Bishop Paprocki: "There is nothing in Amoris Laetitia that changes, amends or repeals" the discipline of Holy Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried

Writing in his column in the current issue of Catholic Times, His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, addresses some of the controversy that surrounded the release of Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia of His Holiness Pope Francis.

Several commentators suggested - as they insisted would be the case for nearly two years - that the there was a change regarding the doctrine and discipline of the Church concerned Catholics living in invalid marriages and their reception of the Holy Eucharist in Amoris Laetitia.

Following the release of Amoris Laetitia, Bishop Paprocki issued a statement welcoming its publication in which he said, "There are no changes to canon law or church doctrine introduced in this document."

Having had the opportunity to give a more careful reading to the exhortation, Bishop Paprocki maintains what he says and offers a sound reasoning for it:

The starting point for interpreting papal statements and ecclesiastical documents is to remember that they do not all carry the same authoritative weight. They bear different names because they carry varying levels of importance and authority. They are grouped, for example, on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) under different categories with a variety of titles, including: apostolic constitutions, encyclicals, motu proprios, apostolic exhortations, apostolic letters, audiences, homilies, letters, messages, speeches, prayers and daily meditations. At the top of this hierarchy in terms of importance and authority are apostolic constitutions, highest in significance because they constitute papal legislation defining laws and doctrines. Among the lowest levels of authority would be extemporaneous answers given in response to impromptu questions during an in-flight press conference on an airplane. Footnotes in an apostolic exhortation would also rank low in significance, particularly since apostolic exhortations themselves simply exhort, encourage and urge the faithful to follow existing church laws and teachings. Apostolic exhortations by their very nature are not vehicles for introducing or amending legislative texts or making dogmatic pronouncements.

Thus, it is important to note that the Catechism of the Catholic Church was promulgated on October 11, 1992, by Pope St. John Paul II by means of an Apostolic Constitution, Fidei Depositum, the highest level of papal authority. In that document, the sainted Holy Father wrote: “The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved 25 June last and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium. I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion.”

With regard to the question of Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried, the Catechism says clearly in paragraph 1665, “The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith.” There is nothing in Amoris Laetitia that changes, amends or repeals this doctrine.

He's right, of course. Those who say otherwise are simply reading much more - either their hopes or their fears - into the text of Amoris Laetitia than what is there. Be sure to give Bishop Paprocki's entire text a read or a listen.

Why do we need to be concerned about what happens in people's bedrooms?

The State Journal-Register printed a story two days ago titled "Local Catholics encouraged by pope's document" about area reactions to the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

From a journalistic standpoint, Steven Spearie does a good job in providing quotations expressing both support and disapproval of what Pope Francis has written and of the Church's constant teaching and has given sufficient time for people to have actually read Amoris Laetitia.

The article isn't by any means earth-shattering, but several of the quotations used provides a glimpse into a certain mindset that seeks to "pigeon hole" Jesus, if you will, especially this one:

"The church is never going to equate same-sex marriage with sacramental marriage," cautioned [Jerry] Bauman. "But as long as people are clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and visiting prisoners, like Jesus said, why do we need to be concerned about what happens in people's bedrooms?"

While Bauman is quite right that the Church will not - indeed, cannot - equate same-sex relationships with marriage and is right to emphasize the corporal works of mercy, he ignores another important aspect of Jesus' ministry. Bauman implies that Jesus is only concerned about our public actions and not what we do in the privacy of our homes and bedrooms. However, if one reads all of the Gospels, this claim is seen to be quite false. Why is the Church concerned about what happens in people's bedrooms? Because Jesus is concerned about what happens in people's bedrooms?

Consider the account of the woman caught in adultery:

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more” (John 8:3-11).

Two things should be noted here. First, adultery normally happens in someone's bedroom and, second, Jesus clearly calls adultery a sin. Clearly, then, Jesus is concerned about what happens in people's bedrooms he wouldn't have called adultery a sin and because Jesus is concerned about it, so is the Church.

Jesus also said, "But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). He also said, "whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32).

It cannot be denied that Jesus condemns the sin and calls the sinner to repentance. This is precisely what the Church - and Pope Francis - does, but not every sinner wants to repent.

Must the Church call saints and sinners alike to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to the visit prisoners? Yes, of course. But the Church must also call saints and sinners to instruct the ignorant, to admonish the sinner, and to forgive injuries.

In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis calls those living in objectively adulterous relationships because of the bond of a prior marriage to meet with "a pastor capable of acknowledging the seriousness of the matter before him" who can help "the responsible and tactful person" better understand their present relationship in light of the truth of Jesus Christ (300).

In this discussion, the man or woman in an irregular relationship must be reminded of the truth of marriage. Namely, that

Christian marriage, as a reflection of the union between Christ and his Church, is fully realized in the union between a man and a woman who give themselves to each other in a free, faithful and exclusive love, who belong to each other until death and are open to the transmission of life, and are consecrated by the sacrament, which grants them the grace to become a domestic church and a leaven of new life for society (292).

