RE: Marriage Unique for a Reason: March 2016 Newsletter

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“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband."

Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to Him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true”
(from the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Lent - Year A Scrutinies)

Addresses of the Holy Fathers to the Roman Rota

• Pope Francis' third address to the Roman Rota (1/22/16):

"Dear Brothers,

"I give you my cordial welcome and thank the Dean for the words with which he introduced our meeting.

"The ministry of the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota has always been to help the Successor of Peter, so that the Church, inseparably connected with the family, will continue to proclaim the plan of God the Creator and Redeemer on the sacredness and beauty of the family institute — a mission that is always timely, but which acquires particular importance in our time.

"In addition to the definition of the Roman Rota as Tribunal of the family,[1] I would like to highlight another prerogative, namely, that it is the Tribunal of the truth of the sacred bond. And these two aspects are complementary.

"The Church, in fact, can show the indefectible merciful love of God to families, in particular those wounded by sin and by the trials of life and, at the same time, proclaim the inalienable truth of marriage according to God’s plan. This service is entrusted primarily to the Pope and to the Bishops.

"In the Synodal sessions on the subject of the family, which the Lord granted us to carry out in the last two years, we were able to acquire, in a spirit and style of effective collegiality, a profound and wise discernment, thanks to which the Church has — among other things — indicated to the world that there cannot be confusion between the family willed by God and all other types of union.

"With this same spiritual and pastoral attitude, your activity — be it in judging be it in contributing to permanent formation –, assists and promotes the opus veritatis. When the Church, through your service, decides to declare the truth about marriage in a concrete case, for the good of the faithful, she has present at the same time those who by free choice and unhappy circumstances of life,[2] live in an objective state of error, continue to be the object of the merciful love of Christ and therefore of the Church herself.

"The family, founded on indissoluble, unitive and procreative marriage, belongs to God’s 'dream' and that of His Church for the salvation of humanity.[3]

"As Blessed Paul VI affirmed, the Church has always addressed 'a particular look, full of solicitude and love, to the family and its problems. Through the means of marriage and the family, God has wisely united two of the greatest human realities: the mission to transmit life and the mutual and legitimate love of man and woman, by which they are called to complete one another in a mutual donation which is not only physical but above all spiritual. Or to say it better: God willed to render spouses participants of His love: of the personal love that He has for each one of them and by which He calls them to help one another and to give themselves to each other to reach the fullness of their personal life; and of the love that He brings to humanity and to all His children, by which He desires to multiply the children of men to render them participants of His Life and His eternal felicity.'[4]

"The family and the Church, concur on different planes, to support the human being to the end of his existence. And they do so, certainly, with the teachings they transmit, but also with their nature itself as community of love and life. In fact, if one can well say that the family is the 'domestic Church,' applied to the Church rightly is the title 'family of God.' Therefore, 'the family spirit' is a constitutional charter for the Church: Christianity must appear so and be so. It is written in clear letters: 'you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God' (Ephesians 2:19). 'The Church is and must be the family of God.'[5]

"It is precisely because she is Mother and Teacher that the Church knows that, among Christians, some have a strong faith, formed by charity and reinforced by good catechesis and nourished by prayer and the sacramental life, while others have a weak faith, neglected, not formed, little educated or forgotten.

"It is good to state clearly that the quality of the faith is not an essential condition for marital consensus, which, according to the everlasting doctrine, can be undermined only at the natural level (Cf. CIC, can. 1055, paragraphs 1 and 2). In fact, the habitus fidei is infused at the moment of Baptism and continues to have a mysterious influence on the soul, even when the faith has not been developed and, psychologically, seems to be absent. It is not rare that the parties contracting marriage, driven to true marriage by the instinctus naturae, have, at the moment of the celebration, a limited awareness of the fullness of God’s plan, and only later, in family life, they discover all that God the Creator and Redeemer has established for them. The lack of formation in the faith and also the error about unity, indissolubility and the sacramental dignity of marriage vitiate the marital consensus only if they determine the will (Cf. CIC, can 1099). Precisely because of this, errors that regard the sacredness of marriage must be assessed very carefully. Therefore, with a renewed sense of responsibility, the Church continues to propose marriage in its essential elements – offspring, the good of the spouses, unity, indissolubility, sacredness[6] –, not as an ideal for a few, despite modern models centered on the ephemeral and the transitory, but as a reality that, with the grace of Christ, can be lived by all the baptized faithful. And therefore, there is greater reason for the pastoral urgency, which involves all the structures of the Church, drives to converge towards a common attempt ordered to appropriate preparation for marriage, in a sort of new catechumenate — I stress this: in a sort of new catechumenate — so desired by some Synodal Fathers.[7]

