If there is any charity to be applied, it is regarding Francis' intention -- one can believe he is not being deliberately ambiguous to confuse and obfuscate, but his theological habitus is just muddled. But given the clarity that often shows up in his tweets, even this interpretation may be tenuous.
At least the love part, and the consequence that we should not use capital punishment.
The Holy Father does not directly engage the long-established tradition that recognizes its legitimacy; he instead moves beyond, appealing to a tradition within the Church which transcends bare moral truth, to love beyond the minimal, especially when it comes to something that so cuts off the other.
This is not a “change” in Church teaching any more than “love thy neighbor” is a “change” from “the Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked.” Opposing the death penalty is to love despite and beyond any underlying moral truth, which by itself would be inadequate in expressing Christ’s unending outpouring of forgiveness and mercy.
It really isn't more than an attempt to side-step the clear theological problem for the sake of preserving Latin claims about Roman primacy.
A a Roman Catholic, Pakaluk accepts Latin claims about Roman primacy. As for brotherhood, Pope Francis is addressing not only Christians but all of his brothers, those who are his brothers merely by being human and have some sort of affinity by nature and origin.
Kath.net: On Sunday, [October 4,] Pope Francis published his new Encyclical, Fratelli tutti. What is your initial evaluation?
Cardinal Müller: The Encyclical is quite comprehensible and is to be recommended for more in-depth study, insofar as it is addressed to all people of good will and even teaches with Veritatis splendor by John Paul II that intrinsically evil acts do exist, contrary to most German moral theologians. It would be wrong to say that it is consistent with the Freemasons’ or the United Nations’ talk about fraternity, because it emphasizes the transcendence of brotherhood in God the Creator and expounds God as Father and the Church in Mary as Mother of all mankind. Its argumentation can be situated along the line running from John XXIII to Benedict XVI about [the Church’s] social teaching and the non-negotiable values of human rights. The Christian message is not reduced to what is universally human, but rather the reverse: the human way of life that grows from the faith is recommended as a foundation for the coexistence of human beings of different religions and cultures in today’s global civilization.
Tomorrow @CityUniMusic hosts an online talk on Byzantine chant by Prof. Maria Alexandru of the Aristotle University of Thessaloníki. Register here https://t.co/LuTQFpNYTG
The priesthood of Jesus Christ, in which every Christian priest shares, is the source of holiness in the Church and the impetus for all evangelization. Through the ministry of the priest, Christ’s lay faithful are nourished with the Word of Life and the Bread of Life; their sanctification makes possible the sanctification of the world.
and
The reverence and respect of the Catholic faithful for their clergy is directed, then, not toward the man himself but toward Christ who is the Priest of the new eternal covenant and toward the priesthood any man derives from Him and shares with Him.
Latin notions of the presbyterate (and its conflation with the priesthood of Christ) and sacrifice, and some clericalism probably are sufficient to explain the resistance to the "priesthood of the faithful" as being "Protestant."
After the canonization of St. Kallinikos of Edessa (1919-1984) by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on July 23, many Orthodox began asking if there are any audio archives ... pic.twitter.com/RYzqttaPxe
Cardinal Parolin has developed a reputation for taking responsibility for the financial scandals of his subordinates, advancing his own credibility to cover for mistakes made in his department. But he may not have enough credit to cover the bill. https://t.co/N8f39Mfbge
He has recently written “A Radical Critique of Catholic Social Teaching”, a chapter in a new book on CST (published by Cambridge University Press) which aims to undermine the credibility of the whole concept of that teaching. I tell him that it will be explosive, and he laughs: “No, it won’t, because it’s in a book that costs about £150 … it has been largely ignored because of the cost.”
So, for those of us who can’t afford a copy, the gist is that much of what we understand by Catholic Social Teaching is tendentious, and bishops would do better to focus on teaching fundamental Catholic moral principles instead, leaving their application to laypeople who know what they’re talking about. He is especially irritated by bishops’ conferences that issue lengthy guidelines on, for instance, migration or global warming, which are matters of legitimate debate. On climate change, he thinks “the Pope goes beyond his remit – it’s a massively difficult question of fact”.
