The following comes from a December 16 LifeSiteNews article by Claire Chretien:
On Thursday’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” Cardinal Raymond Burke responded to those within the Church who are criticizing him and three other cardinals for asking for moral clarification on Amoris Laetitia. He said the cardinals are not creating division, but “address[ing]” existing division within the Church. He also insists that he will “never” be part of a schism for defending the Catholic faith, and that attacks on marriage destabilize the Church and society.
Burke directly responded to the claims that close papal collaborator Father Anthony Spadaro and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn have made about Amoris Laetitia. In particular, he addressed Spadaro’s claim that Pope Francis already answered the dubia of four cardinals by approving guidelines issued by the bishops of Buenos Aires allowing Communion for the divorced and remarried. Burke also responded to Pope Francis saying people who are overly “rigid” about defending doctrine suffer from a kind of “condition.”
Responding to Spadaro’s claim that Burke and the other three cardinals are trying to “ramp up” division and tension in the Church, Burke said, “In fact, we’re trying to address the division which is already very much ramped up, to use his phrase.”
“Only when these questions, which we have raised according to the traditional manner of resolving questions in the Church which have to do with very serious matters, only when these questions are adequately answered will the division be dissipated,” said Burke. “But as is happening right now, as long as this continues, the division will only grow and of course the fruit of division is error. And here we’re talking about the salvation of souls, people being led into error in matters which have to do with their eternal salvation. And so Father Spadaro is very much in error in that affirmation.”
Burke said he was “very much” offended by Spadaro’s recent claim that Pope Francis doesn’t give answers to “binary” questions.
“It is the role of the pope as the pastor of the universal Church, as the guardian of the unity of the bishops and of the whole Body of Christ, to respond to such questions,” said Burke. “To suggest that posing these questions is a sign of insincerity is deeply offensive. I can assure you that for myself, and I know the other cardinals involved, we wouldn’t raise the questions unless we had the deepest and most sincere concern for the Church herself and for the individual members of the faithful.”
Pope Francis has “given his own opinion” on Communion for the divorced and remarried, but “the question can only be answered in terms of what the Church has always taught and practiced,” Burke said. “It’s not a matter of…some speculative idea I may have about how to approach these questions, but how does Christ in His Church address such questions? …until that answer is provided, we remain in a confused state.”
“I, for my part, will never be part of a schism,” said Burke. “I’m a Roman Catholic and defending the Roman Catholic faith is not the cause of my being separated from the Church. And so I simply intend to continue to defend the faith out of love for Our Lord and for the, his mystical body, my brothers and sisters in the Church, and I believe the other cardinals are of the same mind.”
When Arroyo pressed Burke on remarks Pope Francis made claiming people who are “sort of locked in their ‘rigidity’ over doctrine and otherwise… suffer from a compulsion or a condition,” the cardinal said the dubia “are not the reactions of people who are suffering from emotional disorders.”
“Our presentation of the five questions is done with great serenity and with great respect,” he said. “That we’re very deeply concerned about the truth of the doctrine of the faith and its integrity is not a sign of illness.”
I pray to the Holy Ghost that His Grace Cardinal Burke will be our next Roman Pontiff and return the Church to sanity.
Romulus Augustus, I agree! BLESS Raymond Cardinal Burke! Wish he could be our next Pope!
Cardinals are ‘His Excellency” in the US.
I really think Satan has a better shot at the Papacy than an English speaking North American.
Actually, Cardinals everywhere are properly addressed as “Your Eminence”.
mikem, I was taught to always address Cardinals as “Your Eminence,” so that is the way that I have always addressed them, in person, or in sending them a formal letter!
mikem– A Bishop is always addressed, as “Your Excellency.”
These Cardinals have the moral high ground for sure, but they are losing the PR war badly. The Vatican sometimes take several YEARS to respond to dubium. When these Cardinals didn’t get an answer quickly enough (a matter of a few months), they immediately went to the media to try their case and continue to do so. I’m sure to other bishops this looks like the cardinals are being petulant and want special treatment—which isn’t helping their cause, no matter how certain or moral. They continue to shoot themselves in the foot with interviews like this.
The bishop of Rome stresses mercy from the Gospels. “While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ He heard this and said, ‘Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:10-13). “When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He…
…has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’ But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost'” (Lk 19:7-10). Jesus, like His Holiness Pope Francis, took the initiative to show mercy. Cardinal Burke is lost, and his phony behavior gives him away.
You are missing the point, as all Zombie-Liberals do. Christ calls on sinners to repent, to reform their lives, and to lead exemplary lives until they are called to salvation. Christ did not come to “accompany” the adulterous woman, or the woman at the well that had had five husbands. He came to give them living water, to have them recognize their sins, to repent, and to be saved.
The comment on Zacchaeus is important. He was saved because he recognized his sins and offered recompense. Christ is merciful to the sinners who recognize their sins and amend their lives. Many go to Hell who sin and refuse to repent.
Perhaps you are missing the point? Peter asks Jesus, “”Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Mt 18:22). And Jesus replies, Without limit (Mt 18:21). Jesus says that God lets His sun shine and His rain fall on righteous and sinners alike (Mt 5:45). Jesus doesn’t call for sinners to repent except in maybe one passage in all the Gospels. Did the adulterous woman later sin again? I bet yes. And God would forgive her again. Because what Jesus asks us to do, God will also do. No? Is anyone in Hell? How do you know? Been there and back?