The capable pastor will help them see how their present relationship relates to this reflection of the love of Christ for his Church and will call them to realize this reflection insofar as it is possible through a call to conversion. This is why Pope Francis says,

I encourage the faithful who find themselves in complicated situations to speak confidently with their pastors or with other lay people whose lives are committed to the Lord. They may not always encounter in them a confirmation of their ideas or desires, but they will surely receive some light to help them better understand their situation and discover a path to personal growth (312).

In the midst of his discussion of all of this in Chapter 8 of Amoris Laetita, Pope Francis reminds us something that is of great importance, which most people seem to simply skipped over in the reading and discussion of Amoris Laetitia:

Naturally, if someone flaunts an objective sin as if it were part of the Christian ideal, or wants to impose something other than what the Church teaches, he or she can in no way presume to teach or preach to others; this is a case of something which separates from the community (cf. Matthew 18:17). Such a person needs to listen once more to the Gospel message and its call to conversion (297).

Two observations on Amoris Laetitia

The Holy See released today the text of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia. Naturally, I have not yet had the opportunity to read the exhortation – which I will do in the coming days – but wish to make two initial observations about the length of the exhortation and the sources used in its composition.

Length

In keeping with Pope Francis’ penchant for lengthy documents, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia weighs in at 325 numbered paragraphs. Simply as a point of reference, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium has 288 numbered paragraphs and the Encyclical Letter Laudato Sí has 246. In fact, Amoris Laetitia is the longest – by 148 numbered paragraphs - Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation ever issued.

The average length of a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation prior to Amoris Laetitia is only 85 pages; the median length is slightly less at 82 pages. The lengths of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations of the previous Popes is as follows:

• Ecclesia in Medio Oriente has 100 numbered paragraphs 
• Africae Munus has 177 numbered paragraphs 
• Verbum Domini has 124 numbered paragraphs 
• Sacramentum Caritatis has 91 numbered paragraphs [and took an inordinately long time to produce] 
• Pastores Gregis has 74 numbered paragraphs 
• Ecclesia in Europa has 125 numbered paragraphs 
• Ecclesia in Oceania has 53 numbered paragraphs 
• Ecclesia in Asia has 51 numbered paragraphs 
• Ecclesia in America has 76 numbered paragraphs 
• Vita Consecrata has 112 numbered paragraphs 
• Ecclesia in Africa has 144 numbered paragraphs 
• Pastores Dabo Vobis has 82 numbered paragraphs 
• Christifideles Laici has 64 numbered paragraphs 
• Reconciliatio et Paenitentia only has 35 numbered paragraphs 
• Familiaris Consortio has 86 numbered paragraphs 
• Catechesi Tradendi has 73 numbered paragraphs 
• Evangelii Nuntiandi has 82 numbered paragraphs

How many of these Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations are you familiar with? How many of them govern or influence daily life in the Church today?

The sheer length of Amoris Laetitia alone will prevent many commentators and others – especially the average Catholic – from reading the entire exhortation. This is both regrettable and foreseeable. However, because of its length, I suspect it will be in the news for the next week or so and then, like the other exhortations, be forgotten or ignored by most. Again, this is both regrettable and foreseeable.

In the hours and days to come, then (and especially in the hours to come), beware of anyone who claims Amoris Laetitia says this or that without providing full quotations. Also be aware of the paragraph numbers quoted by reporters and others authors. Do they come from throughout the exhortation, or only from the first parts of it? If it is a situation of the latter, it is a good indication he or she has not read the entire exhortation and, therefore, whatever he or she says should be taken with a grain of salt.

Footnotes

As a student of history, I have an abiding fondness and appreciation for footnotes and find them much more useful than end notes (which I detest). In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis utilizes footnotes – as he did in Lumen Fidei, Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato Sí – which will make it easier to consult the sources quoted and referenced by the Holy Father.

A proper study of any given author’s footnotes – or, if necessary, end notes – can provide something of a glimpse into the mind of the author, or at least into the minds of those he or she quotes and references. Looking through Pope Francis’ footnotes, by my count, we find, among others, the following number of quotations or references from or to

• Relatio Synodi  - 51 
• Relatio Finalis – 85 
• From his own speeches/writings – 79 (this is nothing new and probably not much should be read into this) 
• Vatican Council II – 22 
• Pope Saint John II – 53 (of which, 19 are from Familiaris Consortio) 
• Catechism of the Catholic Church – 8 
• Code of Canon Law – 10 
• Blessed Pope Paul VI – 2 (both of which are from Humanae Vitae) 
• Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI – 10

There are also numerous references to the writings of the saints, especially to Saint Thomas Aquinas.

The footnotes show us that while the exhortation is thoroughly rooted in the two documents of the two recent synods, it is also grounded in the magisterium of the Church. This suggests we should beware of those who claim the exhortation is a break or a departure from the tradition of the Church.