Monday, December 8, 2014

Benedict XVI: Interfering in the Divorce Debate "Nonsense"

It was "utter nonsense" that he had wanted to influence the Synod of Bishops in autumn, said the 87-year-old retired Pope. Rather, he was trying "to be as quiet as possible."

Frankfurt (kath.net/KNA) Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. has rejected speculation about interfering in the debate on the admission of remarried divorcees to Communion. It was "utter nonsense" that he had wanted to influence the Synod of Bishops in autumn, said the 87-year-old to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung". Rather, he was trying "to be as quiet as possible."

His successor, Francis, was "more of a powerful presence physically and mentally than I with my feeble powers could ever be," said the former head of the Church (2005-2013). Even to the faithful it is clear, "who is the true pope." To avoid misunderstandings, he had wanted the salutation "Father Benedict» for his resignation, but he was too weak to enforce it.

Remarried divorcees should be imposed upon "no more than absolutely necessary" in the Church, they should "really feel the love of Church," he further stressed. The debate was recently triggered by the publication of the fourth volume of the Collected Works of Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI. The emeritus pope had revised a more than 40-year-old text.

In 1972 Ratzinger wrote, in view of the indissolublity of marriage between baptized persons from a Catholic perspective, the Church could "clear in emergency situations, to allow limited exceptions to prevent something worse," namely, if the first marriage had been "broken in an irreparable way for both sides" and the second is "proven themselves over a longer period of time as a moral reality." Benedict XVI. withdrew this proposal in the revised version. However, he argued for allowing those affected, participation in Church bodies or the adoption other official roles. (C) 2014 CBA Catholic News Agency. All rights reserved.

Edit: this is the Neoconservative kath.net after all.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anyone still hanging their star on Beneduct XVI? Put your conspiracy theories away. He is exactly what you can't admit to yourselves.

Tancred said...

And yet his comments were influential in Kasper's rout.

Deeds not words.

For my part I assume Matt16:18 was true.

Anonymous said...

Well, if he were asked had he "interfered", of course, he was going to say that was "utter nonsense". Cardinal Ratzinger cannot be seen to be directly influencing anything at the Holy See or Synod of Bishops. I weep that he "abdicated". A pope ought to remain a pope till death, except in very unusual circumstances. A pope ought to have holy, orthodox cardinals, bishops and priests to carry out the work for him.

Anonymous said...

Guess you have noticed the subtle irony of former pope, in german Heiliger Vater is Holy Father, take off Heiliger, Vater is still there he asked to be called Father, no more Holy, but still Father, i.e. Pope, not a simple priest, once pope, pope for ever, mens subtilis......MK.

Tancred said...

Is he now a Cardinal?

susan said...

*facepalm*

That was some pretty impressive gymnastics anon.

Benedict has truly turned out to be a heartbreaking, and utter disappointment. He wrote some good things; he also wrote some bad things. His weakness in the face of the wolves made all the good of his short pontificate ephemeral. And his silence and acquiescence in the face of the rabid wolf Bergoglio is utterly, utterly unconscionable. The good that his correction of the earlier paper might have done has been undone by his quisling statement. He could have been a "Great", he will be known as a weak collaborator. Purposely pissed-away potential will have a greater accounting that burying of a talent; at least with the latter there is still something to present to the Lord.

Anonymous said...

how can we be certain that Pope Emeritius really said these words? this does not sound the words that he would speak. We know of his humility, his modesty and his utter REFINEMENT. This sounds to me like the Francis camp trying to taint POpe E Benedict and also at the same time quash fears and rumors about him being the true Pope. I think further investigation is needed in order to be certain that He really said this. Sounds terribly unrealistic to me.

James said...

…and until he can no longer, Benedict still can. Imagine this old Pope Emeritus yet taking unto himself the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit and battling the metastasizing satanic zeitgeist of this age. Revelation may still await Benedict’s appointed purpose. Imagine the glory of God somehow made manifest in this unassuming ex-pope.

Damask Rose said...

Dear James, I admire your faith. I just wish things were good and better right here, now.

susan said...

The truth is very difficult to face...I know; I was a great admirer and defender of his, and loved him as a father.

But truth be told, he is a deadbeat dad. He's abandoned his children, and continues to refuse to feed them and provide for their needs though he's got full cognition and ability to do so; he refuses to defend Christ's flock against the wildly abusive step-father that took the place given to (and accepted by) him. I am as upset with him as I am with bergoglio...perhaps even more-so, and this last news bit just cements it.

