Consolamini Magazine - Volume 1: Preparing for the Synod on the Family

Volume 1|Spring 2015

Preparing for the Synod on the Family

Š Copyright 2015

Contents 3

Against the Kasperian Proposal | Michael Lofton

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Till Death Do We Part | Kevin Lents

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The Catholic Relief Services Scandal | Michael Hichborn

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Ask Father | Fr. Ryan Humphries

17 Br. Consolamini Asks the Saints About the Synod on the Family

19 Tough Questions, Frank Answers 22 A Deacon Speaks Up Against Kasper’s Proposal | Deacon Joseph Pasquella

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The Truth About the Synod|CMTV’s Christine Niles

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An Interview with H.G. Bishop Nicholas Samra on the Eastern Catholicism

The Latin word consolamini is a form of the word consolor. The word comes from the Latin translation of Isaiah 40:1, and it means to comfort, console or soothe. The Mystical Body of Christ is suffering greatly, having endured many schisms, scandals, poor leadership and nominal members. It is the purpose of Consolamini Magazine, to help relieve the sufferings of the mystical Body of Christ by providing Catholics with orthodox articles on the faith.

Editor: Michael Lofton | www.consolamini.org

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Against the Kasperian Proposal

By Michael Lofton

which is impossible to accept”[2]. In other words, the doctrine should remain intact on paper, but in practice, the Church should not act in accord with its doctrine. He asserts the Church should instead take a “pastoral approach of tolerance, clemency and indulgence,”[3] rather than the nearly 2,000 year old approach the Church has taken on this matter; an approach informed by its doctrine, which is admittedly derived from Christ Himself.

A Brief Introduction to the Kasperian Controversy For those who are not familiar with the current controversy taking place within the Catholic Church, Cardinal Walter Kasper, a German cardinal in the Catholic Church, is proposing that the Catholic Church change its practice on refusing to administer Holy Communion to those who are divorced and remarried (i.e., those living in adultery).[1] Though the cardinal says the actual doctrine that divorced and remarried individuals are living in adultery cannot be changed, he proposes that the Church should change its practice on this matter and “tolerate that

The Motives Behind the Controversy The Kasperian faction within the Church, which consists of most German Bishops, 3

changes to come into the Church. If practice is divorced from doctrine in the matter of Holy Communion, what would stop the Church from divorcing its practice from its doctrine on, say, homosexual unions? Wouldn’t the Church be able to bless same sex unions if practice is divorced from doctrine?

Furthermore, upon what basis would the Church refuse Holy Communion to obstinate pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, etc., if such a precedent has been established?

3. The Church Would Become Hypocritical: If Kasper’s proposal is embraced, it would make the Church a hypocrite. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “hypocrite” as: “a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.” [5] What is more hypocritical than claiming that divorced and remarried individuals are living in adultery, and yet administering Holy Communion, a sacrament one should only receive in a state of grace, to adulterers?

asserts the Church should change its practice on this matter in order to be more “merciful” and “tolerant” in light of the difficult situation these individuals living in adultery find themselves. Though this is the official reason for the novel proposal, many question whether this is the real reason behind the proposal. Others [4] have asserted this proposal is more likely related to the fact that the Church in Germany will be able to receive more tax money from the government if more people in Germany identify themselves as Catholic, a factor that largely depends upon whether people can receive Holy Communion while living in adultery. In other words, if the many adulterers in Germany can receive Holy Communion, then they will be more inclined to identify themselves as Catholics on government documents, and the German Church will be able to receive more tax money from the government. The latter motive is more than likely the real reason behind Kasper’s proposal, because, if the German Bishops were really interested in being merciful to people, they would proclaim, without hesitation, the real means by which adulterers may be forgiven (i.e. the sacrament of confession).

A Refutation of the Kasperian Proposal

The Consequences of the Proposal, if Embraced

In addition to the consequences mentioned above, there are many reasons why, if embraced, Kasper’s proposal would be detrimental to the Church. Below are just a few reasons:

If Kasper’s proposal is embraced by the Church, what are the consequences?

1. A Gross Dichotomy Between Practice and Doctrine: Embracing Kasper’s proposal would create a gross dichotomy between doctrine and practice. Instead of practice being informed by doctrine, this would end up divorcing practice entirely from doctrine; a novelty if there ever was one.

2. It Sets a Precedent: The proposal would set a precedent for other radical

1. An Appeal from Reason: Kasper’s proposal to introduce a practice that opposes doctrine is akin to a medical doctor who claims that he teaches his students the appropriate way to heal a victim from a gunshot wound is to remove the bullets and stabilize the patient, while at the same time, in practice, decapitating said victim as soon as they enter his ER. Any medical doctor who had such a dichotomy 4

between doctrine and practice would probably be considered insane. Like the medical doctor in this analogy, Kasper’s proposal is literally “insane”.

2. An Appeal From Scripture: Is it really merciful to give Holy Communion to those obstinately living in a state of adultery? St. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29:

Doctor of the Church, St. Jerome, to weigh in on the Kasperian proposal. St. Jerome states:

“I have not been able quite to determine what it is that she means by the words has found herself compelled to marry again.

What is this compulsion of which she speaks? Was she overborne by a crowd and ravished against her will? If so, why has she not, thus victimized, subsequently put away her ravisher? Let her read the books of Moses and she will find that if violence is offered to a betrothed virgin in a city and she does not cry out, she is punished as an adulteress: but if she is forced in the field, she is innocent of sin and her ravisher alone is amenable to the laws. (Deuteronomy 22:23-27) Therefore if your sister, who, as she says, has been forced into a second union, wishes to receive the body of Christ and not to be accounted an adulteress, let her do penance; so far at least as from the time she begins to repent to have no farther intercourse with that second husband who ought to be called not a husband but an adulterer. If this seems hard to her and if she cannot leave one whom she has once loved and will not prefer the Lord to sensual pleasure, let her hear the declaration of the apostle: ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table of devils, (1 Corinthians 10:21) and in another place: what communion has light with darkness?

