Monday, March 30, 2015

Bishops' Synod: Is Kasper's Star Sinking?

Is the Star of Cardinals Kasper and Marx Sinking?
(Rome) Cardinal Walter Kasper OR Cardinal Carlo Caffarra? "Even Pope Francis is distancing himself from the first and moving closer to the second.  And holding on to Cardinal Müller. And promoting the African, Sarah. All are resolute defenders of the Catholic teaching on marriage." With these words, the Vatican expert Sandro Magister introduces his latest analysis of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on marriage and family.
Magister is one of the most attentive observers of Rome.  Is there a reversal taking place in Rome? Is a door being flung open, which will now be closed again? In time? Or too late? Magister does not identify the reasons for an apparent shift in the attitude of Pope Francis.
The fact is that the statements of the President of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), Reinhard Cardinal Marx, at a press conference on 26 February to the end of the DBK Spring Assembly were not only criticized by CDF Prefect Gerhard Cardinal Müller, but by completely "unsuspected" high and highest Church representatives, including those in the circle of  Pope Francis. Whether it is something personally felt by the Pope, is not known.
Cardinal Marx established a blatant schism threat as leverage to force the forthcoming Synod of Bishops of him and Cardinal Kasper formulated "opening" to the admission of remarried divorcees to Communion and the recognition of homosexuality. Since not the Synod, but the Pope makes decisions following the Synod, the threat was ultimately the Pope. It is therefore in early March, Santa Marta have come to a vociferous displeasure outbreak of a Latin American Pope's confidant in the presence of Francis.
Here's the official translation from Magister's site. 
,

Synod Exchange: Kasper falling, rising Caffarra

by Sandro Magister
ROME, March 20, 2015 – “This does not resolve anything,” Pope Francis has said with regard to the idea of giving communion to the divorced and remarried. Much less if they “want” it, demand it. Because communion “is not a badge, a decoration. No.”

In his latest big interview Jorge Mario Bergoglio threw cold water on the expectations for substantial change in the doctrine and practice of Catholic marriage, which he himself had indirectly fostered:

Los primeros dos años de la “Era Francisco” en entrevista a Televisa

 “Overblown expectations,” he called them. With no more references to the innovative theses of Cardinal Walter Kasper, which he had repeatedly extolled in the past but now seems to be keeping at a distance. On the other hand, for some time now Pope Francis has looked with growing attention and esteem at another cardinal theologian, who upholds ideas on the “Gospel of marriage” that are perfectly in line with tradition: the Italian Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna.

As a professor of moral theology, Caffarra was a specialist in marriage, family, procreation. And this is why John Paul II wanted him at the head of the pontifical institute for studies on marriage and the family that he created in 1981 at the Lateran university, following the 1980 synod dedicated precisely to these themes. So a stir was created last October by the exclusion of any representative of that institute - which since its foundation has spread all over the world - from the first session of the synod on the family. But now this gap has been filled, because last March 14 Pope Francis appointed among the advisers of the general secretariat of the second and last session of the synod, scheduled for October of this year, none other than the vice-president of the pontifical John Paul II institute for studies on marriage and the family, Professor José Granados."In order to solve anything," said Pope Francis in relation to the idea of ​​giving communion to divorced and remarried.  Especially not when they "want," they say.  For the Communion is not "a cockade, an award. No." 

[Continued at link below]
Introduction / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Settimo Cielo / MiL / Caffarra.it / portals Famiglia

Link to Sandro Magister...

Link to Katholisches for German translation...

AMDG

25 comments:

Liam Ronan said...

Kasper's star might be waning (we will see) nonetheless his Hegelian 'thesis - antithesis - (leading to) synthesis' stratagem, adopted by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, will likely usher in the 'God of Surprises' come October.

Man proposes. God disposes. (Thomas a Kempis)

Gabriel said...

The Heglian clash is common to the Teutonic mind, even some Poles picked it up. Augustine had his own version of it (the conflict between the Two Cities) and that is reflected in John Paul II's culture wars, Ratzinger's litany of 'isms' so readily taken up by opportunist entrepreneurs like Weigel, Novak, Sam Gregg & the Crisis boys, ++Chaput, ++C. George and the other merchants of the paranoid martyrdom-persecution syndrome.

What Kasper has done is to out debate Ratzinger/Benedict in the prior (time wise and theological) nature of the Church: universal or local.
Scripture and the early to mid patristic tradition is weighted in favour of the local Church although there is embedded in pretty well every document in every council a reflection of ambiguity. The 'conversation' around the Synod is very much tied in with this ongoing debate. It will never end because the Church has, from the very start, been made up of people who argue.