Anonymous said...

Susan I agree with you!

Many in here are very naive and maybe it is time to accept reality.

susan said...

These days are days unlike any other in a call to live Psalm 146 to its full, and to trust in the Lord. Like my dear pastor told me..."I don't care what they do in Rome, I'm stayin' Catholic!"

Anonymous said...

True!

I came across this interview by Fr. Malachi Martin I will share it here with you I think that what he says is very important for Catholics to hear in this days of confusion.

Art Bell & Malachi Martin Last Interview 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn--7GTffn8

Anonymous said...

We live in extraordinary times. A retired Pope alive and well, and a new Pope.
And we have ongoing media reporting comments by the retired Pope!
Benedict XVI retracted his comments 1972 comments in 2014. This is fact. Either this retraction was purely coincidental or his retraction was done to send a clear unequivocal message. It's up to each of us to judge.
"I try to be as quiet as possible". Benedict your actions suggest otherwise.

Michael Ortiz said...


Well, Papa Emeritus still knows how to play the Curial game and speak diplomatically. Big surprise. I agree that actions--retractions, in this case--speak volumes as opposed to mere words. We must not have a modern idea of morality as primarily to do with words...it does, but much more than that as well...

Damask Rose said...

Susan at 12:46.

In all honesty, I don't think there is a great deal that Benedict can do. He has to abide by the law of the Church. Peter is the rock upon which the Church is built. Jesus didn't state that he wanted to build the Church on two rocks or a load of chippings*. Jesus supernaturally crowned Peter Caesar at Caesarea Philippi (I think there was a temple to Caesar there), also Peter confirmed Jesus was the Son of God to Jesus' question of "But who do you say that I am?". Benedict has to obey.

But, in all sincerity, he has expressed his opinion which has swayed Bergoglio's papacy at times. Benedict has either spoken trough a letter or a commentary of a Ganswein interview. Ratzinger republishing his edited 1972 article is actually quite a humbling act of a Supreme Pontiff (retired) and you've got to admire the integrity. He didn't leave the Church to fight it out alone.

Honestly, it's like the Church is at war. Strike and counter-strike. Papal chess. May God grant Ratzinger many more years. May Benedict XVI continue to move his chess pieces.

If Bergoglio were deemed to have been invalidly elected - something they could say to stave off a schism, or "impeached" via Canon Law who knows what Benedict would do? Would he come out of retirement?

(*If Bergoglio were to take sick and retire as well, and they elected a third Pope, it'll be a rockery...;-)!)

susan said...

"Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Anything else comes from the evil one."

JEFF KLUMP said...

Anonymous, Pope Benedict the XVI was just photographed a few days ago, wearing the white, skull cap, a pope wears. Why? He continues to wear the red slippers? why? He has never spoken "live" on t.v. or video. He only speaks through "controlled" letters without verified signatures. We are in very dangerous times!

Anonymous said...

Something to remember: Pope Francis has his proxies, including Kasper, Forte, Baldiserri, et al. His proxies grant him plausible deniability when it comes to hetrodoxy.

Pope Emeritus Benedict also has his proxies, such as Burke, Pell, et al. His proxies grant him plausible deniability when it comes to charges of interfering with his successor. Except in this case, Pope Francis' proxy, Kasper, was using a theological position Ratzinger subsequently retracted to advance Pope Francis' agenda. In this case, Pope Emeritus Benedict had no choice but to act himself; his proxies could not repair the damage Kasper was doing with Ratzinger's 1972 quote. Pope Emeritus Benedict had to fix this himself.

susan said...

Rose, do you imagine that Peter would have ever 'resigned'? Remember "Quo Vadis Peter?"...he went back to be crucified, while preaching 3 days upside down on the cross, fulfilling Christ's great mandate to his last breath. THAT'S what Peter does....IF he still believes in the Faith.

If Benedict hadn't abandoned his charge, he wouldn't need to be playing this stupid 'romanitas' chess game. I expected he would be dead within a 6 months of the abdication, but he currently looks fit as a fiddle, and apparently totally compos mentis, which makes the abandonment all the more appalling.

