Roma Locuta Est

April 30, 2018 (Steven O’Reilly) – This blog article is intended for you – yes, you.  The you reading this, right now!  Do not look over your shoulder!  I mean you!  Reading my daily Canon212, I saw that Gloria.TV posted an article regarding an April 27, 2018 talk given by Cardinal Raymond Burke in Bratislava, Slovakia (see Cardinal Burke in Bratislava: Devastating Attack on Church Comes Even From “Her Head”).  The link also had a brief video clip of part of his speech. It is a must see.

While the video clip lacked any reference to a “formal correction” of Pope Francis related to Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia, the Cardinal’s words showed no sign that he was backing down from a formal correction of Pope Francis. Thus, as I recently urged, “Don’t Panic!”  Cardinal Burke quoted from one scholar regarding the requirements on all Catholics in this current Church crisis over doctrine.  That is, all Catholics are required “...to do all within their power to defend the authority of Christ and His Church. There can be no place for silence or an attitude of defeat.”  The Cardinal concluded his quote of this scholar, saying: “Faith in the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church requires us to soldier on minding our consciences, upholding the truth out of love, and avoiding evil and false doctrine.”

The Cardinal said the necessity and requirement for Catholics to “soldier on” was the theme of his talk. I haven’t seen a transcript of his full speech yet, but I am sure it will be quite worth the read.  That said, even this short clip contains much worth hearing for all Catholics concerned over the controversy regarding Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia. We are required to uphold the truth, and not remain silent.  We must “soldier on.”  This is an important truth. One that you, the reader, needs to take to heart.  Do not look to another. You are a soldier of Christ.  Do your duty! Each of us in our own way must defend the faith, whether it be defending the faith to friends and acquaintances, writing letters to diocesan papers, or articles and blogs, or letting our parish priests, local bishops and archbishops know our mind, and, of course, manifesting our views to the Holy See itself. You must do this. Therefore, do not complain about this or that cardinal or this or that bishop for there being no formal correction as of yet – if you have not done the bit that is within your God-given power to do yourself.  Do it. Do it now.  Do what you can to support the traditional teaching on the divorced and remarried.  Do what you can to support a formal correction if the pope continues to refuse to answer the Dubia.  If a formal correction of Pope Francis is issued…when it is – do all that you can to support it.

Cardinal Burke’s quotation selection is a challenge to us all.  You cannot remain silent. We cannot remain silent. Please, tell your pastors and bishops in word and writing; let them know that you object to any interpretation of Amoris Laetitia which would weaken or nullify the received teaching of the Church regarding communion for the divorced and remarried.  The Church’s magisterium clearly says the divorced and remarried (without an annulment) cannot receive communion unless they live together as brother and sister. This was taught by Pope John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio (84), which itself reiterated a constant and universal practice. This same teaching was then re-affirmed by John Paul II in 1984 in Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (34), and again in the Catholic Catechism (1650) in 1992, and again in 1994 in the form of a letter from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. This all was, yet again, reaffirmed again by Benedict XVI in 2007 in Sacramentum Caritatis (29). One cannot help but be struck by the clarity and force of the words used in these documents in all instances – without exception. These documents teach that, based on Sacred Scripture, it is impossible for the divorced and remarried to receive communion. A defense of the traditional teaching, as well as rebuttals of arguments to water it down may be found in this blog’s Summa Contra Stephen Walford.

So, dear reader of this wee, humble blog; again I say:  Do not complain about this or that cardinal, or this or that bishop for there being no formal correction as of yet – if you have not done the bit that is within your God-given power to do yourself.  Do it. Do it now. Do it often. Soldier on!  Do not remain silent.  This means you.

Steven O’Reilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He lives near Atlanta with family. He has written apologetic articles and is working on a historical-adventure trilogy, set during the time of the Arian crisis. He asks for your prayers for his intentions.  He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com (or follow on Twitter: @S_OReilly_USA).