This is the full text of the document published on February 6th by the Patriarchate of Lisbon, regarding application of chapter VIII of Amoris laetitia. The translation is not official, it was entirely done by me, if you quote or use it, please credit with link or my name (Filipe d'Avillez).
Passages of AL and all other official documents are from the original English translations available on the Vatican website. The only exception is the Pope's letter to the bishops of Buenos Aires and Agostino Vallini's norms for the diocese of Rome, which were translated by me.
Note on
the reception of chapter VIII of the apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia”
1. In
his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, concerning love in the
family (AL), published on March 19th 2016, Pope Francis gives us a general Christian
framework for understanding marriage and the family and some useful
indications on the respective preparation and accompaniment. In chapter VIII - Accompanying,
discerning and integrating weakness – he does not forget the fragile situations,
especially the so-called “irregular” ones, in which the marriage was followed
by rupture and a civil marriage. These people also should be accompanied: “Priests
have the duty to “accompany [the divorced and remarried] in helping them to
understand their situation according to the teaching of the Church and the
guidelines of the bishop” (AL, 300).
This is
my aim with this note, in which I refer directly to three authorised documents:
Amoris Laetitia, the correspondence between the Bishops of the Pastoral Region
of Buenos Aires and Pope Francis and the indications given to the priests of
the Pope’s diocese (Rome) by his Cardinal-vicar. Naturally, these documents
should be read in full.
Besides
all alse that should be done in the scope of the church, including the diocesan
tribunal, the following should be noted: “Conversation with the priest, in the
internal forum, contributes to the formation of a correct judgment on what
hinders the possibility of a fuller participation in the life of the Church and
on what steps can foster it and make it grow. Given that gradualness is not in
the law itself (cf. Familiaris Consortio, 34), this discernment can never
prescind from the Gospel demands of truth and charity, as proposed by the
Church. For this discernment to happen, the following conditions must
necessarily be present: humility, discretion and love for the Church and her
teaching, in a sincere search for God’s will and a desire to make a more
perfect response to it” (AL, 300).
And,
regarding the forming of conscience: “Naturally, every effort should be made to
encourage the development of an enlightened conscience, formed and guided by
the responsible and serious discernment of one’s pastor, and to encourage an
ever greater trust in God’s grace. Yet conscience can do more than recognize
that a given situation does not correspond objectively to the overall demands
of the Gospel. It can also recognize with sincerity and honesty what for now is
the most generous response which can be given to God, and come to see with a
certain moral security that it is what God himself is asking amid the concrete
complexity of one’s limits, while yet not fully the objective ideal. In any
event, let us recall that this discernment is dynamic; it must remain ever open
to new stages of growth and to new decisions which can enable the ideal to be
more fully realized” (AL, 303)
It is
against this background that the Pope says: “Because of forms of conditioning
and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin –
which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living
in God’s grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity,
while receiving the Church’s help to this end” (AL, 305). This section adds, in
footnote 351, “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments.”
We
should note the restrictive character (in certain cases) and the conditional nature
“can” of the sentence. And the Pope further insists: “In order to avoid all
misunderstanding, I would point out that in no way must the Church desist from
proposing the full ideal of marriage, God’s plan in all its grandeur […] Today,
more important than the pastoral care of failures is the pastoral effort to
strengthen marriages and thus to prevent their breakdown” (AL, 307).
2. On
September 5th 2016, the Bishops of the Pastoral Region of Buenos Aires
published a Note with basic criteria for the application of chapter VIII of Amoris
Laetitia. In a letter written that same day, the Pope thanked them for the
document in these terms. “The text is very good and fully lays out the meaning
of chapter VIII of Amoris Laetitia. There are no other interpretations”. The recente
publication of these documents in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, CVIII/10 (2017)
p. 1071 and following, requires our indispensable reception. The text were
published in Portuguese in Lumen, September/October 2016, P. 73 and following.