Most of what the bishops can usefully say on these subjects can, he says, “be put in a few pages”. The expenditure of energy on lengthy policy statements is “worse than a waste of time; it’s a misdirection of energy”. The bishops’ job is in his view to preach the moral norms because “the urgent duty to be informed by and genuinely respectful of these principles [is] scandalously neglected by many Catholics in public life”. He makes clear that negative rules – “thou shalt not kill,” for instance – are categorical, without exceptions, whereas positive ones, such as loving your neighbour as yourself, are far more nuanced.
I think he is correct regarding contemporary use of RCST in episcopal statements or even papal encyclicals.
Nothing problematic in the recent history of the patriarchate of Rome at all... John XXIII probably doesn't deserve all of the criticisms he gets from some Latin traditionalists but I'd still like an impartial review of his life and pontificate.
St. John XXIII, the Good Pope who opened the Second Vatican Council, pray for us! pic.twitter.com/zQPisDA9FN
Today, the Pope beatified Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager (and amateur programmer) who died from leukemia in 2006, having offered up his suffering for the Church. pic.twitter.com/YkKALpaTKc
UPDATE: Here is my response to Rowman & Littlefield CEO Jed Lyon's defense of his cancellation decision. Sad!@RLPGBooks An Academic Responds to His Cancellers https://t.co/qSJkXrDQiQ
#CarloAcutis has been beatified. The Catholic Church now has a millennial Blessed who loved Super Mario, Pokémon, and above all the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
This Video is about the beloved Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg Xenia lived most of her life in eighteenth century Russia as a homeless fool-for-Christ and displayed remarkable spiritual gifts including clairvoyance Englishhttps://t.co/z8l6KrJjq8 Spanish:https://t.co/fYJtPhIl4epic.twitter.com/ZA8MCn7jWL
The Foundations Series texts are suitable both for preliminary inquiry and deeper investigation, in the classroom and for personal study. Get this set of 7 books for just $99 here: https://t.co/RJ1Xc0dBlBpic.twitter.com/eZakNWzwdR
Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick take another deep dive into the Holy Scriptures and other parts of Orthodox tradition to explore these major questions that frame salvation history. 2/2
— Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick (@FrAndrewSDamick) October 9, 2020
"Christ is life, the source of life, the source of joy, the source of the true light, everything. Whoever loves Christ and other people truly lives life. Life without Christ is death; it is hell, not life." +St. Porphyrios
More Byzantine churches of Constantinople/Istanbul Sergius and Bacchus (“Little Hagia Sophia” Mosque), Myrelaion (Bodrum Mosque), Kyriotissa (Kalenderhane Mosque), and Lips Monastery (Fenari İsa Mosque) pic.twitter.com/XG4eUJcFyh
German bishops are angry that the Pope is still Catholic and defends the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist. It's embarrassing to read to what level German theology has sunk and how much it sacrificed. As Ladaria rightly says it's practically Protestant. #CatholicTwitterhttps://t.co/yzcJ1hbUab
TFW you discover a new Bible Missal in the final months of writing your dissertation < TFW it turns out that said Bible Missal literally belonged to St. Vincent Ferrer
Latin theologoumena regarding papal primacy in the second millenium has had some version of Latin integralism tied to it. So it's not surprising that the bishop of Rome should not only presume to exercise a spiritual authority over the Church Universal, but the world as well.