"Dear Brothers, the time we are living is very demanding, be it for the families, be it for us Pastors who are called to support them. With this awareness, I wish you good work for the New Year that the Lord gives us. I assure you of my prayer and I also count on yours. May Our Lady and Saint Joseph obtain for the Church to grow in the spirit of the family and to families to feel increasingly a living and active part of the People of God. Thank you."

• Pope Francis' second address (1/23/15):

"....the many, many families that, supported and nourished by  sincere faith, realize in the effort and joy of the everyday the goods of marriage, assumed with sincerity at the moment of the wedding and pursued with fidelity and tenacity. However, the Church also knows the suffering of many family nuclei that disintegrate, leaving behind them the ruins of affective relations, plans, and common expectations....today there is a great number of faithful in irregular situations, whose histories have been strongly influenced by the widespread worldly mentality...."

• Pope Francis' first address (1/24/14) 

 

• Pope Benedict XVI's addresses (2006 to 2013) 

“the conviction that the pastoral good of the person in an irregular marital situation requires a sort of canonical regularization, independently of the validity or nullity of his/her marriage...has also spread in certain ecclesiastical milieus" (1/27/07)

• .Saint Pope John Paul II's quarter century of addresses (1979 to 2005)

He seemed to evidence growing and grave concern about possible misuse of marriage tribunals, even focusing on a misguided "pastoral" perspective that would destabilize marriage and family.  It would appear that his concerns led to Dignitas Connubii (1/25/2005). 

Pope Francis' 2/18/16 In-Air Remarks, re: Zika and Contraceptives/Abortifacients - a comparison of translations

Catholic News Agency translation:

"Abortion is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone out in order to save another. That’s what the Mafia does. It is a crime, an absolute evil. On the ‘lesser evil,’ avoiding pregnancy, we are speaking in terms of the conflict between the fifth and sixth commandment. Paul VI, a great man, in a difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape.

"Don’t confuse the evil of avoiding pregnancy by itself, with abortion. Abortion is not a theological problem, it is a human problem, it is a medical problem. You kill one person to save another, in the best case scenario. Or to live comfortably, no?  It’s against the Hippocratic oaths doctors must take. It is an evil in and of itself, but it is not a religious evil in the beginning, no, it’s a human evil. Then obviously, as with every human evil, each killing is condemned.

"On the other hand, avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In certain cases, as in this one, or in the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear. I would also urge doctors to do their utmost to find vaccines against these two mosquitoes that carry this disease. This needs to be worked on.

Vatican translation:

"Abortion is not a 'lesser evil'. It is a crime. It is wiping out one to save another. That is what the mafia does. It is a crime, it is absolutely evil. Regarding a 'lesser evil': preventing pregnancy is one thing — we are speaking in terms of the conflict between the 5th and 6th Commandments. The great Paul VI, in a difficult situation in Africa, allowed nuns to use a form of artificial contraception amid the violence. It is important not to confuse the evil of preventing pregnancy, in itself, with abortion. Abortion is not a theological issue: it is a human issue, it is a medical issue. One person is killed in order to save another — in the best case scenario — or in order to live comfortably. It is against the Hippocratic Oath that physicians take. It is an evil in and of itself. It is not a 'religious' evil, to start with, no, it is a human evil. Evidently, as it is a human evil — like all killing — it is condemned. On the other hand, preventing pregnancy is not an absolute evil, and in certain cases, such as the one I mentioned of Bl. Paul VI, it was clear. Moreover, I would exhort the doctors to do everything possible to find vaccines against this disease which is carried by two mosquitos: this has to be elaborated. Thank you.
 

"The LORD secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed."

Third Sunday of Lent, 2/28/16

"The LORD secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed."

•  2/28/16 Update on legislation being championed by the U.S.C.C.B. and its affiliate, the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment ( Click to Email Pa's Congressional Delegation, asking for Co-Sponsorship/Support of legislation backed by the USCCB and/or the NCHLA.)