Granted
this authority, the note gives us a sequence of application of the chapter, of
which I highlight the following passages:
a) Regarding
the purpose: “Firstly, we should remember that it is not right to speak of
giving ‘permission’ for access to the sacraments, but rather of a discernment
process under the guidance of a pastor. This is a ‘personal and pastoral
discernment’ (AL, 300)”. And also “This path does not necessarily end with
receiving the sacraments, but may lead to other ways of achieving further
integration into the life of the Church: a more active presence in the
community, participation in prayer or reflection groups, or giving time to
church activities etc. (cf. AL 299).”
b) As for
the process: “…the priest may suggest a
decision to live in continence. Amoris Laetitia does not ignore the
difficulties arising from this option (cf. footnote 329) and offers the
possibility of having access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation if the partners
fail in this purpose (cf. footnote 364, recalling the teaching that Saint John
Paul II sent to Cardinal W. Baum, dated 22 March, 1996). It continues: “In
other, more complex cases, and when a declaration of nullity has not been
obtained, the above mentioned option may not, in fact, be feasible.
Nonetheless, a path of discernment is still possible. If it comes to be
recognized that, in a specific case, there are limitations that mitigate
responsibility and culpability (cf. 301-302), especially when a person believes
they would incur a subsequent wrong by harming the children of the new union,
Amoris Laetitia offers the possibility of access to the sacraments of
Reconciliation and Eucharist (cf. footnotes 336 and 351). These sacraments, in
turn, dispose the person to continue maturing and growing with the power of
grace.
c) Meanwhile,
the note proceeds: “But we have to avoid understanding this possibility as an
unlimited access to the sacraments, as if all situations warrant it. The idea
is to properly discern each case. For example, special care is called for in “a
new union arising from a recent divorce” or in “the case of someone who has
consistently failed in his obligations to the family” (298). Also, when there
is a sort of justification or ostentation of the person’s situation “as if it
were part of the Christian ideal” (297). In these difficult cases, we should be
patient companions, looking for ways of integrating them (cf. 297, 299) […] Where
there are unresolved injustices, providing access to sacraments is particularly
scandalous.
d) To
these observations, the following are added: “t may be right for eventual
access to sacraments to take place privately, especially where situations of
conflict might arise. But at the same time, we have to accompany our
communities in their growing understanding and welcome, without this implying
creating confusion about the teaching of the Church on the indissoluble
marriage.”
e) And
the discernment process is to continue, without giving up on the proposal of
Christian marriage in its entirety: “Discernment is not closed, because it “is
dynamic; it must remain ever open to new stages of growth and to new decisions
which can enable the ideal to be more fully realized” (303), according to the
“law of gradualness” (295) and with confidence in the help of grace.”
We can also
conclude that, for the bishops who sign this note, discernment should not focus
only on what happened or still does happen, but should aim for full
configuration to the gospel truth on marriage: see Mt 5, 31-32; 19, 3-9; Mk
10, 2-12; Lk 16, 18.
3. Very
soon afterwards, on September 19th 2016, the then Papal Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese
of Rome, Agostino Vallini, spoke on this issue at the dioceses’ pastoral congress.
Regarding these cases and the role of the priest, who neither replaces nor
disregards conscience, he said the following: “How should this opening be
understood? Surely not in the sense of indiscriminate access to the sacraments,
as sometimes happens, but as a discernment which adequately distinguishes, case
by case. Who can decide? Based on the content of the text and the mens of its
author, I see no other solution but the internal forum. Indeed, the internal forum
is a favourable path to open the heart to the most intimate confidences and, if
a relationship of trust is built up over time with a confessor or spiritual
guide, it is possible to begin and develop with him a long, patient itinerary
of conversion, made up of small steps and progressive checks. Therefore, it can
be no other than the confessor, at a certain point, who in his conscience,
following much reflection and prayer, takes upon himself the responsibility
before God and the penitent, to ask that the sacraments be received in a
reserved manner. In these cases the discernment does not end (cf. AL, 303: dynamic
discernment) in order to reach new levels on the route to the fullness of the
Christian ideal”. And he added: “The very delicate task of discerning, case by
case, the will of God regarding these people requires that we, priests, prepare
ourselves well so as to be capable of making these serious decisions”. This
preparation is extendable to “lay pastoral agents”.
4. While
insisting on the cordial and respectful welcoming of all people, especially the
mentioned cases, Pope Francis hopes above all to underscore the value of
Christian marriage and the need to prepare and accompany it. This is an insistence
taken up all through Amoris laetitia, as can be seen from excerpts such as this
one: “As Christians, we can hardly stop advocating marriage simply to avoid
countering contemporary sensibilities, or out of a desire to be fashionable or
a sense of helplessness in the face of human and moral failings. We would be
depriving the world of values that we can and must offer” (AL, 35).