Saint John of Damascus gave the earliest and one of the greatest critiques of Islam and also helped form the theology of icons. We hope that our video on his life helps to inspire all of you in the face of modern day heresies and the spirit of this age.https://t.co/nXA5tS1yfppic.twitter.com/Pw6ketucog
In this mini-episode, Landon Coleman speaks to composer Roman Hurko, about his work, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and liturgical singing, Toronto, Canada, 1 October 2020.https://t.co/TSlWmmNFLU
7PM ET Tonight on Lord of Spirits: The Five(ish) Falls of Angels. When did the fallen angels fall? Before the creation of the world? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew examine the Holy Scriptures and Orthodox tradition to explore these questions Call 1-855-237-2346 to comment. pic.twitter.com/mqhLEuI8SW
‘Equal-to-the Apostles’ is a special title bestowed by the Church to the saints whose work of preaching the Gospel is considered similar to that of the Apostles.@Orthodox_wmpic.twitter.com/NRpf0a3Qmi
In the current pontificate, I submit, it has become simply impossible to square the Pope’s statements with those of his predecessors. 1/5 https://t.co/aqRCBzmF0v
Most of what is considered Roman Catholic Social Teaching is moral theology and not of "dogmatic" status. The problem is that opinions in moral theology are not acknowledged as such in papal encyclicals.
You ready to belong to an “ underground” church? The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church survived underground for 50 years. Here is A video of Mass by underground priest: Fr. H Budzynski. He is a symbol of the Fidelity of Ukrainians to the Catholic religion. https://t.co/zDackt45up
2) If done well, though, this would absolutely slap
3) I am v sympathetic to Stump’s view that Aquinas saw his Scriptural commentaries as the pinnacle of his theology—from first to last, a Master of the Sacred Page https://t.co/pKiCqWQj5Q
— Fr. David Paternostro, SJ (@DavidPaternostr) October 7, 2020
Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki is a cross-in-square church built by protosphatharios Christophoros in 1028. The Last Judgment on the vaults of its narthex is one of its best preserved frescos pic.twitter.com/GCMuQ3qZBz
Oct. 7: Sergius and Bacchus the Great Martyrs of Syria
Let us crown with sacred hymns of laudation those two brethren in the Faith, the great and valorous martyrs: Sergius was the Triune Godhead's most steadfast warrior; and with him, wise Bacchus manfully suffered torments... pic.twitter.com/aHXlPYOYoE
— Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada (@GO_Metropolis) October 7, 2020
Unfortunately, the charismatic movement has spread among Indian Catholics as well, probably more among those who were Latin-rite but who knows, there may be some Indian Syriac Catholics who have become "Charismatic." Has a renewed emphasis on Confirmation sufficiently addressed their claims about being baptized in the Holy Spirit?
The recording of my public lecture, where I explore how the notions of political legitimacy and power-sharing shaped the church and its relations with the state and modern societies.https://t.co/Nje8RtECx0
No, @washingtonpost - the Catholic charismatic renewal is not "A Handmaid's Tale," but started in 1967 & enjoys favor from @Pontifex Francis. See this @americamag interview I did with a US founder after she attended a papal gathering of the group in Rome https://t.co/boWtghmBqX
CWR: The 150th anniversary of Vatican I and the Church today by Peter D. Beaulieu Has any and all harmony between Vatican I and the central thrust of the reconvened Second Vatican Council now been extravagantly jettisoned?
Back in 1870, Vatican I self-immunized against rapidly pandemic ideologies by affirming, clarifying, and circumscribing—neither modernist nor ultramontane—the dogma and reality of “papal infallibility,” as part of the living Tradition dating forward from St. Peter under the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (Mt 16:17) and Pentecost (Acts 2:1-31).
If what was written by Vatican I wasn't ultramontane (enough), what more would the ultramontanists have wanted? (For the pope to have the right to exercise political authority over the whole world and not just a "spiritual" authority?) What was actually written by Vatican I (and Vatican II) is already too ultramontane for the rest of the Church Universal. I'll have to dig out my copy of The Gift of Infallibility.
That is not so bloody or painful as later depictions in Western art. Would we say that Christ is serene in this one? Or just dead? The missal is dated to a period after the Black Death, but maybe the trend of more gory depictions of the crucifixion had not spread to England yet?
