Why do apparent Francis Enablers get Vatican II Ambiguous when talking about Francis's "Authentic Magisterium" Teaching of Communion for those Committing Adultery isn't Heresy?
After all, the strong majority intent at the Council was, undeniably, radically progressive. The story is well-known even to most non-Catholics. Many revolutionary Council fathers authored the VC2 constitutions with what Monsignor Charles Pope calls “weaponized ambiguity,” constitutional text designed to be radicalized retroactively, as theory turned to practice in the immediate post-conciliar period.
We’ve all watched this catastrophe play out over fifty years. As Edward Schillebeeckx said of his contingent’s tactic: “we knew at the time how we would later interpret the [vaguely written] documents.”
In other words, the sacred constitutions of VC2 prescribed a poison pill of technically sound doctrine to be subsequently fashioned into unsound, unCatholic praxis. - Tim Gordon [https://americanmind.org/salvo/catholicism-textualism-and-republicanism/]
Pope Benedict, when he was Joseph Ratzinger in the Ratzinger report, right? Available from Ignatius Press in November, 1984. He said, actually that ambiguity is the hallmark of the devil. - Dr. Edmund Mazza [https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2021/10/part-4-of-exclusive-transcription-is.html]
Earlier this year, The Catholic Monitor (CM) was honored to have the publisher of .RomaLocutaEst, Steven O’Reilly, who is a former intelligence officer, visit its comment section in which he and the publisher of CM had a back and forth.
I asked Steve O'Reilly:
"Is Communion for adulterers 'explicitly a here[sy]'? Answer: yes or no"
O'Reilly's answer in The Catholic Monitor comment section was:
My reply, first, "heresy/heretic" can be used in a strict canonical/theological sense, or in a looser sense (i.e., as Lamont suggests). I do believe communion for adulterer is certainly an error -- or 'heretical' in this looser sense.
Familiaris Consortio 84 repeats the perennial teaching of the Church on the question, and JP II speaks of the non-communion practice is what the Church 'professes in faithfulness to Christ' (that's a loose quote from memory)...so to say or allow the opposite, is to profess an error which is NOT faithful to Christ. So, what does it mean for Francis? John XXII was in error on the Beatific Vision, but as the doctrine up to that point had not been dogmatized...he was not technically a "heretic" in the strict sense. The next pope defined the question.
Might Francis' case in this sense be analogous to John XXII...possibly. It is for the Church to decide the question, to examine Francis words (or lack of them) in this matter. Lamont might be right, but I've seen arguments, such as made by Cardinal Muller, that the Buenos Aires Guidelines in the AAS can be read in an orthodox sense (I think theologian Dr. Fastiggi make similar point to Muller) which would neutralize the AAS controversy -- if they are right. Personally, I think Muller has a hard go of it to prove his interpretation. [https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2022/04/the-catholic-monitor-aqua-debate-steven.html]
My response was:
Steve,
Thanks for the questions and your time and effort. As my regular CM readers know, I very rarely get involved in the comment section, but I consider you a gentleman and a friend whom I disagree with on some issues, but respect. I'm working and have a lot on my plate on top of that so I'm probably going to do a post or two on them. I may do a comment post on your comment on Cardinal Mueller's theory on Communion for adulterers which in my opinion is plainly ridiculous. [https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2022/04/the-catholic-monitor-aqua-debate-steven.html]
O'Reilly's response was:
Fred,
to be clear...I wasn't saying I agree with Mueller's theory. My point is, there are divergent opinions on the question, even thought I have a hard time seeing how Mueller can hold his opinion. So, do not suggest I agree with Mueller. [https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2022/04/the-catholic-monitor-aqua-debate-steven.html]
The Catholic Monitor, again, asks O'Reilly:
"Is Communion for adulterers 'explicitly a here[sy]'? Answer: yes or no"
Is O'Reilly being ambiguous?
