Confusion twice confounded: On the motu proprio Spiritus Domini
The underlying problem with this document is that it eviscerates the clear teaching of St. John Paul II in the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici.
Pope Francis arrives in procession to celebrate Mass on the feast of the Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 6, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Pope Francis’s latest motu proprio, Spiritus Domini, opens up the minor ministries of lector and acolyte to women. On the surface, this can look like much-ado-about nothing since females have been functioning as lectors and acolytes for decades now. Lord knows just about everyone has a grandmother who has been distributing Holy Communion for years on end.1
However, there is much more that requires consideration here beyond persons performing “functions.”2
The underlying problem with this document is that it eviscerates the clear teaching of St. John Paul II in the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (1988), where we read:
When necessity and expediency in the Church require it, the Pastors, according to established norms from universal law, can entrust to the lay faithful certain offices and roles that are connected to their pastoral ministry but do not require the character of Orders. The Code of Canon Law states: “When the necessity of the Church warrants it and when ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to confer Baptism, and to distribute Holy Communion in accord with the prescriptions of the law.” However, the exercise of such tasks does not make Pastors of the lay faithful: in fact, a person is not a minister simply in performing a task, but through sacramental ordination. Only the Sacrament of Orders gives the ordained minister a particular participation in the office of Christ, the Shepherd and Head, and in his Eternal Priesthood. The task exercised in virtue of supply takes its legitimacy formally and immediately from the official deputation given by the Pastors, as well as from its concrete exercise under the guidance of ecclesiastical authority. (n. 23)
John Paul continues:
In the same Synod Assembly, however, a critical judgment was voiced along with these positive elements, about a too-indiscriminate use of the word “ministry,” the confusion and the equating of the common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood, the lack of observance of ecclesiastical laws and norms, the arbitrary interpretation of the concept of “supply,” the tendency towards a “clericalization” of the lay faithful and the risk of creating, in reality, an ecclesial structure of parallel service to that founded on the Sacrament of Orders. (n. 23)
It should be stated at the outset that John Paul was not inventing theological categories. Indeed, one cannot point to a single line in the sixteen documents of Vatican II where the word “ministry” or “minister” was applied to the non-ordained. So, let’s see what the careful John Paul is saying and how that squares with what Francis is saying.
First: “in fact, a person is not a minister simply in performing a task, but through sacramental ordination.” Sloppy language has aided and abetted the confusion over the years, so that everyone and his uncle is a minister of something or other (e.g., “music minister,” “minister of hospitality,” “bereavement minister”). Which is why John Paul reminds everyone that in the Synod spawning Christifideles Laici, “a critical judgment was voiced. . . about a too-indiscriminate use of the word ‘ministry.’”
Second: Why is this so? Because it leads to “confusion,” he says, and runs “the risk of creating, in reality, an ecclesial structure of parallel service to that founded on the Sacrament of Orders.” Ten years after Christifideles Laici, eight dicasteries of the Roman Curia took the unprecedented action of co-promulgating a document dealing with these very serious questions: Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of the Priest. In other words, this problem has been festering for a long time. The prelates responsible for that Instruction remind all of the inter-connectedness of issues:
Amongst other things, it [the facile equation of lay activity with the ministerial priesthood] can encourage a reduction in vocations to the (ministerial) priesthood and obscure the specific purpose of seminaries as places of formation for the ordained ministry. These are closely related phenomena. Their interdependence calls for careful reflection so as to arrive at well considered conclusions in their regard.
The current document and its accompanying motu proprio do not seem to take seriously the cautions uttered by Pope John Paul or by the dicasterial heads in 1997 – as though those dangers do not persist to the present day?
Admittedly, females have been performing these functions; however, it is one thing to allow someone to perform a role by delegation and to institutionalize the performance of that role in a person. For example, if I have a fire in my kitchen, it makes perfect sense for me to reach for the fire extinguisher and put out the blaze. However, that does not make me a fireman!
As usual with Francis, there are curiosities behind this document.
Where is the consultative process in all this? I thought this was the Pope of collegiality and synodality. There is not a shred of evidence that anyone was consulted. This is reminiscent of Francis’ behavior in the framing of Mitis Iudex in 2015, reforming certain procedures for pursuing a decree of nullity in a marital case. No one was brought into the discussion prior to the decree’s promulgation, as a result of which numerous situations unforeseen by the Pope and his inner circle surfaced only later, so that the document is relatively useless. The Church demands consultation for a reason.