The Metropolis of Belgium will establish and open the School of Byzantine Music, which is named after Saint Ilarios, Bishop of Piktava#orthodox_times@orthobel
I believe @PetriOP's position on this matter is untenable. Francis will not use the phrase "intrinsic evil" to describe the DP, but all of his phrasing clearly indicates it: "immoral" "inadmissible" "contrary to the Gospel" "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" https://t.co/VQTZM1ShiN
“If the goal is to dismantle the teaching authority & credibility of the Church on faith & morals, the death penalty teaching’s the perfect vehicle to accomplish that. It’s a Trojan horse designed to carry the forces in support of doctrinal & dogmatic relativism into the Church.” https://t.co/INOMw7tUcC
CNA spoke to @PetriOP about #FratelliTutti and the death penalty. He said Pope Francis' development of Church teaching was "definitely in the line of what previous popes have taught.” https://t.co/amDVvm5H6K
The first installment of the annual Thomistic Circles series titled “Aquinas on Contemplation: Philosophy, Theology, and the Spiritual Life.” This conference will be held at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/zrSk4imCGz
Uncovering of relics of newly-canonized St. Kallinikos of Edessa next weekhttps://t.co/2k0jRX6Lgm
The celebrations will begin on Wednesday, October 14, with a festive Hierarchical Vespers. The next morning, Hierarchical Matins will be celebrated, followed by the uncovering a... pic.twitter.com/IDjk94osNX
As a revelation of a truth about the Mystery? Or should parables be reduced to a supposed "literal" moral or political meaning, which serve as the theological basis of a papal encyclical on "love" (or "charity")? I think the latest encyclical does bring into relief a difference between Latin (or Jesuits) exegesis of parables and the Christological (or properly mystical) exegesis that one finds in the East.
No: unconscious bias training is not an example of the Christian turn to the internal conscience; it is an example of its paradoxical institutionalisation that engendered a sinister disciplinary control from the 12thC onwards, as described by Ivan Illich snd Michel Foucault. https://t.co/82FgssMpFB
The Sources Chrétiennes Online (SCO) database was updated. It now provides source texts and French translations from 280 of the 600+ printed volumes. Notable additions include the Conferences by John Cassian, a first series of Sermons by Leo the Great, and ... pic.twitter.com/IWnrh4E5O4
🏆🇫🇷🇦🇺L'édition 2020 du Prix #Ratzinger sera remise le 14 novembre prochain par @Pontifex_fr au philosophe et théologien français Jean-Luc Marion, et à l'enseignante australienne Tracey Rowland. https://t.co/myHGvwGMUe
Devotion to sacred Scripture, a “living and tender love” for the written word of God: this is the legacy that Saint Jerome bequeathed to the Church by his life and labours. https://t.co/OSaNDBkcIs
It’s a good day to re-read this @americamag piece on Fr. John Ford, SJ, ardent opponent of obliteration bombing, ardent supporter of the Church’s whole moral tradition, careful applier of the Church’s pastoral practice https://t.co/ZX3sBkCP7g
My desire was to establish a monastery in the spirit of Saint Silouan [the Athonite]. But to this day, I hear that my attempt is purely utopian.
People tell me: "It is impossible to overcome nationalism in oneself."
But then, I think, salvation is impossible.
If I am a nationalist and Christian by faith, then I narrow Christ down to this concept - "nationality." You see why it is impossible for me to accept this narrowing down and why it is a great consolation for me that, although we are a small group, we are eleven nationalities!
In the prayer of Silouan, who always calls us to pray for all mankind, from beginning to end, there is, of course, no nationalism. All these national divisions were the result of the Fall into sin. Nowhere do we see a Christian preaching of hatred. This means that the Christian faith doesn’t talk about the rejection of other nationalities, but about overcoming this limitation by ascending to the prayer of Gethsemane.
If ethnonationalism meant loving only those of one's ethnos the exclusion of all others then it would be a sin. But that is not how it is used by those who use it in an identitarian context.
"it is worth paying a little bit more attention to one of the critiques of usury from the classical tradition: usury eventually paralyzes an economy. It is not individuals or institutions with accumulated wealth that need to take out loans, but the poor and middle class." https://t.co/ejXwMDEXjF
I wish all our Jewish sisters and brothers a blessed Day of Atonement #YomKippur. We all pray for God to be gracious unto our world and for all human beings - whatever their beliefs – to forgive and make peace with one another.