Catholic World News – September 30, 2014
Cardinal Raymond Burke strongly defended his criticism of the “Kasper proposal,” and said it was “outrageous” for Cardinal Walter Kasper to suggest that such criticism was actually aimed at Pope Francis, during a teleconference with reporters on September 30.
“I find it amazing that the cardinal [Kasper] claims that he speaks for the Pope,” Cardinal Burke said. “The Pope doesn’t have laryngitis.”
Cardinal Burke joined several other participants in a teleconference on preparations for the Synod of Bishops. The teleconference was arranged by Ignatius Press, which will release four books on October 1 presenting arguments against the Kasper proposal and in defense of Church teaching on marriage.
Cardinal Burke said that he finds the books—and particularly Remaining in the Truth of Christ, to which he contributed—an “effective response” to Cardinal Kasper’s proposal that the Church might allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the Eucharist. These works, the American cardinal said, reflect the “firm conviction of the authors and the firm conviction of the Church” that the Catholic understanding of the indissolubility of marriage is based on the clear words of Jesus Christ and cannot be altered. Saying that Cardinal Kasper “erred” in his proposal, Cardinal Burke said that the new works were “a positive contribution to get the discussion back on the right track.”
Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, the publisher of Ignatius Press, said that he wondered whether Pope Francis has encouraged discussion of the Kasper proposal in order to focus attention on the question of marriage and thus to reaffirm the Church’s teaching. He questioned whether “the Holy Father shrewdly tried to stir up a hornets’ nest” in preparation for the Synod’s discussions.
James Hitchcock, a theologian and author who participated in the teleconference, said that one difficulty created by the debate leading into the Synod, and by the media coverage of that debate, has been the tendency to fixate on what he called “bottom-line theology.” He used that term, Hitchcock explained, to describe an urge to ignore deeper theological arguments and report exclusively on whether the Church would change her teaching.
Hitchcock declined, however, to blame the media for this tendency. He observed that vigorous debates were common in Church history. Reflecting on the debates of earlier Church councils, he said: “Had there been mass media at Trent, had there been mass media at Nicea, I think you would have seen the same thing.” Cardinal Burke agreed: “That there are discussions, that there are disagreements, this is nothing new in the Church.”
Responding to Cardinal Kasper’s claim that his proposal involves a change in Church discipline rather than doctrine, Cardinal Burke said that this was a “very deceptive line of argument.” He said: “There can’t be in the Church a discipline that is not at the service of doctrine.”
In the case of marriage, the cardinal explained, the constant Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage is a matter of established doctrine. In order to uphold that doctrine, he continued, it is essential to determine, in cases of marital breakdown, whether a real marriage existed. Church tribunals, he observed, are designed to sift the evidence and arrive at the truth. Without a rigorous test of the evidence, the truth could not clearly be established and the Church’s defense of marriage would be weakened.
It is really sad to read about the developments happening in the church and the way some of the church leaders who cannot see the devil’s work in instigating them to go against church doctrine. in my country, married men and women are freely giving Communion, commiting grave sins against the Holy Eucharist without apparently realizing it. I just cannot imagine why there should be communion ministers when we still have enough priests to go around. How can married people with tainted hands, touch the Holy Eucharist and why our priests and bishops allow it is beyond me!
Truly within the hierarchy of our Church, there are good and bad guys. I hope our Filipino cardinals will remain loyal & obedience to the teachings of our Lord Jesus and not of man’s desires.
Dont ever receive communion from a lay communion minister. As you said his hands are dirty and not worthy to hold the holy eucharist at all. This change was made by V 11 which was infested by freemason clergy purposely to desecrate our Lord. When everyone else go to receive communion from the lay communion minister i suggest in your faith ask the Lord Jesus for spuritual communion and He will enter you there and than.