And what concord has Christ with Belial? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15) What I am about to say may sound novel but after all it is not new but old for it is supported by the witness of the Old Testament. If she leaves her second husband and desires to be reconciled with her first, she cannot be so now; for it is written in Deuteronomy: When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her; then let him write her a bill of

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

Clearly, a person who is obstinately living in adultery, if they receive Holy Communion, is “guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” and “eat[s] and drink[s] judgment on themselves”. Thus, knowingly giving obstinate adulterers Holy Communion assists the adulterer in sinning against Christ and helps them bring greater judgment upon themselves. Is this really merciful, or is it in fact a way of assisting an unrepentant adulterer in damning their souls even further? Would this not be formal cooperation in evil?

3. An Appeal from Tradition: It goes without saying that the practice of the Church is opposed to Cardinal Kasper’s proposal. However, it may still be beneficial to allow the voice of the great 5

divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband die which took her to be his wife; her former husband, which sent her away may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and you shall not cause the land to sin, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 24:14) Wherefore, I beseech you, do your best to comfort her and to urge her to seek salvation.

Diseased flesh calls for the knife and the searing-iron. The wound is to blame and not the healing art, if with a cruelty that is really kindness a physician to spare does not spare, and to be merciful is cruel.” [6]

Since most of us are not Bishops, and thus do not have a great deal of immediate power in determining what the Church will choose in this matter, does this mean we are impotent in combating Kasper’s proposal?

Absolutely not! In fact, we have one of the greatest tools at our very fingertips. What is this tool of which I speak? In the words of one faithful priest: “here is the solution to the coming approaching evils, the faithful recitation of the Rosary”. [7] With the faithful recitation of the Rosary, there is simply no problem the faithful can’t conquer, as numerous Saints attest. Thus, let us take up our arms and, by God’s grace, we will soon be able to say: “It was not courage, not arms, not leaders, but Mary of the Rosary that made us victors.” ~ Venetian Senators after Battle of Lepanto

What Can Be Done?

[1] It should be noted here that those who are divorced and remarried, even while the original spouse is still alive, can receive Holy Communion if they commit themselves to a life of abstinence.

[2] http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1400852.htm [3] Ibid [4] See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcRo4vgDKes [5] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrite [6] St. Jerome, Letter 55.

[7] http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20141005-The-Rosary-Our-Weapon-Against-the-Approaching-Evils.html

Michael Lofton is a Latin Rite Catholic in the Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana and is also a member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. He is a Catholic convert from Protestantism (his conversion story can be found here) and is an author of over a dozen books on Sacred Scripture, Catholic Theology and Apologetics as well as the editor of the St. Jerome Study Bible, found here. He is occasionally a guest on Radio Maria and is the author of the website www.consolamini.org

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The Eternal City, where the Synod will take place in October 7

Till Death Do We Part?

Kevin Lents

For two millennia the Catholic Church has taught the indissolubility of Holy Matrimony. It is a Sacred Tradition she has taught because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught it. It is a sacrament that was instituted by our Blessed Lord Himself (see CCC 1113-4). More than a few early Church Fathers spoke of the indissolubility of Holy Matrimony.

"Do not tell me about the violence of the ravisher, about the persuasiveness of a mother, about the authority of a father, about the influence of relatives, about the intrigues and insolence of servants, or about household [financial] losses. So long as a husband lives, be he adulterer, be he sodomite, be he addicted to every kind of vice, if she left him on account of his crimes, he is her husband still and she may not take another" (St. Jerome, Letters 55:3 [A.D. 396]).

"No one is permitted to know a woman other than his wife. The marital right is given you for this reason: lest you fall into the snare and sin with a strange woman. ‘If you are bound to a wife do not seek a divorce’; for you are not permitted, while your wife lives, to marry another" (St. Ambrose of Milan, Abraham 1:7:59 [A.D. 387]).

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After reading Sts. Jerome and Ambrose above, it is curious to witness individuals in Holy Mother Church – even those whose vocations are called to uphold and protect Christ’s sacraments – calling to “confirm the doctrine, but change the practice” the admission of divorced couples who are civilly remarried. It is as though any doctrine of the Church may in some way be “affirmed” then admit couples or individuals to receive our Blessed Savior’s precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion, although these persons may be in a state of mortal sin. This is the state of the Church today in the wake of the “All are Welcome” mantra ushered in during the zeitgeist, “Spirit of Vatican II,” post conciliar era.

Ever since certain prelates began to emphasize the Lord’s mercy over His justice, it is as if any doctrine of the Church, be it a matter of faith and morals (or even holy Church disciplines), can suddenly be swept away by the stroke of his pen. What is a Catholic to make of all this? Our Blessed Lord spoke of the sin of adultery in no uncertain terms in St. Matthew’s Gospel.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mt. 5:27-8) He was also very clear about the indissolubility of Holy Matrimony later in St. Matthew’s Gospel.

"Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one'? So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery." (Mt. 19:4-9) St. Paul, who was given the Gospel by Divine infused knowledge (see Gal. 1:12), was certainly clear about receiving Holy Communion unworthily and ill-prepared.

Whoever, therefore, eats the Kevin Lents on EWTN’s The Journey Home bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, 9

and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Cor. 27-29) [It is interesting to note in the current Pope Paul VI missal/lectionary (also known as “Novus Ordo”) promulgated in 1969, verses twenty-seven and twenty-nine from the above Pauline text were left out and are never heard during Holy Mass.]

