blessing sin is okay because charity

Tea At Trianon is upset because too many people criticizing the Pope lack charity and are expressing hatred.

Alas probably true: There is a lot of homophobia out there.

But some of us who are criticizing the Pope are doing so because we see him destroying the church.

Read the document, she says.,

but of course that is the point: The document is written ambiguously so that few lay folk untrained in theology will understand it, and allows everyone to decide what it means. Getreligion discusses here.

We are misreading it?

well, maybe not just us:

the heterodox German Bishops, the progressive bishops in the USA, and the MSM are rejoicing and say: hey this is the first step to gay marriage and is destroying all those old fashioned laws against fornication.

I should add that TaT does quote an ex Anglican priest who is a blogger, who knows where this is going:

In that sense, at the parish level, it’s business as usual. However, I can see that Fiducia Supplicans will have other effects in other places.

Firstly, although the document states, “From a strictly liturgical point of view, a blessing requires that what is blessed be conformed to God’s will, as expressed in the teachings of the Church” it is unavoidable to conclude that the blessing of “a couple in an irregular relationship” implies approval of that relationship.

Also, the document says that blessings of same sex couples should not be liturgical or cause confusion with marriage ceremonies. From my experience in the Anglican Church, this is a piece of naivety on a monumental level.

Italics mine. 

I agree: You would be naive to think it will stop here.

But what is disturbing is that the usual suspects (especially European bishops who want to go along with society's latest fashions) are ignoring the parts that caution using the blessing to hint that sin is no big deal, and openly rejoice in the chance to bless the sin in public. 

and most of the Bishops? They also will ignore the long term and public dangers by cherry picking the parts they like.

So they are saying: bless all sorts of things, so what is different with blessing a gay couples in public, they insist.

Ignoring that this is not blessing a person: it is blessing the illicit relationship. Implying that that relationship is okay with God.

And it goes beyond gay couples of course: it essentially okays a formal blessing marriages after a divorce, marriages outside of church, polygamous marriages, people living together without getting married. etc. 

Now, I know good Catholics who are in this group. And traditionally the answer to them is to repent, stay chaste, and leave the relationship.

But in the case of second marriage and polygamous marriage, this might leave the abandoned new spouse and the children involved in financial stress. So often the priest counsels: Stay chaste in the relationship, and if that is not possible, continue to go to church but not receive the sacrament, and then hope in God's mercy.

You see, there is a difference between sin of weakness where we know we are sinners but ask for God's mercy, and going around sinning openly and saying proudly: we aren't sinning see even the Pope says so...and you are evil right wing extremists for hinting this is wrong.

No, Ms Vidal: this is not hatred nor is it homophobia. Indeed, this goes a lot deeper than the gay part: It is about the Pope openly winking at public sin by promoting approval of sin with a public ceremony.

What's next? Blessing burglars? Getting photo ops with pro abortion politicians?

There is deep the anger at watching a pope slowly destroy the church. and anger at the bishops for staying silent while he does it,,,,,

Looking forward to bishops - especially those online - engaging with this latest...development. "Principal teacher of his diocese" and all that.
Here's the thing - if you don't want the Big Bad Laity to dominate the discourse on these matters...speak up. Do your jobs.

— Amy Welborn (@amywelborn2) December 18, 2023

 This is about laypeople confronting sin because those in the church prefer not to see it.

However, one should point out that minor criticisms of Pope Francis can get you thrown out of your job, or get your pension canceled. 

not to mention being criticized in the MSM, having the PC nuns and priests working in your offices oppose you, and (most horrifying) being the victim of mean tweets. 

St Athanasius would understand why they will just go along with those in power, laity be damned if they don't like it. 

Here in the Philippines, being gay (or having a second wife on the side) is no big deal because, unlike the feminists and gay rights types in the US, gays are just seen as part of the family, and Families come first. And God is part of the family. 

So Gays, and men with second wives, and alcoholics, and drug addicts, and people who steal or take bribes go to church anyway. 

But they keep their sins quiet: because to flaunt your sinful ways is is showing you are walang hila, without shame. And so their actions do not undermine the family, as these policies have done in more advanced western countries.

The big sin here in the Philippines is corruption.

The strict anti libel law (and very real fear of violence) stops too many priests and bishops from openly confronting this problem, but they do try. 

Let me tell you about our murderous ex-mayor.

Before he was indicted, he dared to sit in the front of church in a seat of honor, at the mass for the town fiesta, a mass presided over by the local bishop...

Here those with larger donations usually take them to the front of church after the Gospel, 

So when our cousin Chona took her donation up to the altar, she had to pass the mayor who was behind the hit that killed her brother in the crossfire... she had to pass him to go back to her place, but as she passed him, she turned and shook her fist at him, saying "You.... YOU!"

the bishop stayed silent (and presumably gave the mayor communion). 

But Chona's accusation did push the bishop to move. He couldn't accuse a non indicted mayor for a crime, but he could teach the politicians that offing their political opponent is wrong.

So a few weeks later, he got all the politicians at a mass and had them pledge that they would not do anything violent during that year's political campaign.

And it worked... there were not more shootings and the campaigns stayed peaceful..

the next political hit attempt didn't happen until two weeks after the campaign ended.

Sigh.

It's not easy being a bishop.

But one does wish that a couple US or European bishops would openly hold a mass and ask the pope's minions to pledge not to destroy the ten commandments, at least until the next conclave.

(/s).