Even Pope Pius IX, in the lead-up to his definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, sought the input of the worldwide episcopate (as did Pius XII with the dogma of the Assumption). All wisdom does not reside in one man, and that is particularly true of Francis, who has a shallow theological background and who actually has expressed his near-disdain for theology on numerous occasions.3
Another oddity: The Pope writes a letter to the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, instructing him on the rationale for this decision. I thought it was supposed to be the other way around! Was this done because the prefect refused to sign onto this document?
Further, why was Francis seemingly compelled to call on a professor from the Lateran University to provide the “explanatory note” for the document? Is it because, once more, he could find no one within his own Curia to endorse his decision?
Several times, Francis is at pains to distance this move from giving any quarter to female access to the episcopate, presbyterate or diaconate. Of course, this move does, in fact, give grounds for the false hope that access to the formal ministries of lector and acolyte is indeed a stepping stone to eventual ordination. That is pastorally insensitive and harmful to the souls of those being misled. Or, is this document a sop to those fixated on the female diaconate, giving them a soft landing for a final negative judgment on the female diaconate?
What is equally odd is that Francis, arguably the most anti-clerical Pope in history, has now engaged in that very clericalization that he has so often condemned and that was foreseen by John Paul over thirty years ago.
If Francis thought that this action would placate those pressing the cause of female ordination, he is grossly mistaken. The only effect of this document will be a further alienation of those he has alienated for years.
Endnotes:
1The near-universal practice in the United States of having recourse to “extraordinary” ministers of Holy Communion is particularly egregious, in violation of Immensae Caritatis, the Code of Canon Law, Inaestimabile Donum, and Redemptionis Sacramentum. “Extraordinary” is, in fact, “ordinary”; sad to say, far more American Catholics receive Holy Communion from a lay person than from a priest or deacon. Why have the bishops not reined in this abuse?
2I have a particular interest (and competence) in this area since my thesis for the licentiate in sacred theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington was precisely on the ministries below diaconate, from Trent to Vatican II.
3In point of fact, Francis is not in any way a man of collegiality and synodality. He doesn’t even consult his own College of Cardinals. His immediate predecessors held meetings of the College in advance of a consistory to create new cardinals, thereby soliciting and receiving their counsel. Francis has done this only the first time around, presumably because either he does not value the insights of the cardinals or he knows that their views might challenge his.
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Reverend Peter M.J. Stravinskas founded The Catholic Answer in 1987 and The Catholic Response in 2004, as well as the Priestly Society of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, a clerical association of the faithful, committed to Catholic education, liturgical renewal and the new evangelization. Father Stravinskas is also the President of the Catholic Education Foundation, an organization, which serves as a resource for heightening the Catholic identity of Catholic schools.
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
CNA Staff, Mar 13, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
March 13 marks the anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 266th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23-28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato Si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19-22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22-27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Pope Francis speaks to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2015. . L’Osservatore Romano.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26-31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12-13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27-Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15-21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25-26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3-28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22-27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21-24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6-27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary “urbi et orbi” blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5-8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis Custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2-6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate Evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24-30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31-Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
Pope Francis greets a young boy a Mass in Juba, South Sudan on Feb. 5, 2023. Vatican Media
March 29-April 1 — Pope Francis is hospitalized for a respiratory infection. During his stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, he visits the pediatric cancer ward and baptizes a newborn baby.
April 5 — The pope appears in the Disney documentary “The Pope: Answers,” which is in Spanish, answering six “hot-button” issues from members of Gen Z from various backgrounds. The group discusses immigration, depression, abortion, clergy sexual and psychological abuse, transgenderism, pornography, and loss of faith.
April 28-30 — Pope Francis visits Hungary to meet with government officials, civil society members, bishops, priests, seminarians, Jesuits, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers. He celebrates Mass on the final day of the trip in Kossuth Lajos Square.
Pope Francis stands on an altar erected outside the Parliament Building in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos’ Square during a public outdoor Mass on April 30, 2023. Vatican Media
June 7 — The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will undergo abdominal surgery that afternoon under general anesthesia due to a hernia that is causing painful, recurring, and worsening symptoms. In his general audience that morning before the surgery, Francis says he intends to publish an apostolic letter on St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “patroness of the missions,” to mark the 150th anniversary of her birth.
June 15 — After successful surgery and a week of recovery, Pope Francis is released from Gemelli Hospital.