Both
before and after the celebration of the marriage, Pope Francis refers to its
binding character: “Both short-term and long-term marriage preparation should
ensure that the couple do not view the wedding ceremony as the end of the road,
but instead embark upon marriage as a lifelong calling based on a firm and
realistic decision to face all trials and difficult moments together”, and,
close to the end: “marital spirituality is a spirituality of the bond, in which
divine love dwells.” (AL, 315).
Those who
follow Pope Francis’ magisterium will be aware of this insistence. Na insistence
we should share, in order to be faithful to his intention. Even more recently: “Unfortunately,
it is a fact that, especially in the West, the family is considered an obsolete
institution. Today fleeting relationships
are preferred to the stability of a definitive life project. But a house built on the sand of frail and
fickle relationships cannot stand. What
is needed instead is a rock on which to build solid foundations. And this rock is precisely that faithful and
indissoluble communion of love that joins man and woman, a communion that has
an austere and simple beauty, a sacred and inviolable character and a natural
role in the social order.” (Speech to the diplomatic corps, January 2018).
5. "Bearing
all this in mind, I present herein some operative guidelines: a) To accompany
and integrate people into the life of the community, in line with the
post-synodal Apostolic Exhortations Familiaris Consortio, 84, Sacramentum
Caritatis, 29 and Amoris Laetitia, 299 (see appendix). b) Carefully examine the
specificity of each case. c) Not to exclude recourse to the diocesan tribunal,
whenever there is doubt concerning the validity of the marriage. d) In cases
in which validity is ascertained, not to neglect the proposal of a life in
continence in the new situation. e) To bear in mind exceptional circumstances
and the possibility of the sacraments, in line with the aforementioned
apostolic exhortation and documents. f) To continue the process of discernment,
bringing the practice ever closer to the ideal of Christian marriage and
sacramental consistency.”
Meeting
of Vicars, February 6th, 2018
+
Manuel, Cardinal Patriarch
Appendix:
- St. John
Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 84: “Together with the Synod, I earnestly call
upon pastors and the whole community of the faithful to help the divorced, and
with solicitous care to make sure that they do not consider themselves as
separated from the Church, for as baptized persons they can, and indeed must,
share in her life. They should be encouraged to listen to the word of God, to
attend the Sacrifice of the Mass, to persevere in prayer, to contribute to
works of charity and to community efforts in favor of justice, to bring up
their children in the Christian faith, to cultivate the spirit and practice of
penance and thus implore, day by day, God's grace. Let the Church pray for
them, encourage them and show herself a merciful mother, and thus sustain them
in faith and hope.”
- Benedict
XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, 29: “… Yet the divorced and remarried continue to
belong to the Church, which accompanies them with special concern and
encourages them to live as fully as possible the Christian life through regular
participation at Mass, albeit without receiving communion, listening to the
word of God, eucharistic adoration, prayer, participation in the life of the community,
honest dialogue with a priest or spiritual director, dedication to the life of
charity, works of penance, and commitment to the education of their children.”
- Francis,
Amoris Laetitia, 299: I am in agreement with the many Synod Fathers who
observed that “the baptized who are divorced and civilly remarried need to be
more fully integrated into Christian communities in the variety of ways
possible, while avoiding any occasion of scandal. The logic of integration is
the key to their pastoral care, a care which would allow them not only to
realize that they belong to the Church as the body of Christ, but also to know
that they can have a joyful and fruitful experience in it. They are baptized;
they are brothers and sisters; the Holy Spirit pours into their hearts gifts
and talents for the good of all. Their participation can be expressed in
different ecclesial services, which necessarily requires discerning which of
the various forms of exclusion currently practised in the liturgical, pastoral,
educational and institutional framework, can be surmounted. Such persons need
to feel not as excommunicated members of the Church, but instead as living
members, able to live and grow in the Church and experience her as a mother who
welcomes them always, who takes care of them with affection and encourages them
along the path of life and the Gospel. This integration is also needed in the
care and Christian upbringing of their children, who ought to be considered
most important”
