My fear for the last and the upcoming Synod of Bishops has not been that they would suggest to the Holy Father to change doctrine, but that they – and the discussions surrounding them – would raise expectations of things that are impossible, namely, Communion for the divorced and remarried, some sort of approval for homosexual unions, etc. Clearly that is what some people were pushing in the Synod last October and that is what the press puffed up.
What’s scary about that? As in the case of Humanae vitae in the 1960’s, when the hopes for change of doctrine are dashed, those who were promoting deviation will just go ahead and do whatever the hell they want anyway.
On this note, I see that Sando Magister has posted something about Basilo Petra, identified as a moral theologian. Frankly, after reading some of his ideas I wonder if he is a Catholic moral theologian.
This is pretty crazy stuff.
ROME, May 19, 2015 – He was just stating the obvious when during the synod last October South African cardinal Wilfrid Napier he said that “the message has gone out and whatever we say hereafter is going to be as if we’re doing some damage control.”
The “message” was the one issued by proponents of a change in pastoral practice in the matters of homosexuality and divorce.
Such changes, in fact, although they did not gain the approval of the synod fathers last October and are not likely to do so at the next session of the synod, have nevertheless gained indelible prominence in the media circuit.
But above all they have gained de facto citizenship in the Church. They are being spoken of even at the highest levels of the hierarchy. [Here’s the money quote:] They have become debated and therefore debatable matters. Among the bishops, among the clergy, among the theologians many are already theorizing and acting accordingly. [See?]
One of these, Basilio Petrà, president of the Italian moral theologians and an author of reference for “La Civiltà Cattolica,” has set down in black and white that “things have changed” since Cardinal Walter Kasper – with the pope’s approval – spoke out at the consistory of February 2014 in favor of communion for the divorced and remarried.
Since then – Petrà wrote in the important magazine “Il Regno” – “the magisterium has de facto placed in the area of doubt” that which until then had been an indisputable ban. [This is patently false.]
With the result that now “a confessor can serenely hold the prohibitive norm as dubious, and therefore can absolve and admit the divorced and remarried to communion,” without even waiting for the consent of his bishop, which “is not necessary.” [Again, wrong.]
[…]
Magister goes on say that, soon, an examination of the trajectory of this weird flight of fancy, beginning with Card. Kasper’s proposals, will be printed by Catholic World Report.
UPDATE:
I must revise and extend two points…
The people who will do, as I put it above, “whatever the hell they want”, do so because of who – or what – they want to have sex with.
However, these same people will ruthlessly stomp on anyone who wants the Extraordinary Form, or classical, traditional catechesis for their children.
Other than that, I guess it’ll be great once we are freed from all our taboos, as Card. Kasper might describe them.