Aug. 2-6 — Pope Francis travels to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day 2023, taking place from Aug. 1-6. He meets with Church and civil leaders ahead of presiding at the welcoming Mass and Stations of the Cross. He also hears the confessions of several pilgrims. On Aug. 5, he visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, where he prays the rosary with young people with disabilities. That evening he presides over the vigil and on Sunday, Aug. 6, he celebrates the closing Mass, where he urges the 1.5 million young people present to “be not afraid,” echoing the words of the founder of World Youth Days, St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023. Vatican Media.
Aug. 31-Sept. 4 — Pope Francis travels to Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country. The trip makes Francis the first pope to visit the Asian country that shares a 2,880-mile border with China, its most significant economic partner. Mongolia has a population of about 1,300 Catholics in a country of more than 3 million people.
Pope Francis meets with local priests and religious of Mongolia, which includes only 25 priests (19 religious and six diocesan), 33 women religious, and one bishop — Cardinal Giorgio Marengo — in Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sept. 2, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Sept. 22-23 — On a two-day trip to Marseille, France, Pope Francis meets with local civil and religious leaders and participates in the Mediterranean Encounter, a gathering of some 120 young people of various creeds with bishops from 30 countries.
Pope Francis asks for a moment of silence at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille, France, Sept. 22, 2023. A Camargue cross, which comes from the Camargue area of France, represents the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The three tridents represent faith, the anchor represents hope, and the heart represents charity. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Oct. 4-29 — The Vatican hosts the first of two monthlong global assemblies of the Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in 2021 to enhance the communion, participation, and mission of the Church. Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of the synod at St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29. The second and final global assembly will take place at the Vatican in October 2024.
Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality’s closing Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29, 2023. Vatican Media
Nov. 25 — Pope Francis visits the hospital briefly for precautionary testing after coming down with the flu earlier in the day. Although he still participates in scheduled activities, other officials read his prepared remarks. The Vatican on Nov. 28 cancels the pope’s planned Dec. 1–3 trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech, due to his illness.
Dec. 18 — The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which authorizes nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations.” Various bishops from around the world voice both support for and criticism of the document.
2024
Jan. 4 — Amid widespread backlash to Fiducia Supplicans, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, publishes a five-page press release that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.”
Jan. 14 — Pope Francis for the first time responds publicly to questions about Fiducia Supplicans in an interview on an Italian television show. The pope underlines that “the Lord blesses everyone” and that a blessing is an invitation to enter into a conversation “to see what the road is that the Lord proposes to them.”
Feb. 11 — In a ceremony attended by Argentine president Javier Milei, Pope Francis canonizes María Antonia of St. Joseph — known affectionately in the pope’s home country as “Mama Antula” — in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The president and the former archbishop of Buenos Aires embrace after the ceremony. Pope Francis, who has not returned to his homeland since becoming pope in 2013, has said he wants to visit Argentina in the second half of this year.
Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Feb. 28 — After canceling audiences the previous Saturday and having an aide read his prepared remarks at his Wednesday audience due to a “mild flu,” Pope Francis visits the hospital for diagnostic tests but returns to the Vatican afterward.
March 2 — Despite having an aide read his speech “because of bronchitis,” the pope presides over the inauguration of the 95th Judicial Year of the Vatican City State and maintains a full schedule.
March 13 — Pope Francis celebrates 11 years as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis meets with Cardinal Raymond Burke on Dec. 29, 2023, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, Dec 29, 2023 / 09:20 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Friday had an audience with Cardinal Raymond Burke, the Vatican said, several wee… […]
26 Comments
Also having direct and decisive bearing is St. Pope John Paul II’s Orinatio Sacerdotalis (1994), issued within weeks of when the Anglican ecclesial community (not church) invented female bishoprics. Within the Church, female altar girls were a flashpoint, approved by termite clerics while John Paul II was in the hospital recovering from a broken femur. Not only are female ordinations disapproved, the Church has no authority to cross this threshold:
“Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (n. 4, final paragraph).
All of which counts for nothing. Like most progressives, Francis will do whatever he wants to do, all strenuous huffing and puffing about established tradition, the pronouncements of his predecessors, or practical pastoral to the contrary notwithstanding. Paul VI did something similar when he overrode the objections of many bishops at the 1967 Synod in Rome and simply force-fed the new order of Mass in 1969.
Which JPII – in typical post-conciliar fashion – immediately undermined by legalizing female altar servers, the illicit use of whom had been going on for years, thereby giving the “reformers” every reason to believe that disobedience remains the key to revolutionary destruction of the priesthood and the Church.
Yes. That, and receiving Communion in the hand, standing. I’ve never heard such bizarre reasoning as, “You are not allowed to do that. However, since you have disobeyed and are doing it, now you’re allowed to do that.”
