual mission of Our Lord; this difference in purpose, or ends, inevitably leads to betrayal.
Pope Francis appears to be asking faithful Catholics to display the “white flag” and surrender to the modern culture. And if they do not do that, it is because they are a bunch of “hypocrites” who lack mercy and love.
It is not a dead letter, it is achieving its purpose.
Mr. Addison, I was taught that the Catholic Church holds the fullness of Christ’s teachings. But that doesn’t mean our Orthodox & separated brethren hold none or that they can not be saved.
I’m sure you’re not advocating Fenneyism.
I’m very glad the Coptic Church is standing firm on this issue. God bless them for that. And God bless them for the witness of their martyrs who died for their faith at the hands of ISIS.
well, the Pope says to “make a mess.” He certainly is following his own advice.
We are all sinners, but the Pope wishes not to admit a mistake. Hmmm. Out of ambiguity and mess comes disorganization. Out of disorganization comes missing out on the True Love of Christ.
This Pope has made more than a mess. The word “obstinate” is theologically appropriate.
Francis’ version of the Holy Catholic Church wallowing in nice schismatic mess.
Making a mess, like Mao accomplished in China, is a mark of a personality that holds negative consequences to be mere collateral damage.
Nicely discerned.