Tuesday 19 February 2019

Does discernment mean Catholics are liberal Protestants now?

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Fr. Arturo Sosa Abascal, S.J., the superior general of the Jesuits (the 'Black Pope') today made public the four main reference points that are to guide the work of the Jesuits over the next 10 years, as agreed with the Pope. Fr. Sosa Abascal said 
“as believers we feel an urgent need to overcome both new secularisms and the nostalgia for cultural expressions of the past.”
An urgent need to overcome nostalgia for cultural expressions of the past. Why is this necessary, why urgent?

Does this mean new rules on many things, including divorce and much, much more? 

I'd say so, judging from this recent astonishing interview with Father Sosa Abascal.
Q: Is it also possible to question the statement in Matthew 19:3-6: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder”?

Abascal: I go along with what Pope Francis says. One does not bring into doubt, one brings into discernment. . .

Q: But discernment is evaluation, it is choosing among different options. There is no longer an obligation to follow just one interpretation. . .

Abascal: No, the obligation is still there, but to follow the result of discernment.

Q: However, the final decision is based on a judgment relative to different hypotheses. So it also takes into consideration the hypothesis that the phrase “let man not put asunder…” is not exactly as it appears. In short, it brings the word of Jesus into doubt.

Abascal: Not the word of Jesus, but the word of Jesus as we have interpreted it. Discernment does not select among different hypotheses but listens to the Holy Spirit, who - as Jesus has promised - helps us to understand the signs of God’s presence in human history.

Q: But discern how?

Abascal: Pope Francis does discernment following St. Ignatius, like the whole Society of Jesus: one has to seek and find, St. Ignatius said, the will of God. It is not a frivolous search. Discernment leads to a decision: one must not only evaluate, but decide.

Q: And who must decide?

Abascal: The Church has always reiterated the priority of personal conscience.

Personal conscience or private judgment? Are we Protestants now?

5 comments:

  1. Personal conscience or private judgment? Are we Protestants now?

    Yep. And Protestantism is the last stop on the line before atheism.

    Just remember, the Word of God is whatever gives you nice warm fuzzy feelings.

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    1. I hope you are wrong. On another subject it is a great joy not reading through scores of spam comments each day, plus the very occasional offensive one.

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  2. Protestantism does not have to be the last stop before atheism but bible bashing Low Church Protestantism is not intellectually respectable nowadays if it ever was. While the High Church can lead to all sorts of left wing paganism as in the American Episcopalian Church and women priests who think abortion is a sacrament. I hoped Catholicism was safe from this. I am no longer sure. We have very worrying feminist nuns etc.

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    1. While the High Church can lead to all sorts of left wing paganism as in the American Episcopalian Church and women priests who think abortion is a sacrament.

      It's becoming more and more clear why the Bible forbids women priests. It's because women priests are a seriously bad idea.

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    2. Women priests or priestesses are often therapeutic rather than didactic, which is not good at all, but when they are didactic that can be a problem, if they teach the wrong doctrine or worse teach a feminist and feminised Christianity.

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