It’s the same trick they’re trying with divorce-and-remarriage, with sodomy, with all kinds of things.
Did have to chuckle at Fathers analogy of the woman putting out the Kitchen fire, and that it did not make her a FIREMAN/ Being an ERMA BOMBACK Follower, and a Mother of 7 children, my Ironing board was a permanent fixture in my formal dining room Irma said that hers came down only at Holidays — when the occasion came for formal dining. Having placed my Board in my NEW DINING AREA, I then went to turn on the Lighting — and BEHOLD, it went up in FLAMES. I then grabbed a small extinguisher from closet, and aimed at that Monster, and Puff the Magic Dragon put out that fire — Like Magic!! (Did not make me a FIRE-WOMAN, but the Holy Spirit was with me at this time in History.Once agaiin, reading this article was a great reflection on what has happened in our church in the past years. We seemed to have Trivialized the Sacred, and as Frank;in Graham just commented upon: Our President Trump when He needed us most had 10 Judas members — Many of us Pro-Life members (My NURSE FRIENDS) believe that He was our Pro-Life President, and the CROWDS are saying: “GIVE US BARABAS”
With good reason, the word “Bingo” escaped my lips at every paragraph of Fr. Stravinskas’ analysis. The squarely solid sense of the analysis is in line with everything known about this pope.
The latest motu proprio squares quite well with other news out of this pope’s office today: UNITY!~ I suppose this does not mean we put all the letters of all his writings into one big vat. Mix well. Let the communion last for eternity.
I have a question regarding the communion service presided by other than laity or ordained clergy when ordained clergy are not available. Exception frequently occurred during my service in mission settings such as Africa, when a sister consecrated to the religious life was the only person available to offer such a service. In TITLE I: NORMS COMMON TO ALL INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE (Cann. 573 – 606) there is frequent reference to ministry. Does such an exception for a religious sister constitute ministry, or must the term ministry remain as defined by John Paul II specific to the ordained person? It seems that we may say in agreement with John Paul that ministry nevertheless belongs by definition to the ordained person.
Father, we are at the Cross roads of being able to Practice our Faith, and this Lock Down is giving us time to Reflect upon our Freedom to Worship. At 87 years of age, I have lived through much of this turmoil , and was taught by the Great Franciscans to ask when reading the SECULAR Papers — IS THIS TRUE Survey shows that our Present Catholic population does not even believe in the True Presence, and back in the 80’s the Clerics and the modern age would not accept the Dogma of Humanae Vitae — Pope Paul VI told us about the Slippery SLOPe( I did read somewhere that this Dogma was promoted by our most beloved Saint John Paul ii — We love you! Pro-Life March on the 29th?– Where did they take our Lady’s IMAGE? “SHE IS COMING”
The format of this Moto Proprio is quite obviously a passive aggressive tongue lashing of the CDF who probably tried to roadblock this latest abomination. How much longer will we have to suffer catastrophe of a Pope Lord?
Please God, let this trainwreck of a Pontificate come to an end. We are tired of Bergoglio’s “developments” in doctrine and liturgy, and want our Church back the way it was.
Please someone stop Pope Francis…
Every day we hear another drastic move under his hand… we shudder when we hear yet ‘Pope Francis is going to make another statement….’ .. we shudder truly in our soul, because we know that this Pope has already caused much division in our Church, much confusion. He does not seem to listen to anyone.. and as noted for a Pope who says he is all about unity and collegiality – where? I beg that this Pope decides to retire and soon… So much suffering brought about – does he realize this? Someone should tell him. So many wondering and asking if they should leave the Church..!!!!!
His involvement with secular globalists many of whom are anti life and supporters of all things we know are contrary to Church Teaching —- and China! Who cannot suffer to know he caved to Red China… and now they are destroying our Churches and seeking out Catholics and Christians even more as Cardinal Zen has continued to point out.
How long can this last? We are exhausted trying to save the faithful also in our own families …This cannot go on….
Pardon the ignorance , if such is what is being shared , from my limited knowledge of these matters . This , from seeing another side in the good hearted move of the Holy Father , to help mitigate the simmering fires of subtle or more overt rebellion in demands for ordination of women . ? Could such have its roots ,even partially , from the ‘tradition’ and its wording and effects of seeing the roles of lectors and acolytes as leading steps towards priesthood .. yet , roles widely done by women , for one reason or another …the clarity and blessing of the Holy Father in the above document thus helps to make the roles to be just what they are , not pointing to any thing else , thus freeing all involved ..such roles , esp. also in the role of bringing the Eucharist to the home ridden , more of a necessity as well in our times .
