Holy Communion for Polygamists?

Pope Francis' excellent job of causing a "mess" in the Church continues with chaos in the African communities where polygamy is a troublesome issue in the culture. 

Cardinal Napier, Archbishop of Durban, South Africa recently tweeted: 

Before Pope Francis this was not a question. With Francis as pope everything seems to be questionable - because of course, who are we to judge?

Before Pope Francis we had: 

CONCERNING THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION BY DIVORCED AND REMARRIED MEMBERS OF THE FAITHFULVatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

[quote in part] "In some places it has also been proposed that in order objectively to examine their actual situation, the divorced and remarried would have to consult a prudent and expert priest. This priest, however, would have to respect their eventual decision in conscience to approach holy communion, without this implying an official authorization.
In these and similar cases it would be a matter of a tolerant and benevolent pastoral solution in order to do justice to the different situations of the divorced and remarried.
Even if analogous pastoral solutions have been proposed by a few fathers of the church and in some measure were practiced nevertheless these never attained the consensus of the fathers and in no way came to constitute the common doctrine of the church nor to determine her discipline. It falls to the universal magisterium, in fidelity to sacred Scripture and tradition, to teach and to interpret authentically the <depositum fidei>.
With respect to the aforementioned new pastoral proposals, this congregation deems itself obliged therefore to recall the doctrine and discipline of the church in this matter. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ, the church affirms that a new union cannot be recognized as valid if the preceding marriage was valid. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God's law. Consequently, they cannot receive holy communion as long as this situation persists.
This norm is not at all a punishment or a discrimination against the divorced and remarried, but rather expresses an objective situation that of itself renders impossible the reception of holy communion.[end quote]

Jesus and our Church have always been very clear on this subject. 

Catholic Catechism: 

1665 The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith.

With Francis as pope, suddenly it is a question because chaos and confusion is the new normal in our Church. 

Quote from CatholicCitizens.org: 

"For the African Church, this is a pressing issue. For example, in 2004 it was reported that nearly half of marriages in Senegal are polygamous. I know from my own former ministry in Kenya that polygamy is not at all unknown among Catholics. People in that sort of situation might well think that the admission of those in irregular second unions throws them some sort of lifeline.
Four Cardinals, as we know, have submitted five dubia to the Pope on the matter of the correct interpretation of Amoris Laetitia. Virtually every priest who has ever worked in Africa could submit a dubium on this matter too, namely, to quote Cardinal Napier: “If Westerners in irregular [marital] situations can receive Communion, are we to tell our polygamists and other ‘misfits’ that they too are allowed?”
If polygamists were ever admitted to Holy Communion for whatever reason, it would undo a century of work by the missionaries who have consistently taught that marriage is an exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman, and can only be dissolved by death. It would also severely damage the credibility of the Church, and undermine the authority of Scripture. Dubium means doubt, but on this matter there can be no doubt. We cannot admit polygamists to Holy Communion, whether serial ones of concurrent ones, whether Westerners or from other continents." [end quote] 

Who knew back in 2013 when the Holy Father said...

"I want to tell you something. What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!" he said, speaking off the cuff in his native Spanish. "I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!"

...that we would be petitioning our Holy Father to clarify Holy Communion for adulterers and fornicators? 

Well Pope Francis, you have succeeded...you have given us a mess, disorder and trouble in dioceses around the world. 

I am sure your father is proud of your unholy accomplishments.

Well done, loyal servant to the devil, well done. 



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 



Links: 

https://twitter.com/CardinalNapier/status/816969704489308160

http://catholiccitizens.org/news/69452/african-cardinal-asks-good-question-communion-polygamists/

http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFDIVOR.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130725/lt-brazil-pope/?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=world

Serpents wearing vestments

I have started this blog article several times- my first attempts were surely sinful and would have landed me right back in the Confessional that I just left, so I am trying again.  

