The following is a letter to parishioners of Christ the King Parish in Pleasant Hill, CA, by Father Paulson Mundanmani, who is pastor. It was published in the Dec. 11, 2016 parish bulletin.
Dear Friends,
I am sure you have been following our beloved Holy Father and some of the controversies surrounding his appointments and writings. I would like to give a shout out to Pope Francis and assure him that Christ the King Parish will be praying for him this advent season. I would like to send him a booklet this Season with our support and prayers.
Pope Francis loves our religious sisters of America and has stood by them. Our parish is fortunate to have many sisters who work, volunteer and attend services. The following story is a testament to his love and support for them. The newly appointed American Cardinal Tobin recounted a story that indicates how well Francis remembers people. He noted that he and Francis — then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires — first met during a week long Vatican meeting in 2005. Tobin speaks fluent Spanish so he and Bergoglio were in the same Spanish-language small group in the synod and they sat next to each other. One day during a coffee break Tobin told Bergoglio that while they were all happy with the election of then-Pope Benedict XVI, who had become pope a few months earlier after the death of John Paul II, “in all honesty, Cardinal, you were my mother’s favorite candidate” to be chosen. (Bergoglio was reportedly a strong contender in that 2005 conclave.) Bergoglio was surprised at hearing this. “How does your mother know me?” he asked. Tobin explained: “Well, she read in the newspaper that you pick up after yourself, you cook your food, and you drive a modest car. And frankly, she’s had it up to here with princes of the church!”
Bergoglio laughed, but never forgot. Five years later when Benedict chose Tobin to take a job in the Roman Curia, the papal bureaucracy, Tobin was surprised to receive a brief note from Bergoglio in Argentina telling him he was praying for him and adding, “I remember our conversations and I remember your mother’s good taste.” Three years later, in 2012, Tobin was effectively exiled from Rome and sent to Indianapolis because he disagreed with what proved to be a disastrously unpopular Vatican investigation of the American nuns over doctrinal orthodoxy. A few months after that, Benedict resigned and Francis was elected, and he let it be known that he did not like how Tobin had been treated. And now he is making Tobin a cardinal. (story from NCR).
Recently four conservative cardinals made a rare public challenge to Pope Francis over some of his teachings in a major document on the family, accusing him of sowing confusion on important moral issues. The cardinals — two Germans, an Italian and an American (Burke) — said they had gone public with their letter to the pope because he had not responded. At issue are some of the teachings in a 260-page treatise called “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis’ attempt to make the Church more inclusive and less condemning. In the document, issued in April, he called for a church that was less strict and more compassionate toward any “imperfect” members, such as those who divorced and remarried, saying “no one can be condemned forever.”
Under church law they cannot receive Communion unless they abstain from sex with their new partner, because their first marriage is still valid in the eyes of the church and therefore they are seen as living in a state of sin. In the document, the pope appeared to side with theologians and bishops who had proposed an “internal forum” in which a priest or bishop decides jointly with the individual on a case-by-case basis if he or she can be fully reintegrated and receive Communion.
The pope has clashed before with conservatives who worry he is weakening Roman Catholic rules on moral issues such as homosexuality and divorce while focusing on social problems such as climate change and economic inequality. Nobody is saved by law or doctrine. The rich young man learned that lesson from his encounter with Jesus. I understand the need for clarity. What inspires me is the willingness of our Chief Shepherd to emphasize the need for pastoral approach in every situation. If only those rigid on doctrine and law also exhibit the heart in difficult life situations as Jesus did when dealing with so many. “He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners,” was the rebuke he was given by the Magisterium of his day. I don’t want to get in to discussion on who is right or wrong, but I know when it comes to Jesus-like attitude, Pope Francis gets an A plus and more.
Yes! Hurrah for Father Paulson!
Father’s comment is naive and dangerous, particularly for those in the throes of living in adulterous circumstances. This priest will do nothing more than accompany these poor souls to damnation.