Cyprian of Carthage said this of receiving Holy Communion ill prepared and “lapsed”: “He [Paul] threatens, moreover, the stubborn and forward, and denounces them, saying, ‘Whosoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor. 11:27]. All these warnings being scorned and condemned—[lapsed Christians will often take Communion] before their sin is expiated, before confession has been made of their crime, before their conscience has been purged by sacrifice and by the hand of the priest, before the offense of an angry and threatening Lord has been appeased, [and so] violence is done to his body and blood; and they sin now against their Lord more with their hand and mouth than when they denied their Lord” (The Lapsed 15–16 [A.D. 251]).

In light of what we have just seen above, in relation to studying the issue of allowing divorced and civilly remarried individuals to Holy Communion, how could this in any way be interpreted as “mercy”?

Would it not be more merciful to reinforce the very teachings of Christ in this matter, adhering to Ceremony of Marriage (Giulio Rosati) Catholic Sacred Tradition? Why would certain high prelates in Holy Mother Church, shepherds whose vocations are for the salvation of souls, want to allow such individuals to receive Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin? Would not this double their sin by the sin of sacrilege? (receiving the Lord’s Body and Blood while in a state of mortal sin) The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches this on the sin of sacrilege.

Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us. (CCC 2120, italics added except on “Sacrilege”) St. Paul is very clear in his epistles about adhering to Sacred Tradition.

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So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thes. 2:15) St. Chrysostom has this to say about “traditions” in the text above.

Traditions,...whether by word, or by our epistle. Therefore, says St. Chrysostom, the apostle did not deliver all things that were to be believed, by writing; (Witham) but many things by word of mouth only, which have been perpetuated by tradition, and these traditions, no less than the writings of the apostles, are deserving of faith. (St. Chrysostom, on this place, italics added) Let us pray for the upcoming Synod on the family coming in October. Let us pray that Holy Father Francis, and his brother bishops, adhere to Sacred Catholic Tradition for the salvation of souls – even souls who may be in an irregular state of “marriage” in their particular circumstances.

Kevin Lents is a Catholic Catechist, Evangelist and Apologist. He is the author of The Language of Dissent, has appeared on Marcus Grodi’s program “The Journey Home” on EWTN and has been a guest on several radio programs. He is married with five children.

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The Catholic Relief Services Scandal An Interview with Michael Hichborn from the Lepanto Institute

Consolamini: Thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to interview you, Michael. Would you first start by telling me about yourself, the Lepanto Institute and its purpose?

MH: Above all things, I am a sinner in great need of God’s mercy. I would stop there, but I’m sure you are looking for a little bit more about my background. I am a Catholic husband and father of 5 children. I met my wife at Christendom College, where we both earned our degrees in political science and economics. After college, I earned a master’s degree in education and helped open two Catholic schools in Fredericksburg, VA. From there, I spent nearly eight years working for American Life League, where I started doing in-depth research into organizations calling themselves Catholic, but are in fact conducting activities that are distinctly “un-Catholic.”

In November of last year, after deep prayer and reflection, my wife and I decided that the things I have discovered required more focus and attention, and so I left my good job at American Life League to launch the Lepanto Institute. Here, it is my intention to continue my investigations into organizations like the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Health Association, Caritas Internationalis, and a host of others that are funding and giving aid and comfort to the enemies of Our Blessed Lord.

My hope is that by uncovering and exposing this information, our bishops will have the information they need in order to fully and properly address the current crisis in the Church.

Consolamini: You recently investigated some aspects of the charitable organization Catholic Research Institute (hereafter CRS), what is CRS and what did your investigation yield?

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MH: Catholic Relief Services is the international development and aid agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In general, CRS does emergency work responding to the various problems around the world. Unfortunately, in addition to the great and necessary work of CRS, the organization has been caught time and time again funding abortion and contraception providers and implementing contraception-pushing programs.

Earlier this month, Population Research Institute and I published a 56 page report showing that CRS is implementing contraception-promoting programs. One such program is called Healthy Choices II. We found a government document indicating that CRS is implementing this program, but after we confronted CRS about it, the program disappeared from the online version of the government document, and CRS said that they spoke with the government agency who “apologized” for mistakenly identifying CRS with it. However, PRI’s on the ground investigation confirmed that the program was implemented as written, including the promotion of contraception. In fact, the investigator was told by one of CRS’s sub-partners that CRS told them “not to implement Healthy Choices II in Catholic schools.”

Michael Hichborn Exposing CRS's Funding of Contraceptive Programs at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

Consolamini: What is Healthy Choices II? MH: Healthy Choices II is an 8 part sex education program for kids between the ages of 1317. The program is highly graphic about sexual intimacy and out of 255 pages for the HC II manual, condom use is mentioned 335 times on 101 pages and contraception is mentioned 52 times on 15 pages. There can be no doubt that the program is intended to encourage contraception and condom use.

Consolamini: What did CRS say after they were caught implementing this program?

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MH: That’s the funny thing. CRS claims that it only implemented a sanitized version of Healthy Choices II. But after obtaining further documentation through the Freedom of Information Act, we found two years’ worth of reporting from CRS to the government, indicating its implementation of Healthy Choices II. In November of 2013, CRS indicated that it suddenly became aware that Healthy Choices II included the promotion of contraception. So my question is, “How could CRS have known to implement a sanitized version of Healthy Choices II if it only became aware of the contraception-promoting elements in it at the end of 2013 … two years after CRS started implementing the program?”

Consolamini: What else did you find in the CRS-written documents you obtained through FOIA? MH: We discovered in those documents that CRS also implemented a program called Shuga.

This program is a three part video series produced by MTV. The content is near pornographic, and the entire purpose of the program is to promote condoms as a way of preventing HIV. According to CRS’s own reporting metrics, they are responsible for over 3,000 kids being exposed to this program.

Consolamini: Why shouldn't Catholics support organizations which fund contraceptive programs?

