The basic motif of modern life is social mobility; economic and cultural freedom to move within society and within the culture. This ethos means that values and structures cannot be thought of as a solid or unchanging framework. Within the secular vision, neither marriage nor the family can be thought of as solid or unchanging elements of life. This certainly puts Christian marriage and family in a position, precisely because in the Christian life marriage and the family are an essential human and Christian framework. It is the secular project and its vision (and its media), which has made life difficult today for marriages and families.
The first thing to say is that history shows that the Christian life is strong and grows when it holds fast to the Gospel and to Christian principles. Indeed, the mandate of Catholic Bishops has always been to defend the Tradition.
Secondly, we don't know where the secular project will go. Its future will be neither rational, nor scientific, nor thoughtful. What superstitions and misunderstandings about the Christian life that it will come to embrace is not yet clear. In such a context, the whole Church needs to be very discerning about contemporary culture - don't follow the culture should be the general rule.
We should also point out the following basic principles:
1. The essential ingredient for any pastoral approach is the desire for the Christian life. Without this we can easily put the cart before the horse. Fostering Christian marriages and families happens on the foundation of a desire for the life of Jesus Christ.
2. After evangelisation, the second most important ingredient is the formation of people before and after marriage, awakening their awareness of their mission. It isn't that Catholics should suddenly take a tight grip upon the mission of Christian marriage and the family (which could result in the distortion of that mission), but rather that Catholics become more aware, more conscious of the depth and greatness of the mission of marriage and the family, and its central place in God's plan.
The Synod is a 'wake up call' for the Church to renew its appreciation of what it has taught about Marriage and the Family during the twentieth century, so that she can take a firm hand on the helm, at this time when Western Civilisation is breaking down. Marriage and the family are our greatest goods.
This post concludes what I want to say about this subject, for the time being.
This post concludes what I want to say about this subject, for the time being.
4 comments:
Father.That is why the bishop of rome -formally known as the Pope -needs to correct the insidious filth that emanated out of the last synod and correct it to the true teachings of Holy Mother Church.God Bless.Philip Johnson.
The synod was far from a wake up call to renew marriage. It was a naked attempt to accomodate the teaching of Christ on marriage to the wishes of the selfish worldlings in the Church. Such accomodation is unworthy of the pope who has no authority to even suggest that practice should not follow doctrine but should be 'accomodated' to the modern world. Notions such as giving Holy Communion to adulterers is to slap the sacred face of Jesus. Saying 'who struck you'? It's time to stop this papolatry. . .
Paul, yes, I appreciate that during the last session of the Synod there were opinions expressed which were divergent from the Truth. However, my comment about the Synod being a 'wake up call' was made simply from the fact of the Synod looking at Marriage and the Family.
I think the recent speech in Chester last week by Cardinal Burke says it all. He gives a complete blue print of how the Church can regain lost territory. Its back to basics through the family. You more or less are saying the same thing. God bless.
Paul
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