•  H. Con. Res. 75 and Bacha Bazi

• 2/18/16 Candidates for Congress Update and How to Do a Write-In Vote

• "On March 2, 2016, the United States Supreme Court will hear 'Whole Woman’s Health.'  The justices will determine if a Texas law promoting women's health regarding abortion is a violation of the Constitution.  Organizers implore people of good will and all those who embrace life to make plans to come to Washington, D.C. on March 1–2 and join with national political, faith, and pro-life leaders as they come together in one voice and call upon the Supreme Court to 'Protect Them Both!'"

• "This is the presidential candidate Republicans say they trust to appoint Supreme Court justices" (LifeSiteNews)

•  2/20/16 Update on pro life and pro marriage/family being championed by the Pa Catholic Conference (Email all of Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg.)  

• Oppose HB 1336.

• Anybody remember all that stuff about the "Theology of the Body"?
  
  

  • Zika, the Holy Father, and Abortifacients/Contraception (Email Archbishop Kurtz (USCCB president), Archbishop Chaput and the National Catholic Bioethics Center.)

  
  

  • "Catholic" hospitals in the Archdiocese (Email Archbishop Chaput) 

  
  

  • Brain Death Criteria: Do Precaution and Respect for Human Life Prevail?

  
  

  • Catholic Medical Association and POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)

  
  

  • Dear Pastors: If you don't know pharmacies sell abortifacients and contraceptives, you're not getting out too much! (Email pastors in Bucks with ads for an acknowledged abortifacient provider)

• "Risen"

2/28/16 Update on legislation being championed by the U.S.C.C.B. and its affiliate, the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment

In addition to its Action Center alerts, the U.S.C.C.B. has explained that "Action alerts for pro-life issues can also be found through our partner organization, the National Committee for the Human Life Amendment" (i.e., Human Life Action, Action Alerts) How is the Pa Delegation Responding? (2/28/16 Update)
	Support ANDA	Support CWPIA	Support FADA	“Support Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home!”	Oppose “confiscation of Christian lands in Cremisan Valley”
	“Please tell your elected represen-tatives that you ex-pect them to up-  hold the right of conscientious objection to abor-tion by enacting     the policy of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA).  Let them know that    Congress's failure     in December 2015    to pass even     the modest, common-sense protections     of ANDA… is  not acceptable”	“The Act would prohibit the federal government and any state that receives certain federal funding from discriminating against child welfare service providers on the basis that they decline to provide a child welfare service that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs or moral conviction” (HR 1299 / S 667).	“The First Amend-ment Defense Act… would bar the federal government from discriminating against individuals and organizations based upon their religious beliefs or moral convictions that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage”   (HR 2802/ S 1598).	“Please help us care for our common home by supporting Section 1004 of S. 2012 that would create a nonprofit energy-efficiency program and opposing amendments that seek to undermine or reverse efforts to implement a national carbon standard.”	“In August 2015, Israel's Supreme Court granted approval for the building of a separation barrier through the pristine Cremisan Valley…[which] will have devastating effects for the local community"
1.   Bob Brady (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
2.   Chaka Fattah (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
3.   Mike Kelly (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
4.   Scott Perry (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	?	Co-Sponsor		?
5.   Glenn Thompson (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
6.   Ryan Costello (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
7.   Pat Meehan  (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	?	?		?
8.   Mike  Fitzpatrick (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	Co-Sponsor	?		?
9.   Bill Shuster (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	?	?		?
10. Tom Marino  (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
11. Lou Barletta  (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	Co-Sponsor	?		?
12. Keith Rothfus (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
13. Brendan Boyle (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
14. Michael Doyle (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
15. Charlie Dent  (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
16. Joseph Pitts   (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
17. Matthew Cartwright (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?		?
18. Tim Murphy  (R)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor		?
·    Bob Casey (D)	In 12/15, voted FOR Omnibus without ANDA	?	?	?	?
·    Pat Toomey   (R)	In 12/15, voted AGAINST Omnibus which lacked ANDA	?	?	?	?

Click to Email Pa's Congressional Delegation, asking for Co-Sponsorship/Support of legislation backed by the USCCB &/or the NCHLA.