October Test

We have in the past weeks read several statements from Church prelates about the fundamental impossibility to reconcile Jesus' teaching about the indissolubility of marriage, the obvious nature of public adultery of what some disgraceful bishops call “good remarriage”, and the constant teaching of the Church about it being a sacrilege to receive whilst in mortal sin with the modern view of “mercy”; the latter consisting in helping people who have no fear of The Lord go to hell under shepherds who have forgotten His existence a long time ago.

Some of the statements we read around are more definitive (Cardinal Mueller and Cardinal Caffara come to mind), but in what I read a common message emerges: it can never work.

Now, it must be clear to us that we are in front of a huge test here, not only in the rather less probable case that Francis issues official “road maps” allowing public adulterers to (believe they can) receive, but even in the far more probable case that the rules are merely circumvented and made a mockery of by a generic permission to the priest – say: , “in very particular cases”, “after hearing the partners”, and when he is satisfied that they “understand” the “problematic” nature of their relationship, and all the other subtly worded vague “securities” and “precautions” that one can imagine – to give communion to them, perhaps with or perhaps without the approval of the bishop.

What will then, in this case, our prelates do? Will they cry very loud that what has been done is an exercise of hollowing out Church rules of probably unprecedented dimension? Will they continue to do so after the first excitement has passed? Or will they consider the resulting problems merely “local” issues, about which they are not qualified to talk more than they would be concerning the internal diocesan affair of their colleague bishops and archbishops?

This is not a little question, because if the latter way is chosen a huge gate will be opened for the creation of a de facto double Church – or a de facto openly schismatic behaviour -, in which some dioceses and countries – particularly in Asia and Africa, if experience is any guidance – continue to forbid such desecrations under the orders of bishops who believe in God, and many other dioceses and Countries will allow the formation of a generalised heteropraxis with the acquiescence of bishops who don't. How big the pressure would soon become in the West to “get on with the programme”, you can easily imagine.

From October, it might not be enough to simply run one's diocese in an halfway orthodox way. To do so would be to open the door to Franciscan devastation wherever a bishop has lost the fear of the Lord, and you can be sure the new appointments would fall on those so inclined. If the Obama hits the fan, it will be the duty of every sound Catholic, whether pewsitter or Cardinal, to denounce the scandal according to his rank and to the means at his disposal.

Will, in this case, the Mueller and Caffarra of this world stand up for Christ? Or will they retire behind their respective “competencies”? Who will speak for Christ? Who will cry “sacrilege” to heaven, and openly denounce the Pope for doing so?

I frankly don't know. I fear the worse. I fear we will hear from many corners the usual excuse of all cowards and of all losers: “it's too late now”. But a priest is required to die for Christ. That's why he is priest. A bishop or cardinal the more so.

October will very probably be a huge test for countless Western bishops and priests. I do not know how many will stand the test. I am rather worried, though.

Mundabor