MH: I’ll refer your readers to Sirach 12:10-13: “Never trust your enemies, for their wickedness is like corrosion in bronze. Even though they act deferentially and peaceably toward you, take care to be on your guard against them. Treat them as those who reveal secrets, and be certain that in the end there will still be envy. Do not let them stand near you, lest they push you aside and take your place. Do not let them sit at your right hand, or they will demand your seat, and in the end you will appreciate my advice, when you groan with regret, as I warned.

Who pities a snake charmer when he is bitten, or anyone who goes near a wild beast?”

As long as organizations calling themselves “Catholic” give funds, aid and comfort to the Enemies of Christ, we will continue to lose the fight against abortion and same-sex marriage.

Consolamini: I understand that CRS responded to some of the claims you made in your investigation. They seem to indicate your research was unfounded. Do you believe they have sufficiently refuted your research, and if not, why not?

MH: In CRS’s official response to our investigation, it claims to have carefully reviewed the report … but then it proceeds to claim that “The report alleges that CRS promoted condoms as part of our work in Healthy Choices I.” This is simply not true. In fact, our report completely EXONERATES CRS regarding Healthy Choices I, because the on the ground investigator found that a local outcry over the condom-promoting elements in Healthy Choices I led to the modification of the program.

Had CRS actually reviewed the report as carefully as it claims, it would never have made such an obvious blunder. The rest of their response is refuted by what we’ve found in the FOIA documents.

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Consolamini: If CRS is out of the picture, what are some orthodox Catholic charities a Catholic can support in good conscience?

MH: The Church has always promoted the notion of subsidiarity. Give locally before all else. But when it comes to emergency response, I recommend Caritas in Veritate International.

Michael Hichborn is the founder of The Lepanto Institute. For more information, please visit www.lepantoinstitute.org

Michael Hichborn at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

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Ask Father Consolamini: What are your thoughts in regards to the Kasperian proposal that will be considered next October at the Synod on the Family? What should faithful Catholics do if the Kasperian proposal is put in practice?

Father: It’s a little more complicated than is typically reported. There are two flavors of proposals for the synod. First, there are those who want to do away with the teachings of the Church - the so-called Kasperian proposals. As this synod has no assurance of infallibility, a bizarre final product is certainly possible. Our response to that, really, is none at all. Ultimately, the teaching instrument of the Church with regard to synods is the “post-synodal apostolic exhortation.” Pope St. John Paul II wrote many of them - some quite excellent, some more obscure. As is the case now, some of the clergy will be obedient, others less so. This has always been the case at all moments in Church history.

As in all of those moments, our call is to prayer, fasting, works of mercy and fidelity to the Church. God works most powerfully through saints and Satan works most powerfully through discord. The Holy Spirit will protect the universal Church from error and so we must cover our specific clergy in prayer and grace.

Fr. Ryan Humphries

In addition to the so-called Kasperian proposal, there are those who advocate a reform of the annulment process. That approach is actually well substantiated by faithful experts who spend their days with the real people - “in the trenches” so to speak. This is much more likely to prevail as the common ground approach. If it does, there’s no need for anxiety. The law and policy of the Church are always being tweaked in response to the needs of the times. Pope Benedict made several changes to the law during his pontificate as have all the popes.

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Fr. Ryan Humphries is a priest for the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana. He was ordained in May 2005 and is currently the administrator at The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

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C

Br. Consolamini asks the Saints about the Synod on the Family Br. Consolamini was recently sitting in his monastic cell when suddenly Pope St. John Paul II appeared before him in order to grant him an interview on the Synod on the Family. Gleefully, he grabbed a pen and paper and immediately began:

Pope St. John Paul II: Besides this, there is another special pastoral reason: if these people were admitted to the Eucharist, the faithful would be led into error and confusion regarding the Church’s teaching about the indissolubility of marriage.” (Source)

Br. Consolamini: Holy Father, what are your thoughts on the Kasperian Proposal? Can divorced and remarried Catholics receive Holy Communion?

Pope St. John Paul II: The Church should reaffirm her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried. (Source) Br. Consolamini: Why shouldn’t they be admitted to Holy Communion?

Pope St. John Paul II: They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict Pope St. John Paul II that union of love between Christ and the Church which is signified and effected by the Pope St. John Paul II suddenly had to Eucharist. (Source) leave. Br. Consolamini was not sure what demanded his attention but he heard him Br. Consolamini: Are there any other saying something about helping with an reasons why they should not be admitted exorcism and something else about a man to Holy Communion? named Hans Kung. Before he left he managed to motion to St. Jerome that he might take his 17

place in answering the rest of his questions. Br. Consolamini shrugged off Pope St. John Paul II’s mysterious disappearance and proceeded with the interview.

Br. Consolamini: That seems a bit harsh.

St. Jerome: If this seems hard to them and if they cannot leave one whom they have once loved and will not prefer the Lord to sensual pleasure, let them hear the declaration Br. Consolamini: St. Jerome, I’m glad I of the apostle: ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils: ye cannot be have the opportunity to speak to partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table you. What do you think about the Kasperian Proposal? Should the divorced of devils, (1 Corinthians 10:21) and in and remarried receive the Holy Eucharist? another place: what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? (2 Corinthians 6:1415) (Source) Br. Consolamini: If they ought not to receive Holy Communion, what should we, as faithful Catholics, do to help the person in this situation?

St. Jerome: Do your best to comfort them and to urge them to seek salvation.

Br. Consolamini: But what if they are offended that I would suggest they need to seek salvation?