Grateful that the caring heart of the Holy Father did hear the voice of The Spirit to help remove any confusion , which , in turn could have the potential to help foster priestly vocations , with the needed clarity helping to foster the oneness in blessing each other for doing His Will , without fear of the self will being in act and producing its unwanted fruits !
I understand that when Lectors were first introduced. It was during the sci-fi era of the Modernist Church of madmen changing everything, for the mere sake of change. The era when God was evicted from His Church. Only men were allowed to be Lectors. But Feminists threw in their lamentations of men persecuting them. So woman were allowed to be Lectors. Today in my parish only woman are Lectors, men need not apply. Everything needs to be restored to its rightful place. Only and I mean Only males in the Sanctuary, Just as God has ordained in both the Old and the New Testaments. The commands of St. Paul, Apostle and Ambassador of Jesus Christ are being deliberately ignored. When did this disobedience to God begin? When will this reproachable defiance end?
It is my considered opinion, that the article pushed to its limit, the author’s disdain for the missionary Pope. Theological finesse and recourse to tradition, is of little help to evangelism and actual conversion, unfortunately, but mostly beneficial to critics and commentators who evince inclination to obfuscation. Catholicism is a universal religion and therefore, must address evangelical issues as it affects various adherents worldwide. This is better understood and experienced by missionary priests to which the present Pope belongs. This explains the inability of people who are used to orthodoxy in its traditional sense, to mentally process and appreciate the message of the Pope. Evangelism, in itself is a difficult task that requires the Holy Spirit, and grace to succeed. The reason missionary priesthood is tough and dangerous. Sitting in parishes, institutions and pontificating, could be intellectually rewarding but evangelically not fruitful.
It is certainly the case that with Pope Francis, the gap between preaching and practice is generally a chasm.
This was first evidenced for me by a welcome early injunction to priests re-sermons along the lines of “make it snappy.” Yet Pope Francis himself has taken to writing veritable tomes as encyclicals. Or very obviously commissioning others to provide him with material for these tomes.
The points in the article about his failure to consult appear to this lay Catholic to be well made. Very well made indeed.
Whilst it is the case that Francis is perhaps the first pope of the internet age whose every sniffle and cough is observed and commented about on line, his haughty disdain for those who dare to question him, leading on multiple occasions to downright snubs as in the cases of the Dubia Cardinals, of Zen and of Asia Bibby seems self evident.
Yet still he is praised unstintingly in almost all the secular press and a considerable body of the Catholic press as a “democratic pope par excellence.”
A suitable warning that media perceptions without necessarily being malevolent can, no matter how widely shared, be based on the emotional predisposition of the journalist rather than her/ his observation of facts?
“…the author’s disdain for the missionary Pope…. This is better understood and experienced by missionary priests to which the present Pope belongs.”
I am perplexed by these comments.
Pope Francis is not by any stretch of the imagination “a missionary Pope” in any sense normally understood within Catholicism. The possible interpretation that the very fact of having been a Jesuit makes him a priori a (foreign) missionary is not sustainable.
Perhaps the meaning is that Pope Francis considers it his rôle to be a missionary in the sense of spreading the Gospel; indeed doing so in a way particularly suited to current times.
Most certainly in the first case and most probably in the second since WW2 at least what Pope would not make the same claim?
Then again, perhaps it is to do with Francis’s apparently having touched the hearts of so many people? But this is surely, despite his fairly obvious religious affiliation, in many ways a non-religious phenomenon. On a kin in many cases with the reaction to a plethora other media darlings from Lady Di to Greta via Bruce Springsteen.
His “religious” success as a missionary in a conventional sense is easily quantified. Zero. “At best,” at that. Since his pontificate as well as failing to attract new converts has also failed to stem the steady outflow from Catholicism which has been in evidence for decades past.
In this context his abject failure to confront sex abusers within the clergy, as evidenced by his stubborn support for Bishop Borras in Chile and even more scandalously by his decision to give old friend Bishop Borras from Argentina who is currently arraigned on charges of abusing seminarians [!] in Argentina both employment in the Vatican Bank as well as bed and board in the Santa Marta residence where he himself lives is for me at least beyond comprehension.
Worse still, if that is possible, Pope Francis has on many occasions gone out of his way to express his hostility to proselytism. Whilst the modern sense of that word may well include a sense of “missionary work overlain with coercion” this is not the historical Catholic sense of the word. For Catholicism, proselytism in the historic sense is central. But Pope Francis seems far from convinced.
To summarise the above, I am greatly perplexed by the assertions I have quoted above.