"and you've got to admire the integrity. He didn't leave the Church to fight it out alone"

I had to hold back the guffaw at that...he should still be at the helm! He abandoned us, and WE are paying one hell of a price. I'll tell you how much bergoglio has been affected by Benedict's influence....he's double'd down on the lunacy. Just today we find out that after the stunning defeat at the sin-nod of the kasparians (bergoglio being the biggest cheerleader and head-coach), they've drafted a preparatory paper that sends out the same heretical questions with a wider net.

"Peter do you love me?...feed my lambs; unless you get really tired, or disillusioned, or otherwise feel like cutting and running and letting the hirelings and wolves in to slaughter the lambs....meh....your call."

The gospel according to _______?

Anonymous said...

I said it earlier that Benedict's actions - his retraction - speaks louder than words. And I said that we live in extraordinary times too.
My own guess is that Benedict's resignation is part of some greater plan. I don't know what that plan is. But events always take place for a reason. In time perhaps we will become privy to the plan?

Donnacha said...

Whatever the case, many more had better start to "interfere" before there is nothing left of Holy Mother Church!

Anonymous said...

JEFF if this is true I would love to see the pictures with date and all.

susan said...

Can God bring good out of bad situations, actions, or decisions?...certainly; witness the salvation wrought from the Deicide of the Crucifixion. Did that make Judas' betrayal and suicide any less evil or less of a sin?...no.

God may yet bring some good out of this whole ball-of-lio, but Benedict's abdication remains a stinker of an action with nothing but putrid fruit offered us in its wake. And the ridiculous, continued use of romanitas only serves to undermine whatever good he might yet be able to do. For God's sake Benedict, make the corrections, speak clearly the doctrine, and stop dissembling.

susan said...

Anon 2:58....have you ever read Martin's book "The Jesuits"?...it makes crystal clear sense of who bergoglio is and why he does what he does. It will raise permanent goose bumps on your skin to see the arupeites with their man in the top position. Only God can fix this.

Also, read his "Windswept House"....we're living it.

CJ said...

Susan is correct. Anything less than a clear condemnation is nothing.

"For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue plain speech, how shall it be known what is said?" 1st Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 14:8-9

Benedict makes an uncertain sound and then denies that it was a sound at all. That may change before he draws his last breath but right now he still feeds the lambs to the wolves.

Anonymous said...

When he resigned I thought he would have been dead in less than 6 months, but God's plans were different, because now he's much better, don't matter why he did it, maybe serious reasons we'll never know, but surely God has many plans about him and after all the Church is the Lord's bride, bergoglio's church is dissolving, and then the Master will come : are we ready for this, we've no much more time to go, let's pray for our souls.MK

susan said...

"Benedict makes an uncertain sound and then denies that it was a sound at all."

Quote of the day.

susan said...

aaaaaand, a most interesting read on the topic....

http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_190601.php

If the writer is correct, again Benedict, lay it all out...give a live interview and name names. Disinfect the wound so the puss can be expelled and healing can actually begin.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only here who holds the view of not having a true pope since 1958?

Anonymous said...

Popes come and go,good popes and bad popes, the Church is still here after 2000 years, ask yourself why?

Anonymous said...

No, you are not alone. I'd say that is the general consensus even among the enemies of the Church.

Anonymous said...

Because catholics like my priest and parish hold fast to the tradition handed down by the apostles.

Anonymous said...

Recently a novus ordo kicked me off his blog because I hold the sedevacantist position.I went out of my way to be polite, respectful, nor did I condemn anyone.He would respond to my statements, which are fact based and polite,with insults, threats,and anger.How is this crisis going to resolved if we can't even have a polite conversation?

Deacon Augustine said...

He probably thinks that an extended period of sede vacante would mean that Christ's promises to the Church had failed.

I am quite comfortable with the fact that a heretic can be a Pope and the seat not be empty. It has happened plenty of times before. My problem with the SV position is that it relies on an extreme form of ultramontanism and so is just the flipside of conservative novo ordoism.

Anonymous said...

Ever hear of the Great Apostasy?How can you recognize a Pope you disobey?That would be blatant apostasy.The catholic church is preserved in a remnant of catholics who keep the faith preserved and free from the heresies of vatican 2.

Anonymous said...

"How can you recognize a Pope you disobey?That would be blatant apostasy."

Have you ever heard of St. Athanasius? Was he an apostate for disobeying a pope he recognized? There's a multitude of Saints and Catholics who disobeyed a pope which they recognized. To say the contrary only proves you're unread and ignorant of Catholic history and dogma.