Diseased flesh calls for the knife and the searing-iron. The wound is to blame and not the healing art. (Source)

St. Jerome

St. Jerome: If a person who has entered a second union wishes to receive the body of Christ and not to be accounted in adultery, they must do penance; they must also have no more intercourse with that second spouse who ought to be called not a spouse but an adulterer. (Source)

At this point St. Jerome alerted our beloved monk to the fact that his intercession was needed for a group of Catholics who were having to suffer through a clown Mass. Br. Consolamini immediately let him know that he understood he had more important matters to attend to and agreed to finish the interview another time.

Michael Lofton is a Latin Rite Catholic in the Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana and is also a member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. He is a Catholic convert from Protestantism (his conversion story can be found here) and is an author of over a dozen books on Sacred Scripture, Catholic Theology and Apologetics as well as the editor of the St. Jerome Study Bible, found here. He is occasionally a guest on Radio Maria and is the author of the website www.consolamini.org

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Tough Questions, Frank Answers

Consolamini interviews a father on divorce, contraception and the Kasperian Proposal.

Consolamini: Christopher, I understand you are a Catholic and your wife has initiated a divorce because you refuse to practice contraception in your marriage.

Consolamini: Your wife is a Catholic, and yet she insists that you contracept in your marriage?

Christopher: This is true, which is why I have chosen not to publicly disclose my full identity. Not that I have anything to hide, but so as not to publicly disclose the identity of my wife who is initiating this divorce.

Consolamini: Doesn’t she know that the Catholic Church teaches it is a grave sin to practice contraception?

Christopher: Sadly, yes.

Christopher: She knows what the Church teaches, she simply rejects what it teaches.

Although, it sure didn’t help when she went to a local priest, who advised her it is a matter of personal conscience whether or not she may contracept.

Consolamini: What is it like having to choose between obeying God (i.e. in the matter of marital relations) vs. your wife?

Consolamini: Evidently this dissenting priest left out the fact that the conscience is to be informed by the Magisterium.

Christopher: It is a decision I should never have had to face, given that my wife is a Catholic.

Christopher: Yes, he conveniently left that part out. I did, however, tell her that her 20

conscience must be informed by the Magisterium, and that her conscience is not autonomous.

which would be a long time from now, since she is in her mid-20’s.

Consolamini: You really wouldn’t enter into a second marriage if you didn’t qualify for an annulment?

Consolamini: Is she aware that there is a penalty of automatic excommunication for obstinately rejecting something the Church teaches concerning matters of faith and morals?

Christopher: No, I would not enter a second marriage, since that would be adultery.

Christopher: I’m not sure if she knows this, and she refuses to discuss the issue long enough for me to warn her of the penalty.

Consolamini: Even if it was your spouse that left you?

Christopher: Yes.

Consolamini: It sounds as if her heart is pretty hardened.

Consolamini: Wow that sounds pretty extreme.

Christopher: Unfortunately that may be the case. At this point I have simply turned her over to God. The mistake she is making is even more aggravated by the fact that we have two young children, who will have to suffer the consequences of her decision. As a result, I pray often for her salvation, and for the protection of my children who will have to experience the negative effects of her decision to abandon this marriage.

Christopher: No, it is simply what all Christians are called to do when something unfortunate like this happens to them. God always provides us with the grace to carry out His commands.

Consolamini: What do you think about the Kapserian Proposal, which suggests adulterers should be allowed to receive Holy Communion?

Consolamini: Do you plan to apply for a decree of nullity?

Christopher: Other than the fact that it is against Scripture, and Tradition, I think it is shameful. This shouldn’t even be an issue. The adulterer should be happy to give up their sin in order to receive the Holy Eucharist. The fact that they want to keep their sin, and receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, shows that they truly don’t love Jesus.

Christopher: Yes, just in case I wish to marry in the future.

Consolamini: What if you don’t qualify for an annulment?

Christopher: The Church teaches that if a person is married and the spouse divorces them, they are not free to marry again, as long as the spouse is alive. If I don’t qualify for an annulment, then I will remain single the rest of my life, or at least until such time as my wife passes away,

Consolamini: Why do you say that?

Christopher: Because Jesus said “If you love me, you will obey my commands” and he was clear that one is not free to enter into a second marriage. Thus, if a person enters into a second marriage, or 21

continues in a second marriage while knowing the words of Christ, they do not truly love Christ and eat judgment upon themselves when they receive the Eucharist according to St. Paul (1 Cor. 11).

single the rest of their life, is something the spouse must confess. Without this confession and a firm purpose of amendment, they shouldn’t be given Holy Communion.

Consolamini: That is definitely an aspect of the Kasperian Proposal that is often overlooked. What would you say to Catholics who are living in a second union?

Consolamini: So, you don’t believe the Church should apply Kasper’s proposal?

Christopher: No, if they really are concerned about mercy, then they will encourage the adulterers to go to confession, not to Holy Communion without a firm purpose of amendment.

Christopher: I understand some circumstances may require you to live with the person in the second union, for example, if you have children with them.

However, you must remain completely chaste. I realize how hard this might be but the situation with my marriage has required me to live completely chaste for two years, and I have done so, by God’s grace, and am perfectly willing to do it for the rest of my life if I don’t qualify for an annulment. How? By God’s grace, of course. If I can do it, anyone can do it. I use to be one of the most profligate people who ever lived when it comes to sexual sins. I know by experience the bondage Satan has over people who live commit sexual sins habitually. And if, by God’s grace, I was able to go from living such a life, to living completely chaste, nobody has an excuse not to live in accord with God’s commands because I was completely in bondage to Satan concerning sexual sins. The Christian life isn’t easy. Unless we are willing to take up our crosses and follow Christ, we are not worthy of Him. This is a big cross to carry, I know, but you must do it and frankly, not to carry this cross is to say Christ isn’t worth it. If faced with the choice of receiving Christ in Holy Communion or adultery, you should choose the former without hesitating.