Praying for discernment — Great Book to Read is : What St Paul really thought about Women (Written by a Lutheran Scripture Scholar) — Was a Minister in Seattle, WA. Was an Informative reading as this Scholar helped one see that Scripture was taken out of Context. What St Paul REALLY was telling Women must be interpreted by the times that St Paul was living — Much Prostitution, and St Paul was telling them that They were beautiful without all the Jewelry and following the ways of the World immorality. St Paul was telling these women to “DEFER” — not == BE SUBJECT (Logotherapy) — according to Doc Frankl
Fr. Stravinskas writes: “It should be stated at the outset that John Paul was not inventing theological categories. Indeed, one cannot point to a single line in the sixteen documents of Vatican II where the word ‘ministry’ or ‘minister’ was applied to the non-ordained.”
Dear Father, please, re-read Vatican II:
Lumen Gentium specifically refers to the “MINISTRIES and charisms” of the Laity (LG, no. 33; cf. also no. 7). Apostolicam Actuositatem says there is “a diversity of ministry,” which the Laity share with the ordained (no. 2). Perfectae Caritatis accepts that lay religious, male and female, perform “ministries” in the Church’s mission (no. 10) and their communities, male or female, are said to have “ministries proper to them” (no. 20).
Also having direct and decisive bearing is St. Pope John Paul II’s Orinatio Sacerdotalis (1994), issued within weeks of when the Anglican ecclesial community (not church) invented female bishoprics. Within the Church, female altar girls were a flashpoint, approved by termite clerics while John Paul II was in the hospital recovering from a broken femur. Not only are female ordinations disapproved, the Church has no authority to cross this threshold:
“Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (n. 4, final paragraph).
http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1994/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19940522_ordinatio-sacerdotalis.html
All of which counts for nothing. Like most progressives, Francis will do whatever he wants to do, all strenuous huffing and puffing about established tradition, the pronouncements of his predecessors, or practical pastoral to the contrary notwithstanding. Paul VI did something similar when he overrode the objections of many bishops at the 1967 Synod in Rome and simply force-fed the new order of Mass in 1969.
Which JPII – in typical post-conciliar fashion – immediately undermined by legalizing female altar servers, the illicit use of whom had been going on for years, thereby giving the “reformers” every reason to believe that disobedience remains the key to revolutionary destruction of the priesthood and the Church.
Yes. That, and receiving Communion in the hand, standing. I’ve never heard such bizarre reasoning as, “You are not allowed to do that. However, since you have disobeyed and are doing it, now you’re allowed to do that.”
It’s the same trick they’re trying with divorce-and-remarriage, with sodomy, with all kinds of things.
Did have to chuckle at Fathers analogy of the woman putting out the Kitchen fire, and that it did not make her a FIREMAN/ Being an ERMA BOMBACK Follower, and a Mother of 7 children, my Ironing board was a permanent fixture in my formal dining room Irma said that hers came down only at Holidays — when the occasion came for formal dining. Having placed my Board in my NEW DINING AREA, I then went to turn on the Lighting — and BEHOLD, it went up in FLAMES. I then grabbed a small extinguisher from closet, and aimed at that Monster, and Puff the Magic Dragon put out that fire — Like Magic!! (Did not make me a FIRE-WOMAN, but the Holy Spirit was with me at this time in History.Once agaiin, reading this article was a great reflection on what has happened in our church in the past years. We seemed to have Trivialized the Sacred, and as Frank;in Graham just commented upon: Our President Trump when He needed us most had 10 Judas members — Many of us Pro-Life members (My NURSE FRIENDS) believe that He was our Pro-Life President, and the CROWDS are saying: “GIVE US BARABAS”
I love Erma Bombeck. 🙂
Have you read any of Jean Kerr’s books?
Spot on. Thank you!
With good reason, the word “Bingo” escaped my lips at every paragraph of Fr. Stravinskas’ analysis. The squarely solid sense of the analysis is in line with everything known about this pope.
The latest motu proprio squares quite well with other news out of this pope’s office today: UNITY!~ I suppose this does not mean we put all the letters of all his writings into one big vat. Mix well. Let the communion last for eternity.
Let’s not fool ourselves. We all know where this is leading (i.e. women’s ordination). They did this in the Anglican Communion as well. Baby steps..
I have a question regarding the communion service presided by other than laity or ordained clergy when ordained clergy are not available. Exception frequently occurred during my service in mission settings such as Africa, when a sister consecrated to the religious life was the only person available to offer such a service. In TITLE I: NORMS COMMON TO ALL INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE (Cann. 573 – 606) there is frequent reference to ministry. Does such an exception for a religious sister constitute ministry, or must the term ministry remain as defined by John Paul II specific to the ordained person? It seems that we may say in agreement with John Paul that ministry nevertheless belongs by definition to the ordained person.
