Latest / The Catholic Current / LTACL: Yet Another Schism? (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.)

Transcript

LTACL: Yet Another Schism? (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.) · The Catholic Current

• 0:00
  I need your help. I need a lawyer, a canon lawyer to be specific. Now, it's not for me.
• 0:08
  Now, I've studied enough canon law, I like to say, to not only just function as a priest,
• 0:14
  but also to be really sure that I'm definitely not a canon lawyer.
• 0:17
  And I want to talk about the difficult issues of schism and excommunication.
• 0:24
  Now, I'm not talking about the SSPX. I'm talking about another case that has been brought to my attention
• 0:31
  from people from multiple countries and continents that disturbs them very greatly
• 0:37
  and could possibly be an even bigger case than the SSPX.
• 0:42
  I mean, the SSPX case pretty much involves just the SSPX.
• 0:47
  The case that I'm talking about will involve multiple priests, multiple bishops, a cardinal,
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  and maybe even a national bishops' conference.
• 1:00
  Stay with me. I've got a story to tell.
• 1:02
  Hi, I'm Jesuit Father Robert McCaig, your host every day here at The Catholic Current,
• 1:05
  coming to you from the Station of the Cross Catholic Meeting Network.
• 1:08
  Let's take a closer look.
• 1:10
  Glad you're here.
• 1:13
  I know that everybody who has a microphone and a camera or has access to a keyboard
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  has offered an opinion and scholarship and other things to the discussion of the SSPX.
• 1:23
  Schism, not schism. Excommunicated, not excommunicated.
• 1:27
  To be clear, I'm not talking about that, although I know schism and excommunication are on everybody's mind.
• 1:33
  And I think that's why this particular case was brought to me.
• 1:37
  Recently in England, in fact, right around the time of the SSPX consecrating bishops,
• 1:45
  there was a mass offered for two gentlemen who have been partners, special friends, for 50 years.
• 1:57
  In fact, they've been living together for 50 years in order to facilitate their ability to work for justice together.
• 2:08
  And not very long ago, they had a civil marriage recognized by the state.
• 2:15
  And there was a mass to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their relationship.
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  Now, at this mass were two priests, the pastor, the associate pastor, two retired bishops,
• 2:30
  and a very prominent active outspoken cardinal who happened to preach at the mass.
• 2:35
  And there were a number of irregularities throughout the whole mass.
• 2:39
  But I want to focus on right before the end of the mass,
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  the couple came forward to receive a special blessing from all the clergy.
• 2:49
  And this is what had confused and concerned a lot of the people who had contacted me.
• 2:53
  And you say, no, no, Father, there's no reason to be concerned because, you know,
• 2:58
  the document that was issued a few years ago from the Dicastery and the Doctrine of the Faith,
• 3:03
  a document called fiducia suplicans makes that all OK.
• 3:09
  I don't think so.
• 3:12
  Because that document that said two people of the same sex who are in relationship may be blessed together simultaneously as individuals,
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  but not as a couple, and that the cleric is obliged to not do this in the context of any sacrament,
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  and certainly not at mass and certainly not in any way that would give the appearance of a wedding.
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  The request for a blessing must be spontaneous.
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  There must be no prepared or formalized text.
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  Now, what happened towards the end of this mass?
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  This couple came together for a blessing of their relationship in the context of a mass offered in Thanksgiving for their 50th anniversary.
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  And the text that was used, according to the organizers, was taken from a text recently authorized by the Belgian bishops.
• 4:18
  So, wait a minute.
• 4:21
  It seems to me that at least two priests, two bishops, and a cardinal are implicated in disobedience to fiducia suplicans.
• 4:31
  But if the Bishops' Conference of Belgium has promoted an authorized text, they too are at variance with fiducia suplicans.
• 4:43
  Because now, we've been told that fiducia suplicans is part of the ordinary magisterium of the Church,
• 4:51
  and that all Catholics must give religious submission of mind and will to the document fiducia suplicans.
• 4:59
  Obviously, those two priests, those two bishops, that cardinal, and those two gentlemen did not do so,
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  and they did not do so in public.
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  And if they got the inspiration for this authorized text from the Belgian Bishops' Conference, that raises lots of questions.
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  Was everybody involved in the ceremony at the mass?
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  Was that a schismatic act?
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  The promulgation of a formal ritual contrary to the express words of fiducia suplicans?
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  Was that a schismatic act on the part of the Conference of Bishops of Belgium?
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  If so, what do we say about the rest of the clergy?
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  What do we say about the religious who live and work in their dioceses?
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  What do we say about the lay faithful who adhere to the beliefs and practices of the bishops of Belgium?
• 5:57
  That's an enormous can of worms, and somebody needs to adjudicate it.
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  And it's not going to be me, because I'm not a canon lawyer.
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  I know what the law says.
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  I know what people said and did at the church.
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  And somebody's got to say something.
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  Somebody's got to do something.
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  So my proposal, well, it's twofold.
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  First, if you're a canon lawyer, or you know people who were involved in that mass,
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  or you have more information about this case and what the Belgian bishops said,
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  let me know, please, in the comments section below,
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  or contact me at thestationofthecross.com slash askfather,
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  because I've got a lot of upset people from around the world who have contacted me
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  who want answers and clarification.
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  They want to see either action done and moral lessons drawn,
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  or action not done, but an explanation.
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  Why are some things schismatic acts and others not?
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  Why are some people excommunicated and others not?
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  It's certainly a teachable moment.
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  Now, I have to believe that among the very senior Catholic cadres of the people
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  who should really know better club, there's got to be competent canon lawyers,
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  at least one.
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  So I'm hoping somebody takes a look at this case and says,
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  my goodness, this lends itself to misunderstanding.
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  There needs to be an investigation.
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  Because, you see, people are scandalized,
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  and also there's a basic principle of jurisprudence which says this.
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  It is not enough for justice to be done.
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  It must be seen to be done.
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  So if all those parties involved in this mass
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  and the promulgation of the formal blessing
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  in contradiction of fiduciary supplicants,
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  if they're in the wrong,
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  if they fail to give religious obedience of intellect and will
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  to fiduciary supplicants, which we are told
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  is part of the ordinary magisterium of the church,
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  then somebody important, somebody in charge, somebody with authority,
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  somebody who should really know better,
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  someone with office needs to say something and do something
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  and then teach everyone.
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  So let's pray that that will happen soon.
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  Meanwhile, think on these things today,
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  take them to prayer, and talk about it with those you love.
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  Go in peace, and please do pray for me,
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  for I am a sinner.