Consolamini: What does your wife, or perhaps I should say, soon to be ex-wife, plan to do if she doesn’t qualify for an annulment?

Christopher: She has indicated she will enter into a second union anyway.

Consolamini: What if she enters a second union and, under the Kasperian proposal, is given Holy Communion without abandoning her second union?

Christopher: Well, she would clearly be guilty of both adultery and sacrilege. But this brings up another point. Kasper’s proposal only considers the adulterer and simply gives no consideration to the spouse who was abandoned, as well as the children who suffer due to the divorce.

Kasper’s proposal, for example, doesn’t take someone such as myself into consideration, as I will be forced to remain single the rest of my life if I don’t qualify for an annulment, while the spouse who abandoned me is given Holy Communion, as if they didn’t do anything wrong. To put someone, such as myself, in the situation where they would have to remain 22

A Deacon Speaks Up Against Kasper’s Proposal An Interview with Deacon Joseph Pasquella Deacon Joseph, left.

Eventually I attended a 4 year Bible/Christian Leadership training program to prepare for Christian ministry.

I received an undergraduate degree in Biblical Research and pastoral ministry.

As the years passed and my wife and I started a few churches as Evangelists, we saw many inconsistencies in the whole of Protestant Christianity. Everyone had the same Biblical texts and they did not agree.

Consolamini: Deacon Joseph, I understand you converted from Eastern Orthodoxy to Catholicism. Would you mind telling me about your conversion and why you decided to become Catholic?

First we have to go back a bit in history. I was baptized Catholic, but after the death of my father, my mother started going back to the Pentecostal Church which was the church she attended before she married my father. When I was 12 she decided that I needed to be with her in that church.

Once there, I was brainwashed to believe many things about the Catholic Church which were not accurate, and many things which were outright lies.

We eventually left the Pentecostal Church and ministry. We moved to Cape Cod near my wife's parent’s home, and started life all over again. I was still haunted by the question, “how does one know who is right about doctrine”? My wife one day suggested that if I wanted to know the real 23

meaning of the Greek New Testament, I should go and ask the Greeks in their own Church. This brought me into Orthodoxy.

Spirit at the Pope's exhortation. I went deep into the study of the early Church fathers, and I saw proof that the early Church did indeed recognize that Peter and his successors not only had a great place of honor among the other ancient patriarchates, but juridical power also.

Reading the book, Jesus, Peter and the Keys, gave me the biblical proof that I needed to see that papacy was always part of the Church and the Holy Bible.

I started a Church with my wife and a few friends in The Antiochian Orthodox Church. Eventually my family and I were received into the Church. The bishop encouraged me to go into the St. Stephen's Course in Orthodox Theology; a course that was designed for former Protestant Clergy who came into the Orthodox Church to prepare them for the diaconate.

I was ordained a transitional deacon on December 8, 1996, and assigned by my Metropolitan Archbishop as the Administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Antiochian Orthodox Mission Church on Cape Cod.

I knew that I was called to be in full union with the See of Rome, so I set out on a quest to be united to the Church. The Church accepted me as a deacon and petitioned the See of Rome to allow me to function as a deacon in the Catholic Church. The Congregation for Doctrine and Faith removed the canonical irregularities and the bishop was informed that he could incardinate me at his pleasure.

On the feast of St. Dominic, August 8th, 2005, I was incardinated into the Diocese of Buffalo, NY, and given Faculties to function as a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, with my bishop's blessing and the blessing of Bishop Paul of the Eparchy of Stamford of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. I was also given permission to serve the Byzantine Liturgies.

However, God has a sense of humor.

One day I turned the TV on and it was on the EWTN Chanel. Pope St. John Paul II was on the TV program presiding at the Way of the Cross in Rome. At one point Pope John Paul II stop reading his written text and proclaimed that the Church must breathe with two lungs, the East and the West. I was deeply moved by the Holy

Consolamini: As you know, there is a major push by some in the Church to change the Church's discipline on prohibiting Holy Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics. Do you think such a change in discipline 24

would be beneficial to the Church? If not, why not?

Consolamini: I'm sure you are aware of the fiasco that took place during the extraordinary Synod on the Family late last year. I'm particularly referencing Archbishop Forte's attempt to insert into the midterm report language about sodomy which is incompatible with the Church's teachings on sodomy. What are your thoughts on this attempt made by the Archbishop?

No, it would not be beneficial for the Catholic Church at all. The Eternal Logos, Jesus Christ himself gave us the teaching on the indissolubility of a valid marriage.

It is until the death of one of the spouses.

Consolamini: Some, such as Cardinal Kasper, portray this change as merely one of discipline and entirely separate from doctrine. Do you believe there really can be such a dichotomy between doctrine and practice?

There can be no praise at all regarding same sex unions. There are no gifts from their unions and from their sexual acts that God has called “abominations� (sexual acts committed by women with women and men with men). Sodomy according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church is still called one of the four sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance. Homosexuals are

No there can be no Dichotomy between what the Church believes and what she practices, that would be Hypocrisy.

Consolamini: Some proponents of this change in the Church's discipline appeal to "Economia" and the practice of Eastern Orthodox Christians. What do you think of such a comparison as a former Eastern Orthodox Christian?

Well, what many believe about the Orthodox way of granting church divorces is not what it truly is in reality. Not everyone who asks for a Church divorce is granted one. Just like not everyone who asks for an annulment in the Roman Catholic Church gets one. Perhaps the criteria used in each of our separated Churches is very similar. It was the eastern Emperors that insisted that the Eastern Churches give Church divorces, and was always seen as problematic even before the Great Schism that separated both of our respective Churches.

Deacon Joseph on EWTN’s The Journey Home

people who suffer from a disorder. When they act upon their disordered same gender attractions, they commit sins of a very disordered variety and these acts are always mortal sins, objectively speaking.