This weeks episode of EWTN's The World Over with Raymond Arroyo featured Cardinal Wuerl speaking of the Synod.  This was truly VERY difficult for me to watch.  I am not kidding when I say listening to this (in my opinion) deceitful evil man (yeah, I'm gonna call him that) conjured images of a forked tongue flicking out of his mouth as he spoke.  I was furious listening to him spread confusion and deceit and his outrageous refusal to give an answer to anything Raymond asked. *more on that later

Wuerl played word games and took Arroyo for a whirl around the dance floor several times.  Raymond gave a few feeble attempts to get a straight clear answer out of this serpent, but all he got was Wuerl using words like "crystal clear" when in fact all he said was clear as mud. Then Wuerl tap danced some more in an attempt to distract Arroyo from his questions. I don't know if it worked, or Raymond got tired of dancing.  I am guessing Arroyo knew this Cardinal had no intention of speaking the truth or answering anything honestly so he [Arroyo] gave up.

If you can stomach it, give it a watch: 

I am speaking here as a convert to the Catholic Faith.  I was a protestant for most of my life, living in all sorts of sin because people with the Truth didn't bother to tell me the Truth.  They kept it to themselves.  

Most of them would have happily or ignorantly allowed me to die in my sins while they enjoyed the Sacraments Christ gave to them through His Holy Catholic Church.  

They went to Confession and heard the words of absolution from their priests.  I was told by my Baptist preacher that I didn't have to confess my sins because Jesus already died for all sin and I had "accepted Jesus into my heart" so I was on my way to Heaven!  Praise the Lord!  

Had I died I would not have been on my way to Heaven.  I would have gone the other direction. 

To hear Cardinal Wuerl speak about walking with people IN THEIR SIN, and not telling them what sin is because it's not the "message" of Christ made me furious.  

Of course it's the message of Christ to REPENT and sin no more!  How can anyone repent if the Church refuses to tell people what sin is or that if they die in that sin they are going to Hell?  

He speaks of the persons "own conscience" leading them.  Well I can tell you my conscience was NOT well formed because I was not well informed on the Truth.  I couldn't make a well informed decision on Faith because I was ignorant of it!

Wuerl goes on and on (like Francis) about "mercy".  Well, I can tell you that I wasn't shown mercy by any Catholic who refused to share their Faith with me. To the Catholics out there (and you know who you are) who took the time to tell me I was wrong and my denomination was man-made and full of errors THOSE Catholics were loving and merciful.  They didn't want me to live my entire life in deception.  They wanted to share their Church with me.  They wanted me to have what they had. I will spend the rest of my life praying for those Catholics and thanking God for them because they didn't just lead me to the Truth, the Sacraments and the Holy Catholic Church, they brought my children too.  

If not for those Catholics, willing to fight with me, argue with me and not let me go on in error...my children may not have been baptized.  To Baptists, baptism is done to teens and adults as "an outward sign of an inner change".  They don't believe anything happens- you're just making a public show of your declaration that Jesus lives in your heart- you've said the sinner's prayer or answered an altar call (funny since Baptists don't have altars). 

I am writing this for all the Catholics out there to tell you PLEASE DON'T KEEP YOUR FAITH TO YOURSELF! There are too many people out there like I was, who thirsted for the Truth but couldn't find it on my own. You will never know how your speaking up can change a persons life- for eternity.  

Non-Catholics have no idea of the depth of the Truth found in the Catholic Church. They truly have a very small concept of sin because of the limitless errors inside Protestantism. These errors have leaked into the beliefs of many Catholics too- think of all the Catholics who believe birth control, abortion and gay marriage aren't sinful. People are ignorant of the Truth and they are living in sin because of it.

Please don't leave them there.  

Their eternity and the eternity of their children and grandchildren may depend on you speaking up. 

These hate-filled evil men in the Church who wish to walk with sinners in their sin rather than tell them 'repent and sin no more' as our Lord Jesus Christ did are leaving people IN their sin.  If these people die in their sins not only will they jeopardize their own salvation but also the salvation of their families. Having a priest "walk with them" or beside them in their sin won't change their damnation. They must be told to repent and sin no more.  That is loving them, that is true mercy.