No one doubts Father’s sincerity. However, his knowledge of the Church and his commitment to act as a priest of Jesus Christ leaves much in the wanting. A priest simply cannot self-edit the Church’s teachings, including those directly from Christ, such as on divorce and remarriage, or from St. Paul on unworthy reception of communion. Father’s comment that “no one is saved by law or doctrine is entirely wrong. God came to Mankind as the Lawgiver; Christ fulfilled His Father by offering salvation from sin through His sacrifice. Failing…
(Part Deux) ” . . . to adopt the new life gained by following Christ’s commandments leads to Hell, Father.
You lack any authority to embrace Protestant notions of the conscience, or situational ethics. Adultery and homosexual sex are mortal sins, each and every time. There is no amount of “accompaniment” or “discernment” or wishing it away can make this conclusion any different. And, of course, no Pope, or Cardinal (even German ones) can smooth over these dangerous waters.
I agree with St. Christopher. Grown-up problems call for maturity, and doing as Christ says to do. We all have our problems in life! If you call yourself a sincere Catholic, truly desiring to practice your Faith– what is so hard about going down and applying for an annulment?? What’s so hard about that?? And also, if you call yourself a sincere Catholic, truly desiring to follow Christ– and are “LGBT”– then, what’s so hard about going to a good Catholic group, like “Courage,” and getting professional spiritual and moral guidance?? That is what a good Church is for! There are millions of Christians in the Middle East, enduring torture and death, because of ISIS. We are so blessed, in the West, especially in America! But…
P.S. I remember when our parish priests, nuns, bishops, and the Pope, all used to preach to us, that this earthly life, so short and transient– is a place to learn to be good, saintly, and purified of sin, in preparation for Eternal Life, with God, in Heaven! This is our true goal, happiness with God, in Eternal Life, Heaven! The Church and her Sacraments, is here to help us, to teach and to sanctify us, and to lead us to that goal! That is all there is! As for earthly life and its problems– we must all obey Christ! One must “daily die to self, pick up one’s Cross, and follow Him!” He will lead us straight to Heaven! Glorious!! But where is our Pope and his clergy, to do the job, correctly, with love, commitment, and obedience…
I will finish my post, of Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. But sadly, in the West, and in America– many church-goers are no longer true Catholics, true Christians! They do not believe in, nor study, nor respect, the Teachings of Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God!
I will finish my post of Dec. 21, at 9:23 p.m. But where is our Pope and his clergy, to do the job correctly, with love, commitment, and obedience, to Christ?? Where?? This is HIS Church– not theirs!!
If the Church does have a split– it will only be between the True Church, obedient to Christ– and a False, Immoral Church, a scandalous hoax, disobedient to Christ– for all to laugh at!
Thank you Father Mundanmani for taking the time out from your busy pastoral duties to defame His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Brandmüller, Cardinal Caffarra, and Cardinal Meisner. What a lovely message for this joyful and reflective season of Advent.
“Jesus-like attitude”? Pope Francis, while praising other faiths, seems to have a habit of insulting Catholics:
1. Oblivious to his own talkativeness, he castigates pastors for “talking too much“.
2. To nuns around the world, he admonished them not to be “old maids” or use their vocations “for personal ambition”.
3. Commenting on a Philippine woman who was pregnant with her 8th child, he acidly observed that being a good Catholic doesn’t mean we have to breed “like rabbits”.
4. Toward traditional or conservative Catholics, he directs special disparagement, calling them “ideological Christians,” “rosary counters,” “restorationalists,” “Pelagians,” and “self-absorbed promethean neopelagians” (whatever that means), among many other…
‘Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. ” Lk. 2:14 (Douay-Rheims version)
“In the document, the pope appeared to side with theologians and bishops who had proposed an “internal forum” in which a priest or bishop decides jointly with the individual on a case-by-case basis if he or she can be fully reintegrated and receive Communion.”
“appeared to side”? Why “appeared”? Can’t he say just “sided”?
And “decides jointly” ? My understanding is that in the end the individual, although having consulted the priest, had to make and carry the weight of his own decision. Is the priest supposed to be responsible for the decision too? Wouldn’t that make every priest an annulment court?