Also, as with all mortal sins, to commit such a heinous act opens a doorway to the demonic. Most homosexuals suffer from 25

tremendous anxiety, depression and despair and sadly many have committed suicide.

synod fathers during the extraordinary synod on the family. The intent was to prevent the fathers from receiving a copy of the book Remaining in the Truth of Christ published by Ignatius Press, which refutes the Kasperian proposal. What are your thoughts in this matter? Do you think it is becoming of such a high ranking prelate to take such actions?

Consolamini: Do you fear something similar might happen with the Synod on the Family that will take place this October?

Anything is possible. However, I have hope that more bishops will stand up and preach the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; bishops who still believe that the Word of God is the will of God and that the Church cannot change truth. Neither can it change its dogma, because Jesus is truth, and truth/dogmas can never change as Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. All real truth is objective; it has been revealed to the Church via Jesus Christ and His Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

I have a copy of the book that you mentioned; it is a great theological work. I don't know the percent of the bishops whose mail was tampered with in order to prevent the book from getting out during the synod, but I have heard that it is as you say. Remember that the first great heresy after Gnosticism, I believe, was the Arian heresy. This occurred during the fourth century and the Roman Emperor was Constantine I. He had the bishops get together from the known world and they had the first Ecumenical Council. At that time, over 85% of the bishops and priests had fallen into the heresy of Arianism, which denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Consolamini: The Kasperian party seems to be playing the "mercy" card in order to further their agenda. Do you believe the Kasperian proposal is truly consistent with mercy? If not, why not?

God is Love, it is part of who God is in His essence. But God is not mercy in his essence. Mercy implies that someone did something wrong and has asked for forgiveness; with the help of the Lord, they promise not to do the evil action again. If someone doesn't want to change

Consolamini: It has also been suggested that Cardinal Baldisseri was the high ranking prelate who tampered with the mail that was to be delivered to the 26

their behavior, they don't need mercy... mercy must be tempered with justice. (For more on a critique of Kasper’s appeal to mercy as an attribute of God, read this.)

Catholics, would have to resist as Cardinal Burke indicated.

Consolamini: Is there anything Catholics can do to voice their concerns in regards to the Kasperian Proposal before the synod takes place next October?

Consolamini: If the Church adopts Cardinal Kasper's position on Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried, what should be the response of faithful Catholics?

Well, there is no reason why one cannot write their own bishop/archbishop with their concerns. One could write to the Papal Nuncio too, or even the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

The Church would not be able to accept such a thing. If hypothetically something like that happened it would cause a schism. We, who are faithful orthodox

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A Church Fathers/Medieval Study Bible

Introducing, the St. Jerome Study Bible Consolamini Publications is currently putting together a Catholic study Bible called the St. Jerome Study Bible. This will be a unique study Bible in that it will have commentary on every chapter of the Bible from the Church Fathers, with occasional contributions from medieval and modern Saints. If you are looking for a Catholic study Bible that isn't entrenched in the modern historical-critical method, then you will love this study Bible. For more about the St. Jerome Study Bible, visit www.sjsbible.com.

"All interpretation takes place within a community and a tradition. The Catholic Church includes all the saints of heaven.

The Christian tradition reaches back through the Apostles to ancient Israel.

These riches are evident on every page of this remarkable Study Bible. When we read the Bible with the ancient Fathers, we are reading it as it was written — and as its primary Author intended.Type your paragraph here." -Scott Hahn, Author of The Lamb's Supper “A valuable resource for studying the history of interpretation — or for use in Lectio Divina — this is a beautiful work of Christian filial piety.” – Mike Aquilina, author of The Fathers of the Church "This is the book we’ve all been waiting for. The Catholic Church has never lacked in scholars or scholarship, but she has lacked in getting this wealth of scholarship into the minds and hearts of her faithful. It is the perennial problem. Michael Lofton has in one volume the perfect combination of an enormous amount of the very best of scholarship on Sacred Scripture coupled with a level of accessibility that gives the average Catholic easy access to that scholarship. This book is a major contribution to solving the problem. It should be on the bookshelf of every Catholic home." - Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics and Evangelization at Catholic Answers.

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The Truth About the Synod An Interview with Christine Niles

Consolamini: Thank you, Christine, for taking time to answer my questions.

Would you first tell me about yourself and what you do with Church Militant TV?

This year’s Synod is meant to continue the work of last year’s Synod by continuing the discussion and forming pastoral guidelines for Catholics.

My official title is producer, but that can mean many things: researcher, writer, news anchor, copy editor, sometimes host of Mic’d Up, etc.

Consolamini: It seems as if there were some, particularly Archbishop Forte, who tried to sabotage the synod by inserting controversial passages into the synod's midterm report. Do you think this will happen again with the upcoming Synod?

Consolamini: What is the Synod on the Family that is going to take place in October? What is the extraordinary Synod on the Family that took place at the end of last year?

After last year’s synod, one of the betterknown progressives in the Church, Cdl. Reinhard Marx, who makes no secret of his desire to open Communion to the divorced and remarried, and who also wants more welcoming language towards active gays, said, “The synod debates were just a starting point. . . . The real work is about to begin.”

This fall’s Synod is the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is a follow-up to last year’s Extraordinary General Assembly. Last fall’s Synod meant to address pastoral challenges to the family.

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In other words, the progressives were just getting started. There was never any doubt in my mind they’d be scheming all throughout the next year--secretly and openly--to push their agenda forward.

is his proposal? What is wrong with Kasper's proposal?

Cardinal Walter Kasper has for decades proposed relaxing restrictions on Holy Communion to allow those in invalid civil marriages to receive Communion. The problem is that that is quite simply abetting adultery.