Father, we are at the Cross roads of being able to Practice our Faith, and this Lock Down is giving us time to Reflect upon our Freedom to Worship. At 87 years of age, I have lived through much of this turmoil , and was taught by the Great Franciscans to ask when reading the SECULAR Papers — IS THIS TRUE Survey shows that our Present Catholic population does not even believe in the True Presence, and back in the 80’s the Clerics and the modern age would not accept the Dogma of Humanae Vitae — Pope Paul VI told us about the Slippery SLOPe( I did read somewhere that this Dogma was promoted by our most beloved Saint John Paul ii — We love you! Pro-Life March on the 29th?– Where did they take our Lady’s IMAGE? “SHE IS COMING”
The format of this Moto Proprio is quite obviously a passive aggressive tongue lashing of the CDF who probably tried to roadblock this latest abomination. How much longer will we have to suffer catastrophe of a Pope Lord?
Is there no one who will rid us of this troublesome bishop?
Please God, let this trainwreck of a Pontificate come to an end. We are tired of Bergoglio’s “developments” in doctrine and liturgy, and want our Church back the way it was.
Conforming the Church to the world was never the mission of Christ, but seems to be the mission of this Pope.
This Pontiff Francis orchestrated idolatry in Rome in 2019.
He is a complete counterfeit, not merely content to defraud men, but brazenly defrauds The Only God.
Please someone stop Pope Francis…
Every day we hear another drastic move under his hand… we shudder when we hear yet ‘Pope Francis is going to make another statement….’ .. we shudder truly in our soul, because we know that this Pope has already caused much division in our Church, much confusion. He does not seem to listen to anyone.. and as noted for a Pope who says he is all about unity and collegiality – where? I beg that this Pope decides to retire and soon… So much suffering brought about – does he realize this? Someone should tell him. So many wondering and asking if they should leave the Church..!!!!!
His involvement with secular globalists many of whom are anti life and supporters of all things we know are contrary to Church Teaching —- and China! Who cannot suffer to know he caved to Red China… and now they are destroying our Churches and seeking out Catholics and Christians even more as Cardinal Zen has continued to point out.
How long can this last? We are exhausted trying to save the faithful also in our own families …This cannot go on….
Pardon the ignorance , if such is what is being shared , from my limited knowledge of these matters . This , from seeing another side in the good hearted move of the Holy Father , to help mitigate the simmering fires of subtle or more overt rebellion in demands for ordination of women . ? Could such have its roots ,even partially , from the ‘tradition’ and its wording and effects of seeing the roles of lectors and acolytes as leading steps towards priesthood .. yet , roles widely done by women , for one reason or another …the clarity and blessing of the Holy Father in the above document thus helps to make the roles to be just what they are , not pointing to any thing else , thus freeing all involved ..such roles , esp. also in the role of bringing the Eucharist to the home ridden , more of a necessity as well in our times .
Grateful that the caring heart of the Holy Father did hear the voice of The Spirit to help remove any confusion , which , in turn could have the potential to help foster priestly vocations , with the needed clarity helping to foster the oneness in blessing each other for doing His Will , without fear of the self will being in act and producing its unwanted fruits !
Collegiality and synodality. Humbug.
I understand that when Lectors were first introduced. It was during the sci-fi era of the Modernist Church of madmen changing everything, for the mere sake of change. The era when God was evicted from His Church. Only men were allowed to be Lectors. But Feminists threw in their lamentations of men persecuting them. So woman were allowed to be Lectors. Today in my parish only woman are Lectors, men need not apply. Everything needs to be restored to its rightful place. Only and I mean Only males in the Sanctuary, Just as God has ordained in both the Old and the New Testaments. The commands of St. Paul, Apostle and Ambassador of Jesus Christ are being deliberately ignored. When did this disobedience to God begin? When will this reproachable defiance end?
It is my considered opinion, that the article pushed to its limit, the author’s disdain for the missionary Pope. Theological finesse and recourse to tradition, is of little help to evangelism and actual conversion, unfortunately, but mostly beneficial to critics and commentators who evince inclination to obfuscation. Catholicism is a universal religion and therefore, must address evangelical issues as it affects various adherents worldwide. This is better understood and experienced by missionary priests to which the present Pope belongs. This explains the inability of people who are used to orthodoxy in its traditional sense, to mentally process and appreciate the message of the Pope. Evangelism, in itself is a difficult task that requires the Holy Spirit, and grace to succeed. The reason missionary priesthood is tough and dangerous. Sitting in parishes, institutions and pontificating, could be intellectually rewarding but evangelically not fruitful.