And since so many clergy now will not tell people that, you must. Don't be silent.  If you don't know what to say to share your faith, LEARN IT and tell people where to find information on the Internet or if they like to read suggest a book.  Books were a HUGE part of my conversion and they were sent to me by the box loads by a Catholic who spent years arguing with me over the errors I had once clung to. She wouldn't give up on me no matter how much I fought back (and it was years).  She could have walked away and washed her hands of me, but she didn't.  She is now my very best friend in the world and I thank God for her everyday.  She helped change my life and the lives of my children.  

When I think of her and then listen to the Wuerls in our Church speak about love and mercy and meeting people where they are...she met me were I was, but she refused to leave me there or to accompany me in my sin.  

The Wuerls in the Church are leaving people in their sin, to die and risk damnation for all eternity and they call it "mercy" and the "message" of the Gospel. They are speaking with forked tongues. Don't be deceived by these serpents, they are doing their father's will, not the Divine Will of God. 

"Repent and sin no more" is the message Christ gave over and over in the Gospel.  Listen to Him, not the serpents wearing vestments.

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

Call the Midwife's poor homosexual victim

A few years ago PBS premiered the first season of "Call the Midwife" and I was hooked.  I'm a sucker for period pieces and the BBC does period docudrama's like no one else.

If you haven't heard of or seen "Call the Midwife" you must be living under a rock  it's about -as the name implies- midwifery.  The first season is set in the 1950's England, the midwives are made up of Church of England nuns and British midwives who are on call 24/7 to the women in their community.

Overall, I have very much enjoyed this peek into the history of pregnant women and their midwives- though a few episodes annoyed me because I could see TODAY's politics working their way into the show in what I believe to be a completely wrong depiction of the times.

[spoilers ahead]

The first such annoyance was when birth control was being pushed and seen as perfectly acceptable among most of the women- including the nuns.  Now I know SOME people in the 1950's thought this was a grand idea, but I don't believe how it was depicted in this show was accurate for the time.

That happened again on Sunday night, with the latest episode- only this time it was dealing with homosexuality.

A very pregnant married woman is humiliated when her husband walks passed their home to go to a public bathroom for sex with a strange man.  The homosexual husband gets caught in a police sting and is arrested for several indecent and immoral acts.

The pregnant wife is distraught, humiliated, hurt, heartbroken, afraid and worried about her future and the future of her baby and marriage.

But the wife is NOT the victim here... oh no!  It's the poor homosexual married man who can't be with another man because society is so mean and heartless.

News of his arrest hits the papers and people are disgusted.  Not only was he cheating on his extremely pregnant wife, but he was doing so with a complete stranger - another man in a public bathroom.  What's not to be disgusted by?

The community is portrayed as HORRIBLE, NASTY and MEAN because they do not want this man and his wife in their Church festival.

The main characters (midwives, doctor and Church of England priest) are not disgusted by what this man has done at all.  They don't feel outrage at what he's done to his wife, their marriage or the future of their child trying to grow up and live with the scandal daddy has brought to his family.  Oh no!  The victim is the poor homosexual man who just wanted a little sodomy now and again.

So when the Church festival comes and the horrible, nasty mean community says they don't want this family taking part because children will be there and the scandal of the situation should not be displayed at a Church festival what happens?

Oh yes!

The "Jesus taught us to love everyone" line comes out.  Funny how that comes out and is backed by the Church of England priest, but the priest NEVER mentions adultery, sodomy or scandal.  Not a word of worry for the children at this Church function who are all aware of their parents outrage over the situation.

I believe that such a "scandal" was still a big deal during this time period, so why the BBC decided to alter history can only be trumped up to today's political correctness in my opinion.

I simply can't believe that during those days especially, a married man having sex with another man and getting arrested would have been seen as a "Jesus taught us to love everyone" moment.

This arrest was a huge scandal in this small community and the pregnant wife was nearly destroyed by what her husband had done, yet HE was portrayed as the victim.

