Thursday, January 22, 2015

Archbishop Georg Gänswein gives interviews too.

"Speaking of an antipope is simply stupid, 
and also irresponsible. 
 That goes in the direction of theological arson."

My friend Diane sent me an email with an interview attached.  Gänswein was interviewed by Christ & Welt, a weekly supplement to Die Zeit in Germany.  It is a great read.  I'll offer just a couple of excerpts below.

With the Synods on the pastoral care for families this past and the coming autumn, Francis created a focal point. Especially the question of allowing divorced and remarried faithful access to the sacraments causes much disagreement. Some also have the impression that Francis is more concerned with pastoral care than with doctrine…
I do not share that impression. It creates an artificial opposition which does not exist. The Pope is the first guarantor and keeper of the doctrine of the Church and at the same the first shepherd, the first pastor. Doctrine and pastoral care are not in opposition, they are like twins.
Do the current and the retired Pope take opposite views in the debate about divorced and remarried Catholics?
I know of no doctrinal statements from Pope Francis which are contrary to the statements of his predecessor. That would be absurd too. It is one thing to emphasise the pastoral efforts more clearly because the situation requires it. It is something else entirely to make a change in teaching. I can only act pastorally sensitive, consistent and conscientious when I do so on the basis of full Catholic teaching. The substance of the sacraments is not left to the discretion of pastors, but has been given to the Church by the Lord. That is also and especially true for the sacrament of marriage.
Was there a visit of some cardinals to Benedict during the Synod, with the request that he intervene to rescue the dogma?
There has not been such a visit to Pope Benedict. A supposed intervention by the Pope emeritus is pure invention. - In Caelo et in Terra


3 comments:

  1. clever, intelligent and modest

    ReplyDelete
  2. and very handsome...too

    ReplyDelete
  3. This won't play in Tradsylvania, you know. Except as a conspiracy theory.

    ReplyDelete


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