It is certainly the case that with Pope Francis, the gap between preaching and practice is generally a chasm.
This was first evidenced for me by a welcome early injunction to priests re-sermons along the lines of “make it snappy.” Yet Pope Francis himself has taken to writing veritable tomes as encyclicals. Or very obviously commissioning others to provide him with material for these tomes.
The points in the article about his failure to consult appear to this lay Catholic to be well made. Very well made indeed.
Whilst it is the case that Francis is perhaps the first pope of the internet age whose every sniffle and cough is observed and commented about on line, his haughty disdain for those who dare to question him, leading on multiple occasions to downright snubs as in the cases of the Dubia Cardinals, of Zen and of Asia Bibby seems self evident.
Yet still he is praised unstintingly in almost all the secular press and a considerable body of the Catholic press as a “democratic pope par excellence.”
A suitable warning that media perceptions without necessarily being malevolent can, no matter how widely shared, be based on the emotional predisposition of the journalist rather than her/ his observation of facts?
“This is better understood and experienced by missionary priests to which the present Pope belongs.”
You know not of what you speak.
“…the author’s disdain for the missionary Pope…. This is better understood and experienced by missionary priests to which the present Pope belongs.”
I am perplexed by these comments.
Pope Francis is not by any stretch of the imagination “a missionary Pope” in any sense normally understood within Catholicism. The possible interpretation that the very fact of having been a Jesuit makes him a priori a (foreign) missionary is not sustainable.
Perhaps the meaning is that Pope Francis considers it his rôle to be a missionary in the sense of spreading the Gospel; indeed doing so in a way particularly suited to current times.
Most certainly in the first case and most probably in the second since WW2 at least what Pope would not make the same claim?
Then again, perhaps it is to do with Francis’s apparently having touched the hearts of so many people? But this is surely, despite his fairly obvious religious affiliation, in many ways a non-religious phenomenon. On a kin in many cases with the reaction to a plethora other media darlings from Lady Di to Greta via Bruce Springsteen.
His “religious” success as a missionary in a conventional sense is easily quantified. Zero. “At best,” at that. Since his pontificate as well as failing to attract new converts has also failed to stem the steady outflow from Catholicism which has been in evidence for decades past.
In this context his abject failure to confront sex abusers within the clergy, as evidenced by his stubborn support for Bishop Borras in Chile and even more scandalously by his decision to give old friend Bishop Borras from Argentina who is currently arraigned on charges of abusing seminarians [!] in Argentina both employment in the Vatican Bank as well as bed and board in the Santa Marta residence where he himself lives is for me at least beyond comprehension.
Worse still, if that is possible, Pope Francis has on many occasions gone out of his way to express his hostility to proselytism. Whilst the modern sense of that word may well include a sense of “missionary work overlain with coercion” this is not the historical Catholic sense of the word. For Catholicism, proselytism in the historic sense is central. But Pope Francis seems far from convinced.
To summarise the above, I am greatly perplexed by the assertions I have quoted above.
REPLY
Praying for discernment — Great Book to Read is : What St Paul really thought about Women (Written by a Lutheran Scripture Scholar) — Was a Minister in Seattle, WA. Was an Informative reading as this Scholar helped one see that Scripture was taken out of Context. What St Paul REALLY was telling Women must be interpreted by the times that St Paul was living — Much Prostitution, and St Paul was telling them that They were beautiful without all the Jewelry and following the ways of the World immorality. St Paul was telling these women to “DEFER” — not == BE SUBJECT (Logotherapy) — according to Doc Frankl
Fr. Stravinskas writes: “It should be stated at the outset that John Paul was not inventing theological categories. Indeed, one cannot point to a single line in the sixteen documents of Vatican II where the word ‘ministry’ or ‘minister’ was applied to the non-ordained.”
Dear Father, please, re-read Vatican II:
Lumen Gentium specifically refers to the “MINISTRIES and charisms” of the Laity (LG, no. 33; cf. also no. 7). Apostolicam Actuositatem says there is “a diversity of ministry,” which the Laity share with the ordained (no. 2). Perfectae Caritatis accepts that lay religious, male and female, perform “ministries” in the Church’s mission (no. 10) and their communities, male or female, are said to have “ministries proper to them” (no. 20).
So, . . .