For some reason the USA, the home of SV's and neo-con Catholics, is plagued with papolatry. I'm guessing it's a reaction to being surrounded by every sect of protestantism imaginable.

Deacon Augustine said...

"How can you recognize a Pope you disobey?That would be blatant apostasy."

Our obedience to the Pope or any other superior is never absolute. Nobody can be bound by an immoral command or compelled to believe a false doctrine. Our absolute obedience is owed to God alone - the Pope is not God.

Sometimes there might be a price for fidelity, even the penalty of excommunication, but I would rather be excommunicated for doing what is right or believing what is true, than face the judgment seat of Christ knowing that I had chosen the will of a man in preference to Him. But even if one were to suffer such penalty unjustly in this life, that would not mean that the Pope wasn't the Pope - just that he was a bad one.

If that Pope had been elected invalidly by those suffering the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae, however, then the SV position might have merit - it may prove so yet. It would need a man with oodles of integrity to judge his own election to be invalid though, and for some reason Jorge Bergoglio does not strike me as being that sort of man.

Anonymous said...

I have read catholic history.Have you ever read Cajetan or St.Robert Bellarmine?Their writings advocate sedevacantistism. Saints have done and said many things,it doesn't mean they're G-d.St.Francis of Assisi predicted a black Pope that would turn on the Church.Going by your logic,we must recognize even the antichrist if he is 'Pope'.The fact is since 1958, every 'Pope' has been antichrist in their writings,actions, or both.There have been over 40 anti-pope's in history.This is nothing new so I am not sweating the current crisis.We have valid priest's,bishop's,sacraments,masses,nor do we need to ever set foot in a novus ordo church.

Anonymous said...

Ratzinger as Pope was a mistake. He may have the brains but lacks the personality. He comes across like such a whiny and weak man that no wonder he had no real control over the Curia... and the World just hated/ignored him.

Anonymous said...

The World has his Masters who rule everything, even inside the church, am I to add anything more explicit about the real curia' lobbies, guess you can understand. Have God mercy on alll of us.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have his books the Jesuits and Windswept House.

Great books I also have most all his interviews Fr. Martin knew what he was talking about and as you rightly point out we are living it!

This is another interview given by Fr. Martin where he talks about the New World Order wanting to make a Pope to resign.

Malachi Martin & Michael Corbin 1996/1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gunEmPcv3sI

Anonymous said...

You haven't read history, you've only read SV propaganda on the internet. The fact that you believe in the St. Francis prophecy shows you know nothing about historical research and checking sources.

The so called St. Francis prophecy was a forgery by a heretical group called the Spirituals.

After St. Bonaventure's death, the Franciscan order was divided and chaotic. The Spirituals accused the Franciscan order of betraying their rule and the Church at large for abandoning the Gospel. After certain controversies with Rome, under St. Celestine V's reign they were actually given permission to do what they wanted without interference. When he resigned, Boniface VIII was elected and papal opposition to their order was renewed and they were excommunicated. They in turn rejected his rise to the papal throne as uncanonical. From his election through the papacy of John XXII, who condemned their heresy that absolute poverty was necessary for sanctity and that the Church could not own property (and who they called a heretic and antichrist).

"Mark of Lisbon and others think that this prophecy received its accomplishment in the great schism which desolated the Church after the election of Urban VI in the year 1378." (Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, Washbourne, 1882.)

Anonymous said...

Oh and one more thing! God does not approve of sedevacantism. Bishop des Lauriers worked no miracles after his death. Archbishop Thuc worked no miracles after his death. Fr Joaquín Sáenz y Arriaga worked no miracles after his death. If God approved of this theory, He would have sent a deceased sedevacantist leader to preform an extraordinary miracle.

God lent His support to Pope John XXIII by granting through his intercession an extraordinary miracle, the healing of Sister Caterina.
The miracle was instant and extraordinary. The miracle took place 25 May, 1966. The miracle was recorded 5 years before the Sedevacantist theory was first published. The miracle was accompanied by a vision of Pope John XXIII dressed as a Pope.
God could not permit that miracle if John XXIII was not Pope.
On the weight of evidence there is Divine support to affirm that Pope John XXIII was a true Pope. God has raised him in glory and works wonders for him.

http://papastronsay.blogspot.ca/search/label/Sedevacantism

Anonymous said...

