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| The Holy Martin Family |
Vir et mulier matrimonio coniuncti cum suis filiis familiam constituunt...
A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family...
Un hombre y una mujer unidos en matrimonio forman con sus hijos una familia...
...It should be considered the normal reference point by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated. CCC, 2202
There are three essential documents for any present-day discussion of the family.
- Casti conubii (Pope Pius XI, 1930 Encyclical Letter on Christian Marriage, responding to the dual problem of the contraceptive condom and divorce, i.e. adultery).
- Humanae vitae (Blessed Pope Pius VI, 1968 Encyclical Letter de propagatione humanae prolis recte ordinanda, ["on the begetting of human offspring, rightly considered"] responding to the dual problem of chemical contraceptives ["the pill"] and the increasingly "free sex" culture).
- Familiaris consortio (Pope Saint John Paul II, 1981 Apostolic Exhortation de familae christianae muneribus in mundo huius temporis ["on the role/duties of the christian family in the world of these times"], resulting from the 1980 Synod on the Family)
It would seem that the now concluded 2015 Synod should also result in an apostolic exhortation or another encyclical on marriage and the family in response to the present worldwide climate of gaydom: so-called "gay" "marriage" and abortion (surgical, and chemical [viz. abortifacients, esp. "the morning after pill"]), the greatest destroyers of the logic and reality of marriage and the family today.
Cf. Pope Francis, in his discourse at the end of the Synod yesterday (be forewarned that the English translation has some serious typos), did include mention of the true nature of marriage, but that discourse was largely another defensive harangue against the supposed pharisees. His Holiness Pope Francis needs to remember that the relativists can be the greatest pharisees of all! and the most tyrannical and unbending in their false ideologies, and, yes, even self-righteous in their obstinate error (often perhaps without even realizing their error)! Consider the case of the Christian-killing zealous Jew Saul of Tarsus, before he became Saint Paul through Christ's confronting and calling him. Pope Benedict and Pope Saint John Paul II knew the insidious dangers of relativism and, therefore, clearly showed that in the truth there is no necessary contradiction between letter and spirit! "Perfect charity demands perfect truth!" The simple one line definition of the family, from the Catechism above, is worth more, much more, than all of the wasted "dialogue" of this ideologically charged, heavy-handed, and unbalanced "synod".
The great take-away lesson of this most confusing of Synods is that the Church and the sensus fidei is much greater than the wit and clever schemes of any particular pope, bishop or priest. Thanks be to God. One more point. This is perhaps a most fitting way to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of the modern Synodal experiment, to show us that the Catholic Church's faith is far greater, stronger, and much more enduring than the opinions of Synods and the petty committees thereof! Cf. Ratzinger's 2004 remarks on the inherent limits and defects of the synod process.
FYI, What I am enjoying right now, in honor of my recently deceased dearest and saintly mother, "Mamá," requiescat in pace. By the little known Sicilian born opera composer Giovanni Pacini.
Here is another Requiem. If you like Listz and Messiaen, you'll love the Roman born Giovanni Sgambati. Glorious! Thank you YouTube! for automatically playing this for me after the preceeding! A great find.
Sgambati Te Deum without words. Wow!
Cf. Pope Francis, in his discourse at the end of the Synod yesterday (be forewarned that the English translation has some serious typos), did include mention of the true nature of marriage, but that discourse was largely another defensive harangue against the supposed pharisees. His Holiness Pope Francis needs to remember that the relativists can be the greatest pharisees of all! and the most tyrannical and unbending in their false ideologies, and, yes, even self-righteous in their obstinate error (often perhaps without even realizing their error)! Consider the case of the Christian-killing zealous Jew Saul of Tarsus, before he became Saint Paul through Christ's confronting and calling him. Pope Benedict and Pope Saint John Paul II knew the insidious dangers of relativism and, therefore, clearly showed that in the truth there is no necessary contradiction between letter and spirit! "Perfect charity demands perfect truth!" The simple one line definition of the family, from the Catechism above, is worth more, much more, than all of the wasted "dialogue" of this ideologically charged, heavy-handed, and unbalanced "synod".
The great take-away lesson of this most confusing of Synods is that the Church and the sensus fidei is much greater than the wit and clever schemes of any particular pope, bishop or priest. Thanks be to God. One more point. This is perhaps a most fitting way to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of the modern Synodal experiment, to show us that the Catholic Church's faith is far greater, stronger, and much more enduring than the opinions of Synods and the petty committees thereof! Cf. Ratzinger's 2004 remarks on the inherent limits and defects of the synod process.