People are asking me in email what I think of the Pope’s alleged statements to Chilean bishops making their ad limina visit. Apparently the Holy Father told them, as reported by the UK’s best Catholic weekly The Catholic Herald (for which I write a weekly column):
The Chilean bishops were speaking to the newspaper El Mercurio, which paraphrased their remarks and included a few direct quotations. Here’s the key passage:
¿Comunión a los divorciados? Con la misma decisión, el Pontífice negó que su objetivo con el sínodo al que convocó sobre la familia haya sido autorizar la comunión de los divorciados. Les habló de que no hay “moral de situación”, dicen otras fuentes. “Nos cuesta mucho ver los grises”, les habría dicho, cuando contó un caso personal, familiar suyo. “Tengo una sobrina casada con un divorciado, bueno, católico, de misa dominical y que cuando se confiesa le dice al sacerdote ‘sé que no puede absolverme, pero deme su bendición’”.
The Pope says a few separate things here:
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The objective of the Family Synod was not to authorise Communion for the remarried (“autorizar la comunión de los divorciados”).
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“It’s not a matter of ‘situation ethics’.” (“Les habló de que no hay ‘moral de situación.’”)
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It’s difficult for us to see grey areas. (“Nos cuesta mucho ver los grises.”)
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His niece is married to a divorced man who doesn’t take Communion, but tells the priest: “I know you can’t absolve me, but give me a blessing.” (“Sé que no puede absolverme, pero deme su bendición.”)
Some are taking this as an “indirect” response to the Five Dubia of the Four Cardinals aroused by the objectively murky bits of Amoris laetitia.
My response? What do I make of this? How to make sense of this thrashing bag full of cats?
If and when Pope Francis wants clearly to respond to the Dubia, he knows how to do it.
Moreover, I respond that today is a Friday in Lent. Say your prayers, pray the Stations, examine your consciences and…
GO TO CONFESSION!
The moderation queue is ON, of course.