Perhaps you are a plant, “Anonymous,” as you spout things that are raised over and over again throughout generations of non-believers. Of course there is a Hell, and Christ spoke of it constantly in the New Testament. Demanding that we forgive our brothers is the price that God gives for forgiving us; but what of those that do not believe and do not forgive? And, what are they forgiving? The Bible is also full of examples of “fraternal correction” and of the kind of correction now being constructed by the Four Cardinals and their issued dubia.
Take a moment and listen to Fulton J. Sheen speaking of “The Hell There Is.” Find it here:https://gloria.tv/video/r2MnNtKK1Kt92dp18LYcn6WXU.
Anonymous– you sound like you have never read the Bible at all! Christ began His ministry, proclaiming– “Repent, and be saved!” And OF OUCRSE, Anonymous– we must ALWAYS FORGIVE!! GOD ALWAYS FORGIVES!! But Christ always asks for REPENTANCE OF SIN!! Don’t go to Confession, asking for babyish “mercy,” and “forgiveness,” if you are NOT SINCERE, and arrogantly tell the priest that you DO NOT INTEND TO REPENT OF YOUR SINS!! If so– the priest CANNOT GIVE YOU ABSOLUTION!! Modern man is TOO PROUD, TOO ARROGANT– and desperately needs HUMILITY, RESPECT FOR GOD, AND REPENTANCE OF SIN!!
Indeed mikem, I prefer the title of His Grace, but thank you anyway!
Why do Cardinals of the Catholic Church not know the teaching of the Church? I suspect they do. Even I know the answers to the questions in the dubia and I wouldn’t need to ask the Pope.
I suspect that is why the Pope hasn’t answered. Because the answers are obvious and the Cardinals know full well the answers.
In other words, the Cardinals are grandstanding.
In other words, the Cardinals are doing their job to get the Pope on track in bearing public testimony to what is correct.
Time for the Holy Father to put on the red shoes.
Did Jesus have red shoes or a throne or a papal apartment, ect?
Jesus did die for the Faith, for us, Anonymous, while speaking the fullness of Truth. His feet were shod in His own Precious Blood. He didn’t lie to the High Priest and say He wasn’t the Son of God so that He could avoid crucifixion.
Wearing the “red” shoes is an outward sign of one’s commitment to do the same. Not wearing them, rejecting them is an outward sign of not understanding symbolism. Or perhaps rejecting the cross.
The papal apartment, contrary to what you may think, is an honor bestowed in acknowledgement of the dignity of the office. The Pope’s rejecting this honor would be like Christ having told she who sought to anoint Him with expensive nard to begone. Judas was the one who harassed the woman, feigning concern…
…for the poor.
Who do you imitate? Judas? Are you so intent to make the Kingdom of God follow man’s ways that you’ll degrade the supernatural realities behind the papacy to embrace social work that is a good thing, but a good thing increasingly used to negate the supernatural all together?
“The First See is judged by no one” (canon 1404).
“It is solely the right of the Roman Pontiff himself to judge in the cases mentioned in ⇒ can. 1401:
1/ those who hold the highest civil office of a state;
2/ cardinals;
3/ legates of the Apostolic See and, in penal cases, bishops;
4/ other cases which he has called to his own judgment” (canon 1405).
yfc, i would not say that they are grandstanding. They know that the Pope has not changed any doctrine or Church teaching. Maybe they got caught up in the Internet hysteria and were trying to help quash the silly rumors and overreactions, but they just made it worse.
A doctrine not enforced is no doctrine at all, Anonymous.
I do love the pretense, however, that the internet is somehow responsible.
Did the dog eat Amoris Letitia and what we now read was merely a scrabbled attempt to patch it together to make deadline? Did drafters wait until the night before the paper was due and just pop off the required word count that talks around the assigned topic without actually answering any questions?
Sorry, but essays like that don’t get passing grades. Not by teachers who read what is actually written.
Anonymous– you sound quite ignorant of this situation! Good idea, to read a great deal– and inform yourself well! Then, you will understand this situation better! It is very serious!
Linda Maria, Jesus mentions repentance only once so far as I know in the Gospels. He tells St. Peter to always forgive, no mention of repentance.
Saint Christopher, I am not a plant. I am a Christian, a real human being whose body is a Temple where the Holy Ghost always resides. If the Holy Ghost was to leave me, I would be physically dead. What is Hell? A place? A kind of post-death existence? Saint John Paul II said that Hell is not a place, and coming from a saint that should be good enough for all of us. No?
No, Anonymous– read your Bible! Christ’s entire message was repentance of sin, and a complete change of life! If anyone desires to follow Christ, that is exactly what they must do– repent of sin, be baptized, and completely change their life, to follow Christ’s Teachings! Read your Bible, and see!
Jesus’ message was not repentance of sin. It was to love God as He loves us and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Mt 22:40). Except for Lk 17:3-4, there is nowhere in the Gospel where Jesus associates forgiveness with repentance. Jesus tells us to love our enemies (no repentance). God’s love in rain and sunshine falls on good and bad people alike (no repentance). Jesus tells Peter to forgive always (no repentance). Maybe I know more about the Gospel than you. No?