The homosexual adulterer is the victim?  Not the pregnant wife?  Not all the people including the children who were scandalized by this?  Would people in those days truly see the man as the victim here and not his wife?

I doubt it.

Even today, I believe, the woman would clearly be seen as the victim to MOST of us- except for the gay crowd who are ALWAYS playing the victim.

When people do a period docudrama they should stick to the facts and what is authentic to the period.  Injecting current ideas/trends/beliefs completely ruins the "period" piece.

Does anyone know or understand what sin is?  The sin of adultery?  Sodomy? Or the sin of scandal?  Are we so USED to being scandalized by the sexual immorality of society that we don't even feel scandalized by any sin anymore?

Wickedness should ALWAYS scandalize us.  And those of us who call ourselves Christians should always recognize what is sin.

Don't let television shows with an agenda instruct you in what Jesus' love is all about.  To love as Jesus did is to save the sinner from his/her sins, not help them to stay in their sins by making the sinner the victim.


An UPDATE: 
Apparently the actor, Stephen McGann who plays the doctor on "Call the Midwife" doesn't like what I had to say about the show or his characters support of the adulterous homosexual man:

Mr. McGann seems to believe that Pope Francis has changed Catholic doctrine on homosexuality, adultery and scandal.  Here is the link McGann sites in his tweet to me: "Pope signals new era of forgiveness to gay priests".

My response to McGann:

My link goes to the catechism on homosexuality:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, 141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

The back and forth over this topic continues on Twitter between myself and Mr. McGann.  For more, check out our Twitter accounts.



In Christ,


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner


Source: http://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/seasons/season-4/episode-3/
McGann link: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3828576.ece

What about all the scandal caused by Catholic laity?

I hoard collect old and rare Catholic books.  I love reading these old books and want to share them with my blog readers.  I’ve got bookshelves in my house filled with them in assorted sizes complete with that wonderful (to me) old musty book smell. ;)

One of them I want to quote from today is called “The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge” written in 1899 and published in 1900. 

It’s a large book and this is just a small sample of one topic in it.  The section I am sharing today, and the topic I wish to discuss is on the Church’s teaching of the terrible sin of scandal and how very damaging it is and how this sin ruins souls and causes the loss of salvation if not corrected and repented of.

Scandal is all over, but many hardly notice it, unless it’s coming from inside the Church.  The media happily (and correctly) calls the sin coming from the Church 'sin' and 'scandalous' but doesn't apply the same standard to sin outside the Church. 

Sadly, the media is also full of reporting priests supporting gay ‘marriage’, supporting women priests, abuses at Mass, child molestation and cover ups…you get the picture.  Depending on the media source and topic it may or may not call these things 'sin'.  But this isn't about the media, it's about us Catholics.

These ripples of scandal have spread across the globe causing numerous Catholics to leave Christ’s Holy Catholic Church.

But what about all the scandal caused by Catholic laity?

Are you still scandalized when you see a Catholic “remarry” outside the Church after a divorce, hence entering into public adultery?  Are you scandalized by adultery or do you happily attend the wedding and buy the adulterating couple a wedding gift?

Are you still scandalized by pre-marital sex or have you become so desensitized by it that the sin of fornication barely registers in your brain as you pick out a house warming gift for the fornicators in your family who insist on living together before marriage?

Are you getting the picture yet?

These sins are no longer taboo in our secular society.  Adultery, fornication, lies, lust, greed etc are the norm on television, in books, magazines, online… we are submerged in the ‘normalcy’ of sin.  Secular society has declared ‘sin’ to be…well, no longer sin at all.  There is no sin today according to our society.  Society tells us that if you live with your boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage that it’s “your own business” and no one else’s.

That is wrong.  

People don’t have to see you having sex to figure out if you are living with someone as boyfriend/girlfriend sharing the same bed you are committing fornication.

That is scandal. 

Scandal is the ripple effect of one person’s sin made public.  When was the last time you heard a homily on the sin of scandal?  I never have.  Thankfully, I am a Catholic bookhoarderworm so I read these wonderful old Catholic books that teach me the depth of these Catholic teachings.

