Let's defend the Truth

A)  The text of the speech by J.M.Bergoglio:

“Question: «Holy Father, during this visit too, you have frequently spoken of mercy. With regard to the reception of the sacraments by the divorced and remarried, is there the possibility of a change in the Church’s discipline? That these sacraments might be an opportunity to bring these people closer, rather than a barrier dividing them from the other faithful?»
J.M. Bergoglio: «This is an issue which frequently comes up. Mercy is something much larger than the one case you raised. I believe that this is the season of mercy. This new era we have entered, and the many problems in the Church – like the poor witness given by some priests, problems of corruption in the Church, the problem of clericalism for example – have left so many people hurt, left so much hurt. The Church is a mother: she has to go out to heal those who are hurt, with mercy. If the Lord never tires of forgiving, we have no other choice than this: first of all, to care for those who are hurt. The Church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy. And find a form of mercy for all………… With reference to the issue of giving communion to persons in a second union (because those who are divorced can receive communion, there is no problem, but when they are in a second union, they can’t…), I believe that we need to look at this within the larger context of the entire pastoral care of marriage. And so it is a problem. But also – a parenthesis – the Orthodox have a different practice. They follow the theology of what they call oikonomia, and they give a second chance, they allow it. But I believe that this problem – and here I close the parenthesis – must be studied within the context of the pastoral care of marriage. And so, two things: first, one of the themes to be examined with the eight members of the Council of Cardinals with whom I will meet on 1-3 October is how to move forward in the pastoral care of marriage, and this problem will come up there. And a second thing: two weeks ago the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops met with me about the theme of the next Synod. It was an anthropological theme, but talking it over, going back and forth, we saw this anthropological theme: how does the faith help with one’s personal life-project, but in the family, and so pointing towards the pastoral care of marriage. We are moving towards a somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage. And this is a problem for everyone, because there are so many of them, don’t you thing? For example, I will only mention one: Cardinal Quarracino, my predecessor, used to say that as far as he was concerned, half of all marriages are null. But why did he say this? Because people get married lacking maturity, they get married without realizing that it is a life-long commitment, they get married because society tells them they have to get married. And this is where the pastoral care of marriage also comes in. And then there is the legal problem of matrimonial nullity, this has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical tribunals are not sufficient for this. It is complex, the problem of the pastoral care of marriage. Thank you»” (Press conference during the return flight from the apostolic journey to Rio De Janeiro on the occasion of the XXVIII world youth day – Papal Flight, Sunday, July 28, 2013)

B) References to Scriptures:

“Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were putting him to the test. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They replied, ‘Moses allowed us to draw up a writ of dismissal in cases of divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard hearted that he wrote this commandment for you.But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. This is why a man leaves his father and mother, and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide’” (Mar 10:2-9)

C) Comment:

It is not difficult to understand the thought of Bergoglio on that theme. His public and especially private statements (never denied nor by Bergoglio nor by the official Vatican bodies) leave no space for doubt or interpretations. The thought of Bergoglio is clear and unequivocal, beyond the polemics on the subject that took place in October 2014 and that will take place in October 2015, when the mandate will have to be brought to completion.

Bergoglio, during a telephone conversation with an Argentine woman married with a divorced man, has revealed his own thought on the legitimacy of granting the sacrament of communion for divorced and remarried people and, consequently, to allow the second (or more) marriages to the Catholic Christians.

The content (never denied by Bergoglio) of that phone conversation (which took place on April 23^th, 2014) has been reported by various newspapers and radio and television broadcasters.

“The phone rang and my husband answered. He said that it was father Bergoglio. The father asked of me and (my husband) asked him: ‘By whom?’ He replied: ‘Father Bergoglio’. I asked him if it was really him, the Pope, and he said yes, he was responding to my letter of September”. During the radio interview, Mrs. Lisbona has preferred not to provide many details, but confirmed of the advice that Francis would have given her: to approach to communion “without problems”. “This has taken too much public space. He told me to go and take communion in another parish, but now I cannot go anywhere else”. According to Mrs. Lisbona, Pope Francis would have even said to her that “he is dealing with the topic” of the divorced and remarried people, with a clear reference to the next two meetings of the Synod of Bishops (2014 and 2015), dedicated to the family pastoral. “He said that he needed my letter to deal with this issue”, he added. “And then he told me that there are priests more papist than the Pope. He spoke with normality, and I tried to talk to him with the greatest possible respect. Now the size that this story has taken, has crossed over me, I’m excited because I spoke with Francis. And I told him I’d write back when I’ll have taken communion again” (interview to Mrs. Jakelina Lisbona in Zabeta with the Red Am910 broadcasting of Buenos Aires, April 23th, 2014).

What was stated by Bergoglio to the Argentine woman, Mrs. Lisbona, is very serious.

Bergoglio not only does not confirm the divine rule dictated by Jesus on this subject (“The two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Let not man separate what God has joined”) but he has given advices on how to circumvent the rule. In doing so, Bergoglio at the same time humiliates and mortifies those who, even in suffering, try to observe this rule but especially those who, in their role as minister, should, in the name of God, enforce the rule.

In this case, those who want to remain faithful to God, to who should they obey, both now and later? To God or to laws that, in the meantime, the men modify and interpret according to their own purposes?

If the rule is holy and it is from God, it must be respected, regardless of man and/or men who want to change It. This is the coherence and linearity of the authentic teachings of Christ.

Bergoglio, instead, manifests his thought that is contrary to the thought of Jesus; but he does not do it openly, in the clear daylight, but in the shadow of the conversations concerning his sphere of “personal pastoral relations“, which is why “since these statements are not absolutely a matter of public activity” the Vatican information bodies refrain from commenting, stating however that it is “to avoid drawing from this happening, consequences regarding the teaching of the Church” (Vatican press office, a note of April 24^th, 2014).

Once again, the words of Jesus invite us to reflect and help us to understand: “Let instead your speech be yes, yes; no, no; more than this comes from evil” (Mt 5, 37).

The children of the Light do not hide themselves: whether in public or in private, because they are children of the One who Is.