Respectfully, Fr. Paulson misinterprets both Amoris Laetitia (“AL”) and the dubia.
AL seconds Benedict XVI and Church teachings, it does NOT change anything, does not give permission for divorced & remarried to simply receive the Eucharist, or even Confession. Pope Francis is unorthodox in his methods, not his teachings.
We need to step up our game in 2 ways: 1-journey; 2-read.
1. Journey – AL says we should not just tell lost sheep the law and to go away until they can measure up. Rather, we are asked to be Catholic in a bigger way – to journey – to walk with, so the rules begin to make sense, the desire grows to find their way towards Him. “Journey” is used all over AL.
2. Read – [next]
2. Read – Read what Pope Francis really says/writes. Not sound bites, headlines or even articles. I hope everyone on this forum actually reads AL. It is long but beautiful. At the supposed “??!!” sections read the footnotes IN SOURCE CONTEXT. (Good use of Google.) Many priests have not even read AL or know the process of a dubia.
The dubia (questions) is a process asking for specific clarifications. The Pope can take up the dubia or not. Not responding means AL, READ RIGHTLY, is clear. He published a Bishops’ letter in Argentina as the right read. Many people perverted Vatican II documents too.
Let’s step up our faith & practice. Journey and go to the source.
You are likely wrong, entirely wrong. Among other text and footnotes, paragraph 305 and its fn. 351 alone suggests that, in some cases, Holy Communion may be taken by a couple, divorced/remarried/no annulment. The Church teaches, and has always taught, that sex during this second marriage is adulterous. AL pretty clearly suggests otherwise. This obviousness, along with the good number of clerics — Cardinals Marx and Kasper, Bishop McElroy (San Diego) — who expressly say that the remarrieds may receive communion, is the basis for the Dubia submitted by the four cardinals. Take a look at what Robert Spaemann says, here: https://www.catholicherald.co…
TC, although the Pope reaffirms the Church’s traditional teaching on Marriage, in “Amoris Laetitia”– he does open questions that were never previously allowed in our Church, and has also been actively pressuring Churchmen to set aside Christ’s true teaching, on Marriage, as being “too legalistic,” to allow for the sins of rebellious, irresponsible modern society. Such irresponsible questions such as Holy Communion for those “living in sin,” cohabitating, unrepentant, and those unlawfully “re-married,” (adultery) without the new “fast and free” Church annulments, and those in sinful LGBT relationships— is absurd! A true Pope is mature, manly, and responsible to God, and does not do such dumb things! So-called “beauty,”…
I will finish, with my post, above. So-called “beauty” and mercy” are fine, in Papal writings– but it is far more important, to uphold Christ’s true teachings, and to expertly lead the Catholic faithful, to Christ!
It’s unfortunate that this pastor chooses terms like “conservative” to describe bishops who do not dissent from orthodox Catholic faith. Why use any adjectives to describe them, when he does not describe the others as “liberal?” Using such terms isn’t helpful, if we really desire discussion of this matter. Would he describe Jesus as “conservative,” since He is the One who said a person who divorces and marries another commits adultery?
Would someone please publish a list of the sins that are now okay? Maybe there are some that I might want to commit.
No sins are OK. Please take some time to understand the concept to sin.
To Anonymous says. I already understand the concept of sin. If something was a sin a thousand years ago, it’s still a sin now
Our Church belongs only to Jesus Christ! NOT to Pope Francis, nor to Fr. Paulson, nor to any other human being! All must bow down, and worship Christ! And humbly follow His sacred Teachings!
Curious how priests from struggling Third World countries with negligible Catholic populations–harvests aplenty, labourers few–manage to find their way to posh well-fed First World Happy Valleys–in this case, Pleasant Hills. Father Mindonmani hails from India, Catholic popuation 1.5%, non-Christian 97.7%.
Good Catholics don’t look down on Third World countries. Tell me when you become a real Catholic.
Not even a jot of condescension (Am, in fact, in awe of East Indians both there and here). But that’s beside the point–which you unfortunately missed.