A theologian close to Benedict XVI
asks hard questions at Polish bishops'
meeting on 'Amoris laetitia'
GLORIA.TV
June 30, 2017
Monsignor Livio Melina, the former President of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family [soon to be renamed simply 'Institute for Marriage and the Family'], who was sacked by Pope Francis, spoke on June 12th at the meeting of the Polish moral theologians in Nysa about the controversial document Amoris Laetitia. Melina is very appreciated by Benedict XVI, since he had worked with him at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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[I was not aware of this before - so yet another shovelful of Bergoglio-BS in the ongoing effort to 'bury Benedict' alive.][/IMG]
In his talk, Melina quoted
Pope Francis's preference for a "bruised, hurting and dirty Church that was out on the streets" (EG 49). He commented:
After Amoris Laetitia "it can hardly be denied that the situation in pastoral care as well as in moral theology is now "bruised, hurting and dirty". For Melina, "it is not certain that this will lead to a renewal of pastoral care."
Cardinal Kasper's interpretation of Amoris Laetitia as a paradigm shift or development of the teaching of John Paul II, Melina calls "a mere ploy" which leaves the question unanswered, how a sacramental discipline that until now has been strictly kept, should now be relaxed by 'discernment'.
Melina criticized those who claim that Amoris Laetitia only has to do with pastoral care and does not touch doctrine.
"Doctrine is thus relegated to the museum of precious treasures, but irrelevant for human life." But a pastoral care without doctrine is eventually reduced to a power play, Melina warns.
The position access to the sacraments should be left to the judgment of each one's conscience is particularly disputed by Melina. He points out that, this way, the truth, based on divine revelation, is subjected to the private conscience. Consequently, Melina argues, the priestly words in the sacrament of confession "I absolve you" would have no sense. The priest should rather say, "I take notice that your conscience absolves you."