Anonymous said...

It's a trap. They are acting as if they are divided in order to confuse and stall the opposition. Don't trust it. They are cunning.

Anonymous said...

Where do you go, 6:16 pm, when you find yourself between this rock and this hard place?
Conspiracy theories make great headlines for the tabloids as they are directed at the weak minded.

Tancred said...

We've always had merchants of deceit, error and heresy, true.

Kasper hasn't out debated anyone, he's simply ignored the Father's and rests his generous posterior on the whims of the contemporary mob.

Anonymous said...
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Gabriel said...

Kasper, in the estimation of Pope Francis has aced Ratzinger/Benedict on the priority of the local Church. That is central to what is happening at the Synod. Just see how twitchy Mueller is right now precisely on this very point. For thirty five years Wojtyla and Ratzinger effectively did not receive the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on Collegiality, the authority of the local Church in matters of liturgy, liturgical translations etc.

The balance is being restored.

As for Kasper's generous posterior, what has that got to do with the validity of his arguments? If you equate large backside with lack of credibility, think of Thomas Aquinas.

Anonymous said...

Kasper may have just been a 'shooting star'. Lets hope he shot himself in his own foot...I agree, do not trust them. Just pray...

Anonymous said...

Conspiracies theories do make great headlines but when they are backed by undeniable facts it's sad that people are not intellectually honest enough to accept them.

Gabriel said...

Show the reader the 'undeniable facts' that Card Kasper and companions have conspired to cause damage to the Church by doing away with core beliefs in the Tradition.
Bet you won't because you can't. It's all speculation and assertion and it doesn't count in any legal forum, Church or State.

Anonymous said...

The undenial facts will be seen in October.

Tancred said...

Excuse you Gaybriel, but the facts are in the novelty of his dissenting attitude. You must be trolling for a traditionalist position.

Gabriel said...
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Gabriel said...
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susan said...

The undeniable facts were seen LAST October.

Anonymous said...

I think Francis in the end will side with Kasper, and be loudly y repudiated by many cardinals and bishops. Burke of course, and Caffara and Mueller, but also many others who have remained relatively quiet. There will be such a huge backlash against Francis after this, that he will be timid and quiet for the remainder of his "short" pontificate......which for many is already too long.

Nicolas Bellord said...

"Scripture and the early to mid patristic tradition is weighted in favour of the local Church although there is embedded in pretty well every document in every council a reflection of ambiguity."

In the early Church the local church had more independence simply because of slow communications and the time it took to get a ruling from Rome. The local church often had to act on its own but eventually it would fall into line with Rome - the Synod of Whitby is a good example of this happening. We are in a different ball game to-day where there is no excuse for local churches not following Rome on important matters of faith and doctrine.

Tancred said...

If modernists are so intent on reinventing the modern Church as an ancient Church, why don't they also want to reimpose the Mass of the Catechumens, severe penances, and the meticulous care for doctrine that fairly characterized the early Church as well?

Tancred said...

To say nothing of the steadfast resistance the Church offered to the State, which is as far removed from anything the Georgetown theology department has to offer as I can imagine.

Anonymous said...

Gabriel,

What do you exactly mean by collegiality? Bishops today have less influence over their diocese than they did before the 2nd Vatican Council. The so called "collegiality" has been implemented with soviet-style Bishop Conferences that make the local bishops nothing more than pawns doing the will of an ineffective and inept bureaucratic machine.

Cardinal Kasper doesn't support collegiality, he supports episcopal soviets that, after Vatican II, have made the office of bishop almost completely devoid of pastoral purpose. Kasper isn't restoring anything, he's enlarging a problem that will further lead to the destruction of the office of bishop (in a practical sense).

Tancred said...

This sort of CTA echo chamber stuff might work for geriatric clergy on their last leg, but it has nothing to do with authentic Christianity, which is why I don't really want Gaybriel's comments any more.

You can't dialogue with the deaf.

Gabriel said...
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Gabriel said...

Why limit the impossibility of dialogue just to the deaf, Tancred. Why not extend it to the frightened, the intolerant and the ones who can't take the heat of a contrary argument? I'm sure there are more who should be blipped out. All those deleted spots say more about you than it does about me, Tancred.

Tancred said...

Because you're usually wrong, untopical, malicious and leftist.

Gabriel said...
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