Our Lord taught that a sacramentally valid marriage is indissoluble. Those who divorce from sacramentally valid marriages and “remarry” are committing adultery, a grave sin. Anyone in the state of mortal sin is not permitted to receive Holy Communion, because that would be committing sacrilege against Our Lord truly present in the Host, and would result in further damnation of the soul. So excluding those in adulterous unions from Communion actually protects those souls from further harming themselves, as well as from further offending Our Lord.

Christine Niles Guest Hosting Mic'd Up

Cardinal Burke just gave an interview this week warning the faithful to be on guard against forces pushing a gay agenda at this year’s synod. It’s a very real thing--as we saw in the scandalous gay paragraphs you mention, inserted by Abp. Bruno Forte in the Midterm Relatio.

The faithful must be on guard this year; we must be wiser, more vigilant, less naïve.

Even though Forte’s pro-gay paragraphs were excised from the final Relatio, the damage had been done; it was no doubt the most talked about part of the Synod, with media outfits everywhere claiming the Church was changing Her teaching on gays.

The Church is doing no such thing, nor can She--but the impression left on many around the world was that this was indeed happening.

Consolamini: If the synod decides to embrace Kasper's proposal, and as a result, the proposal makes its way into the Holy Father's post-synodal apostolic exhortations, what should faithful Catholics do in response?

I’m of the opinion that the synod would not be able to do this--that the Holy Spirit would prevent this from occurring. The reason is because doctrine and discipline in this case are so closely bound as to be one; you can’t change the discipline without changing the doctrine on the Holy Eucharist--and that is impossible.

In my opinion, last year’s synod was an unmitigated disaster, and did far more harm than good. The faithful must ensure the same sort of damage does not take place again this year.

The focus here is fundamentally not marriage, as some think, but the Eucharist. Is the Eucharist truly Our Lord present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity? Is the Eucharist GOD Himself, hidden under the species of bread and wine? It certainly is. To receive our Lord in Holy Communion is the most

Consolamini: Many Catholics are concerned about Cardinal Kasper's proposal. For those who don't know, what 30

intimate union one can have with God this side of Heaven. And it is integral that one receive Him worthily, in the state of grace.

To do otherwise is to profane the Body and Blood of Our Lord and commit sacrilege.

The first thing every faithful Catholic should be doing is praying daily for the Church--for the pope, the bishops, the clergy--that they be holy, faithful, and guided by the Holy Spirit.

To claim that those in the state of mortal sin-i.e., those in adulterous invalid unions--may also receive, does two things: it implicitly rejects the True Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, and it denies the gravity of the sin of adultery.

We also need to voice our concerns respectfully to the pope and prelates. This can be done by writing them directly, as well as discussion on social media.

We also need to defend the Faith against those who attack it, and educate Catholics who may not know any better on why certain changes are not permissible in the Church.

Consolamini: What can faithful Catholics do to express their desire for the synod fathers to remain faithful in regards to the Church's teachings on marriage and Holy Communion?

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An Interview with H.G. Bishop Nicholas Samra on Eastern Catholicism us to St. Anselm College, Manchester NH for our BA degree. I completed 4 years after that in theology in Methuen and in Boston.

Ordained a priest in May 1970 I served in Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, IL and Paterson NJ, my home parish. In each place I established a second parish as well as another in Delray Beach, FL. I was elected by the Melkite Synod as auxiliary bishop and named as such by Pope John Paul II in 1989.

In 2011 I was appointed to head the diocese

by Pope Benedict XVI.

Consolamini: Your Excellency, would you be willing to briefly share about your background (i.e. were you born Catholic, how did you become a Bishop in the Melkite Catholic Church, etc.)?

I was born in New Jersey to an immigrant father and mother (1st generation born in USA). My ancestry is from Aleppo Syria. I am Melkite by birth and upbringing, although not having our own schools in the USA, I went to Roman Catholic school from K thru 12. I entered St Basil seminary in 1962 upon High school graduation. Located in Methuen, MA, the Melkite seminary sent

Consolamini: For those Catholics who are unfamiliar with the Eastern Catholic 32

Churches, what is the Melkite Catholic Church?

Orthodox Christians, without falling into indifferentism?

The Melkite church is the Greek or Byzantine Church of Antioch. It is rooted in the Middle East, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Sudan and in the western world through emigration.

Dioceses exist in USA, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. There are numerous communities in Western Europe as well as in other South American countries.

The average catholic needs to have a better appreciation of eastern Christianity and not think so legally and uniformly.

Consolamini: With a beautiful liturgy and a rich heritage, it would seem as if the Melkite Catholic Church has great means to evangelize society, which, at least here in the West, suffers from a lack of beauty and culture. Consequently, is it your impression people in the West are beginning to gravitate to the Melkite Catholic Church?

Consolamini: What is the state of the Melkite Catholic Church in the Middle East?

In the Middle East we have 5 dioceses in Syria, 7 in Lebanon, 1 in Jordan, 1 in Egypt, 1 in Haifa/Nazareth, and 1 in Jerusalem.

There are churches in the other countries noted in no. 2. Until the present war in Syria, our church was thriving in the Middle East, although much emigration has taken place.

The Melkite church is a church without borders. We are not an ethnic church and welcome anyone who loves eastern Christianity. Of note is that more than half of my clergy in the USA are not of Middle Eastern descent. We even see a great movement in Protestant churches and clergy looking to the east - catholic and orthodox.

Consolamini: You have previously written on the subject of ecumenism. What do you believe are some remaining obstacles between Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Churches?

We have broken the high walls ecumenically and are finally dialoguing better. The

obstacles of the past have narrowed down to better understanding of diversity. The western church finally is beginning to see the importance of diversity over uniformity.

Consolamini: What can the average Catholic do to help the Church work towards full communion with Eastern

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H.G. Bishop Nicholas Samra with Pope Benedict XVI

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For more information, visit www.consolamini.org

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