The only previous post in this weblog to discuss the content of the exhortation published today was this one, a translation of an article published by Panorama in December. It stated that the exhortation had been signed (wrong information), but it mentioned three important decisions, all of which are confirmed by the official text:
(1)The Panorama article stated that "the recourse to the ordination of married priests of proven virtue ('viri probati') to face the lack of vocations is excluded." Let us remember that this was the most widely discussed issue in the Synod, which resurfaced last year -- and the Pope was quite clear on it:
(2) The Panorama article stated that "the admission of remarried divorced persons to Communion is forbidden, but it is recommended that the Christian community welcome and value their presence", which is exactly what is written in the official text. Let us also remember the intense pressure which several episcopates have imposed on the Holy See regarding this matter, which leads us to understand that this clear doctrinal link between the Most Holy Sacrament and the indissolubility of marriage is quite welcome:
(1)The Panorama article stated that "the recourse to the ordination of married priests of proven virtue ('viri probati') to face the lack of vocations is excluded." Let us remember that this was the most widely discussed issue in the Synod, which resurfaced last year -- and the Pope was quite clear on it:
In continuity with the great ecclesial tradition, with the Second Vatican Council and with my predecessors in the papacy, I reaffirm the beauty and the importance of a priestly life lived in celibacy as a sign expressing total and exclusive devotion to Christ, to the Church and to the Kingdom of God, and I therefore confirm that it remains obligatory in the Latin tradition. (Sacramentum Caritatis, 24)
(2) The Panorama article stated that "the admission of remarried divorced persons to Communion is forbidden, but it is recommended that the Christian community welcome and value their presence", which is exactly what is written in the official text. Let us also remember the intense pressure which several episcopates have imposed on the Holy See regarding this matter, which leads us to understand that this clear doctrinal link between the Most Holy Sacrament and the indissolubility of marriage is quite welcome:
(3) Finally, the Panorama article mentioned that, "the study of the liturgy in Latin and of Gregorian Chant in seminaries is recommended". And that has been the case:The Synod of Bishops confirmed the Church's practice, based on Sacred Scripture (cf. Mk 10:2- 12), of not admitting the divorced and remarried to the sacraments, since their state and their condition of life objectively contradict the loving union of Christ and the Church signified and made present in the Eucharist. Yet the divorced and remarried continue to belong to the Church, which accompanies them with special concern and encourages them to live as fully as possible the Christian life through regular participation at Mass, albeit without receiving communion ...
...where the nullity of the marriage bond is not declared and objective circumstances make it impossible to cease cohabitation, the Church encourages these members of the faithful to commit themselves to living their relationship in fidelity to the demands of God's law, as friends, as brother and sister; in this way they will be able to return to the table of the Eucharist, taking care to observe the Church's established and approved practice in this regard. (Sacramentum Caritatis, 29)
Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant ... (Sacramentum Caritatis, 62)
Therefore, considering what was first reported here, as well as the Final List of Propositions of the Synod, it would be unwise to express any disappointment. Particularly regarding the issue of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church, the exhortation ends the discussion for the foreseeable future; and regarding Communion to divorced and "remarried" persons, the exhortation establishes a solid doctrinal framework which cannot be easily undone.
There are certainly some untenable assertions, particularly regarding what could be described as the rewriting of the Liturgical History of the West - we hope to discuss them soon (and a few highlights, such as note 6); the document is, however, in its general composition, what could have been expected.
There are certainly some untenable assertions, particularly regarding what could be described as the rewriting of the Liturgical History of the West - we hope to discuss them soon (and a few highlights, such as note 6); the document is, however, in its general composition, what could have been expected.