Another apparent Francis enabler seemed to likewise be ambiguous a couple of years ago:
In 2019, the Wanderer's Fr. Brian Harrison issued a attack on the 19 scholar heroes by first presenting a straw man then showing his argument:
"Pope Francis has indeed said some things I believe to be heretical... the heretical doctrine of annihilation... [but] Francis is notorious for frequently speaking 'off the cuff'... [was] he/she accurately reported... [but] supposing... [It's] really heretical opinion... Only if he/she remains stubborn and obstinate can the Church declare him/her to be a formal heretic."
(The Wanderer, "Why I didn't Sign the Open Letter Accusing the Pope of Heresy," May 3, 2019)
It is strange that Harrison says Francis has only "said" some things that may be heretical when he knows the pontiff wrote the Argentine letter that teaches that those committing adultery can receive Communion which was called "authentic magisterium" by the Pope's Vatican and placed in the Holy See's Official Acts of the Apostolic See (AAS).
This means the unorthodox interpretation of Communion for those committing adultery is the official teaching of Francis.
How might Francis and Harrison have known for a long time this teaching is heretical?
First, they just have to read the Ten Commandments. One happens to say that God commands that: "Thou shall not commit adultery."
But, just in case they never heard of the Ten Commandments, way back on December 23, 2016, Dubia Cardinal Walter Brandmuller said:
"Whoever thinks that persistent adultery and reception of Holy Communion are compatible is a heretic and promotes schism."
(LifeSiteNews, "Dubia Cardinal: Anyone who Opens Communion to Adulterers is a Heretic and Promotes Schism," December 23, 2016)
In 2017, Francis made it the official teaching of his papacy that those committing adultery can receive Communion by placing the Argentine letter in the Holy See's AAS.
He did this despite the fact that in 2016 Cardinal Brandmuller said Communion for adulterers is heretical and in that same year three other cardinals joined him to issue the Dubia against Communion for adulterers as well as other issues.
It has now been 957 day since the Dubia was issued.
Many people say Francis never answered the Dubia.
They are wrong.
He answered the Dubia in 2017 when he made the heretical teaching Communion for adulterers his official teaching by placing the Argentine letter in the Holy See's AAS.
Could he have been anymore "obstinate" in heresy than that Fr. Harrison?
You, Fr. Harrison, say the Open Letter is "disrespectful to the Supreme Pontiff."
Like Paul was disrespectful to the first pope, Peter, when he rebuked him.
Like the disrespectful Catholics of the Middle Ages:
"[T]he Sorbonne's Chancellor, Jean Gerson [even] reached the point of threatening [Pope] John XXII with the stake if he didn't make a retraction" of his heretical teaching on the Beatific Vision.
(Rotate Caeli, "Popes who fell into Heresy," January 28, 2015)
They would not be like you Fr. Harrison in thinking it is "disrespectful" to call on the world's bishops to admonish Francis.
Do you believe that Communion for adulterers it is heretical?
Do you believe that the Ten Commandments are infallible teachings?
If you do believe then start acting like St. Paul or the Medieval Chancellor Jean Gerson.
Pray an Our Father now in reparation for the sins of Francis's Amoris Laetitia.
Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church as well as the Triumph of the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Stop for a moment of silence, ask Jesus Christ what He wants you to do now and next. In this silence remember God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost - Three Divine Persons yet One God, has an ordered universe where you can know truth and falsehood as well as never forget that He wants you to have eternal happiness with Him as his son or daughter by grace. Make this a practice. By doing this you are doing more good than reading anything here or anywhere else on the Internet.
Francis Notes:
- "If Francis is a Heretic, What should Canonically happen to him?": http://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2020/12/if-francis-is-heretic-what-should.html
- "Could Francis be a Antipope even though the Majority of Cardinals claim he is Pope?": http://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2019/03/could-francis-be-antipope-even-though.html
Election Notes:
- Intel Cryptanalyst-Mathematician on Biden Steal: "212Million Registered Voters & 66.2% Voting,140.344 M Voted...Trump got 74 M, that leaves only 66.344 M for Biden" [http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2020/12/intel-cryptanalyst-mathematician-on.html?m=1]
- Will US be Venezuela?: Ex-CIA Official told Epoch Times "Chávez started to Focus on [Smartmatic] Voting Machines to Ensure Victory as early as 2003": http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2020/12/will-us-be-venezuela-ex-cia-official.html