Please carefully read the below quote and reflect on your own life any occasion that you might have caused scandal and the ripple effect that went out into the world because of it.  If upon reflection you are free from the sin of scandal, good for you!  If not… get thee to confession as soon as possible.

[quote]  “To cheat and to steal are, certainly, not virtuous actions; if we do either, we sin against God, our neighbor, and ourselves; but to give scandal to others is still worse, for this is one of the greatest dangers which can menace a soul.

 Scandal is the evil which we do to others by the bad example that we give them.

A man does wrong, no one knows it; he is guilty in the sight of God; he will lose his own soul if he does not repent.  This is very certain and very lamentable, but at least his example has perverted no one.  But suddenly a man hides his wrong-doing no longer, his evil life becomes known and spoken of, he even speaks of it himself, boasts of it, and appears to glory in a miserable notoriety.  Others, attracted at first by curiosity, begin to make a little circle around him, and to regard him with admiration.  “At all events this man must get some pleasure and excitement out of life!” they begin to say; and thus it follows that the evil which they regarded too closely strikes them, they are gradually overpowered by it; and next we may see them enjoying themselves after the manner of their model; they imitate him, and soon they desire to go still further than he!  This is scandal!

One man offended God; at this hour there are ten, a hundred, a thousand… Death strikes the author of this scandal; he goes to stand before his heavenly Judge and render an account of all those thousand souls lost by his example!

Thus you see how incalculable are the effects of bad example.  How is it possible completely to retrieve a scandal?  We may desire to do it, but often it is quite beyond our power.  Our Lord said, ‘Woe to that man by whom scandal cometh.  It were better for him that a millstone should be hanged around his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.’  He who knows everything, knew well that those who give scandal to their brethren stand upon the brink of their eternal ruin!  But, on the other hand, how happy a thing it is to give a good example!  It is to work in union with God Himself for the salvation of souls.  

 And how great is this power which each one of us possesses!  Consider the case of a young man who has been so unhappy as to give scandal to others by setting them an evil example; if he only examine himself, if he reflect, and consider the terrible account he will have to render, he becomes changed and converted; he was openly wicked, and is now openly a Christian!  His companions ridicule him; he pities them, he advises them to imitate him in his conversion; he sets an example of patience and temperance, of industry and morality, and, in the end, succeeds in saving a great number of those whom he would most certainly have led to destruction.

It is impossible to calculate the immense influence of example.  By means of this all-powerful influence whole families, parishes, schools, and communities are either saved or lost.  I have known a numerous family, worse than indifferent, become a model of religion and fervor, thanks to the holy influence of but one of its members, who, by turning to God with his whole heart, caused the light of faith to shine upon all who surrounded him through the force of example alone.  And I have known another family in which the apostasy of the eldest son led away into heresy a number of his brothers and sisters… How many parishes have been perverted, corrupted to their very centers by the scandal given by one priest!  In a college, in a school, one thoroughly bad child will entice into evil the greater part of his schoolfellows, and if the superiors do not arrest the contagion from its very commencement, by driving this black sheep out of their midst, the whole flock will surely be lost.  And finally, in a State, how incalculable are the evils, which, by a fatal necessity, are always produced by the immorality of a sovereign or by his irreligion!  Now, what is the conclusion to be drawn from all this?  That scandal is an immense evil.  He who has given scandal has but one chance of salvation, and that is by becoming entirely changed and setting a good example to those whom he formerly scandalized.
Human respect will often prove a stumbling-block; but we must gather courage; those who have dared to do evil must also dare to be repentant in the sight of all. [End quote]

We ARE our brother's keeper.

I've learned that each time I go to Confession, I have to very carefully reflect on the sin of scandal and take a good look at my life...sometimes I have more to confess than I first thought.

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

Book images from: http://www.princetonantiques.com/pab/product_info.php?products_id=9873

Quote Source: The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge – Published by the Office of Catholic Publications in the year 1900 [page 208-210]