John XXIII did not perform a miracle,that's why his canonization was such a bizarre joke.Yes St.Francis did predict a black pope of sorts.Archbishop Thick did something miraculous.He kept the true catholic clergy going for the younger generations by concecrating bishop in the pre-june 1968 rite.The true catholic church is now a remnant, just as the bible predicted.

Anonymous said...

Archbishop Thuc (spell check typo)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but you're clearly blinded by demons. I suggest going to an Ignatian retreat because you're arguing from emotion and not from logic and reason. You ignored all the evidence in my post and offered no substantial rebuttal.

John XXIII healed a nun named Sister Caterina 5 years before the first SV thesis was published. If you read the link I posted, you would see that this is a medical miracle that wasn't explained by science. John XXIII was beatified based on this miracle.

St. Francis did not predict a black pope, I just debunked that entire theory while citing an authoritative source, please re-read that post again.

Thuc consecrations are not valid what so ever. This is a video from a SV priest showing why they were invalid; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKWkBlBgHio

Thuc preformed no miracles and his works on earth resulted in really bad fruits, again please read the following: http://papastronsay.blogspot.ca/search/label/Sedevacantism

Also your views on the end times are identical to protestantism. Protestants also believe that the Catholic Church apostatized and their particular sect kept the true faith. Like protestantism, SVism is not the One, Holy, Apostolic, Universal, and Visible Church. SVism is invisible, it is .000003% of the world population. It is not One because, like protestants, SV's are divided amongst each other on critical doctrine (Baptism of Desire, etc.). They are not Apostolic because Thuc consecrations are invalid. They are not Catholic (Universal) because most SV's live in protestant USA. They are not Holy because none of the SV founders have preformed miracles after their death.

Also the CMRI has almost no vocations. The CMRI was founded roughly at the same time as the FSSPX, the CMRI has roughly 30+ priests while the FSSPX has roughly 600. The FSSP is 20 years younger than the CMRI and they have roughly 230 priests.

Anonymous said...

The Thuc consecration's are indeed valid.In fact,I have seen the SSPV rebuke and it's false.It wasn't his fault some of his candidates went full blown apostate posthumously.Thuc was a valid bishop concecrated during Pius XI reign.JP2 was a full blown apostate that broke the 1st & 8th commandments regular with events like ASSISI 1 & 2.The novus ordo goes against the council of Trent and violated Quo Primum.Paul VI and the novus ordo are responsible for the abomination of desolation.Not every sedevacantist denies baptism of desire, where are you getting your info,bro?

Anonymous said...

Who cares how many priests the CMRI have? Jesus only had 12 apostles, what is your point? Numbers and popularity aren't necessary for truth.Obama was voted in twice as president.Does this make him a moral good leader? The difference is Obama wouldn't deny his positions.You however equate popularity with truth.Thats in direct with the bible that talks about the fewness of the saved.Sedevacantists believe as the church once believed,and worshipped the catholics used to worship.If we were wrong then you are wrong now.

Anonymous said...

"Who cares how many priests the CMRI have? Jesus only had 12 apostles, what is your point?"

After Christ ordained those 12 apostles He told them to go forth and preach the Gospel. On Pentecost Sunday 3000 people converted, conversions kept multiplying and by 300 A.D there was 6 million Catholics in the midst of violent persecution. God has always blessed His favoured religious orders, especially those in crisis periods, with a rise in vocations. In fact vocations are a sure sign of spiritual virility. While Traditionalist orders like the FSSPX, FSSP, and FFI have flourished the CMRI has been barren like an elderly maidens womb. The CMRI resembles protestantism in it's fruits; after the protestant revolution roughly 9 million people left the Church and that number stayed stagnate for hundreds of years. In contrast the Catholic Church quickly regained ~10 million people in Mexico after the Our Lady of Guadalupe apparitions in the 16th century. Roman Catholic history is full of examples like this - The Roman Church is the missionary Church therefore it is always distinguished from heretical sects based on it's fruits in the missionary field. Even if heretics see brief victory (e.g. Protestant revolution, Arian heresy, et. al.), they are soon overshadowed by the Truth.

Anonymous said...

Also, I didn't say every SV denies Baptism of Desire. I said that SV's, like protestants, are divided amongst each other on important doctrines critical to Salvation. SV's have accused other SV's of being apostates for believing in Baptism of Desire. A litany of other examples can be found from disputes arising from the Dimond Bros, Siri Thesis, SSPV/CMRI, "pope" Michael, and the Palmarian Catholic Church who are Thuc-line.

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