JD Vance, author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” presently running for the US Senate in Ohio, was on the TeeVee today talking to Rachel Campos-Duffy, mother of nine, wife of former congressman Sean Duffy. Vance is a convert to Catholicism.
She asked Vance what he thinks of Pope Francis’ behavior in his visit with Joe Biden. Vance said that it is basic teaching for the RC church and many other Christian denominations that human life is sacred and that such life begins at conception. Vance was correct. He was well catechized.
Comment: Joe Biden says that Francis said he was a good Catholic and that he should continue to receive the Eucharist. There are many Ordinaries (Bishops) who disagree with Francis. The Catholic church is not like the military. The pope cannot simply snap his fingers and bark orders. He is not infallible in a matter like this. The Apostolic Delegate in Washington is NOT the boss of the bishops. Francis risks a schism in the Church.
As a practical matter Francis has made it impossible to condemn women who choose abortion as guilty of mortal sin. pl
As I understand it, the power of the Pope is to name Cardinals. The power of the Cardinals is to name the Pope. So the question goes back to John Paul and Benedict. And why exactly did Benedict “retire”?
scotts
Tired of the whole thing? The cardinals are basically the clergy of Rome. This is a medieval survival like all the dressing up. Each of them holds a parish or something in the clergy of the city of Rome in addition to being a bishop somewhere.
I wonder how much the Pope supports current Wealth Redistribution to the “Poor” in the United States…Supports the Biden/Pelosi Administration..Fronting For Bernie Sanders and His Coven..Supports the Relocation of Millions of Catholics from Haiti and The Southern Arena to the United States..with Distributions. and Relocations by Various “Charitys.” Once they are across the Line…And Is Sastified the Evangelicals no Longer Help Direct Government Policy..That Role is Never Talked About…It has to be there…Behind The Veil…somewhere..
Jim Ticehurst,
I’m sure he does. He and many Catholics subscribe to the lessons of the parables and beatitudes spoken by Jesus, Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount. The Pope has spoken of the Church’s preference for the poor on several occasions. Even the Calvinists leaven their accumulation of wealth as a symbol of being among the elect with a little Christian charity towards their fellow man.
Current Roman Catholic doctrine is crystal clear and is based on the idea that all life is sacred and that life begins at conception. It wasn’t always so. Catholics have always held that life was sacred, but life referred more to the soul than to the temporary physical vessel for that soul. Abortion was only declared sinful once ensoulment occurred. Saint Augustine said that occurred about 40 days after conception for males and 80 days for females. It’s been said to occur at the quickening, when the mother feels her baby move for the first time. Only Pope Sixtus V declared abortion to be homicide at any time after conception and excommunication was the punishment for abortion. That only lasted six years until Pope Gregory XIV reversed all that and declared ensoulment did not occur until 116 days after conception. It stood that way until Pope Pius IX reversed the decision yet again in 1869 and made abortion after conception a sin that automatically excommunicated those involved.
There are four early Irish saints who count abortions among their holy miracles. This was when sex was strongly considered taboo outside of marriage and outside of the purpose of procreation. Obviously, those conditions are now and always have been widely ignored.
The controversy lies in the conflict between Church teachings and conscience. Pope Francis caused quite a stir for valuing individual conscience over established church teaching and has said, “The primacy of conscience must always be respected.” It’s a very Jesuit thing.
TTG
Francis is a Jesuit heathen.
Joe was denied communion at least once a couple of years ago. Some church in the Carolinas.
Abortion is legal in most European countries, including Italy and Ireland. Even Poland where it is highly restricted they still allow some abortions in special cases. So the Pope might be hard pressed to deny communion to only to Joe. If he did he then wouldn’t he have to deny communion to those Catholic parliamentarians that allow it over there?
Leith
Yes. Sin is sin.