From Lifesite… read the whole thing, but this is probably the most important bit.
There has been talk of devolving some decision making about various issues to regional conferences of bishops or to local bishops. That would, of course, be total disaster.
From the interview… my patented emphases and comments:
LSN: What do you make of the idea of “regional diversity” in the Church? Should local bishops have the authority on a pastoral level to deal with questions pertaining to the “social acceptance of homosexuality” and with “divorced and remarried persons?”
Burke: This is simply contrary to Catholic Faith and life. The Church follows the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ as it has first of all been taught to us by God in the creation — what we call the natural law, what every human heart understands because it has been created by God — but it’s also then been explained and illuminated by the teaching of Christ and in the tradition of the Church.
And this Church is one all over the world. There is no change in these truths, from one place to another or from one time to another. Certainly the teaching of these truths takes into account the particular needs in each area. But it doesn’t change the teaching. The teaching sometimes has to be even stronger in places where it is more compromised. [The Kasperites and those who talk about bending the Church’s teachings (and practices) to “reality”, would indeed say that truth can vary from place place. If they say that what might have once been true doesn’t necessary need to be true now, then why not also posit fluid truth based on location? The German/Kasperite/Rahnerian approach replaces the philosophical grounding of theology with politics (cf. Robert Stark). Truth changes according to shifting mores, values, etc. To hell with reason (e.g., syllogisms).]
So, this is unacceptable. I don’t know where this idea comes from. [I have a couple ideas.] What it actually means is that the Church is no longer Catholic [universal]. It means that it’s no longer one in its teaching throughout the whole world. We have one faith. We have one [collection of] sacraments. We have one governance throughout the whole world. That’s what it means to be ‘Catholic.’
[NB] I’d also like to comment on this idea of what is “pastoral.”
In much of the discussion which has taken place, beginning with the infamous presentation of Cardinal Walter Kasper in the Extraordinary Consistory on February 20 and 21 of 2014, centered around this idea that somehow doctrine and pastoral practice are in conflict with one another.
This is absurd. [Do I hear an “Amen!”?] The pastoral practice exists to help us to live the truths of the faith, to live the doctrine of the faith in our daily lives. You can’t have a conflict [between these]. You can’t have the Church teaching, for instance, that marriage is indissoluble and then someone claiming at the same time for ‘pastoral’ reasons that a person who is living in an irregular union is able to receive the sacraments, which would mean that marriage isn’t indissoluble. These are just false distinctions — false contrasts — that we really need to clear up because it’s causing an immense confusion among the faithful and, of course, ultimately can lead people into serious error with great harm to their spiritual life and their eternal salvation.
Blessings upon Card. Burke.
The formerly nearly ubiquitous John L. Allen, Jr. has an outstanding interview with the great Francis Card. Arinze, 82 year old Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni and quondam Prefect of Divine Worship. Allen dubs His Eminence as Africa’s Lion in Winter.
