Pope Francis’ "Pastoral" Fig Leaf for Apostasy

Or “The Apostasy Comes First” and it will be Oh-So Pastoral

I was getting around to writing that we should be encouraged in the midst of what may be the Great Apostasy — I really was — when Pope Francis once again did something else to prove me right about the ongoing apostasy of the Church of Rome.

In his answers to dubia (pointed questions to the Pope asking for clarification) from five Cardinals, Pope Francis said that blessing of same-sex relationships are, or at least should be, permissible for pastoral reasons.  In so doing, Francis used a tactic virtually identical to that used by apostate bishops in the Church of England — allow same-sex blessings for pastoral reasons while claiming that does not change the doctrine of the church on sex and marriage.

But do read what Francis wrote for yourself.  The relevant dubium is the second one.  I will warn that Francis’ answer seems reasonable and, well, pastoral.  He seems to uphold tradititional marriage but then comes a big “however” progressives can drive a heresy through:

d) In dealing with people, however, we must not lose the pastoral charity that must permeate all our decisions and attitudes. The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made up of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot become judges who only deny, reject, exclude.

e) For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage. For when a blessing is requested, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea for a better life, a trust in a Father who can help us to live better.

f) On the other hand, although there are situations that from an objective point of view are not morally acceptable, pastoral charity itself demands that we do not simply treat as “sinners“ other people whose guilt or responsibility may be due to their own fault or responsibility attenuated by various factors that influence subjective imputability (cf. St. John Paul II, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 17).

Thus Francis, like the Church of England apostates, uses “pastoral prudence” as a cover for same-sex blessings while claiming that doesn’t change church doctrine.

To which the catholic church, especially us Anglican catholics, through the centuries says, “Lex orandi, lex credendi.”  Church approved prayer and blessings cannot be separated from church doctrine.  Prayer reflects and teaches doctrine.  The faithful church cannot pray one thing and believe another.

So to say a sexual relationship outside of a marriage between a man and a woman is sin, but then to have an approved church blessing upon such a sexual relationship is a contradiction.

But that is how LibChurchers operate.  If they cannot tear down orthodoxy by a direct attack, they will tear it down indirectly by tearing down orthopraxy, by pushing the church to engage in heterodox practice, such as same-sex blessings.  As one shrewd x account put it: “They don’t like lex orendi, lex credendi but they will use it in reverse to eliminate every sin except rigidity.” And that is how Francis and friends are apparently operating.

Now there are faithful prelates opposing them, such as the Bishop of Tyler who reiterated, “God ‘does not & cannot bless sin’ & ‘the Church does not have, & cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex.’”  But, again, Francis has so stacked the College of Cardinals that perhaps only God could stop him from dragging the Church of Rome into apostasy.

If you think I am alarmist about this, then so is

Rod Dreher

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Psychological Man Has His Pope

But now I do promise to get around to encouragement.  But I felt I should comment on this significant development first.

Well, I will go ahead and be encouraging in one way.  If you are Roman Catholic, I encourage you to make a big stink.  Don’t be like mainline Prot lay people who said nothing while their churches went apostate, went to Hell.  Don’t put up with apostasy from any bishop, including the Bishop of Rome.