Dear Father Weinandy,
You may remember me as your predecessor as executive director of the Secretariat for Christian Doctrine at the U.S.C.C.B. You replaced me in January 2005.
I am writing this open letter to you in response to your open letter to Pope Francis in which you address what you describe as a “chronic confusion” that seems to mark his pontificate.
According to Sandro Magister’s introduction to your letter, you had asked Jesus for a sign as to whether you should write your letter, you received that sign and thus “no longer had any doubt that Jesus wanted me to write….” I cannot enter into the subjective conditions that inspired you to write, but I need to note that “Amoris Laetitia,”toward which you express great concern, was the fruit of two synods and broad consultation throughout the church, is widely recognized as an act of ordinary Magisterium, and thus enjoys presumption as having been guided by the Spirit of the Lord.
Your first concern is centered on Chapter 8 of “Amoris Laetitia.” You maintain that the Holy Father’s “guidance at times seems intentionally ambiguous.” I believe that the vast majority of bishops and theologians do not agree. The pope does indeed open the door to the possibility that some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can be admitted to the sacraments after careful discernment. Rocco Buttiglione, one of the foremost interpreters of the teaching of St. John Paul II, sees no contradiction, but rather continuity between “Familiaris Consortio”and “Amoris Laetitia.” And most recently Cardinal Gerhard Müller stated that there are conditions which open the way for those in second marriages to receive sacraments.
Your second concern is that the pope’s manner “seems to demean the importance of Church doctrine.” I would note, first of all, that the Holy Father’s homilies, based on the Gospel, call us to a discipleship that is rigorous and uncompromising. Second, I interpret his criticism of those who make doctrine an ideology as a challenge for us to never isolate doctrine from its source in the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Your third concern is the Holy Father’s “choice of some bishops, men who seem not merely open to those who hold views counter to Christian belief but who support and even defend them.” Unless you are willing to name these bishops and the views counter to Christian belief that supposedly they tolerate, this remains a gratuitous assertion and damages the unity of the church.
Your fourth concern is the pope’s encouragement of a “‘synodality’ that allows and promotes various doctrinal and moral options within the Church.” Here, again in an open letter to the pope, it would have been more responsible to specify what these various options have been. To do anything less is to foster suspicion of bishops and theologians by some circles in the church.
Your fifth concern is that bishops feel that the pope is not open to criticism and indeed resents it. What is your source for this? Indeed, there has been much criticism of the pope, but he has remained silent. I am not aware of anything that he has said in public to indicate that he resents criticism.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, urged that dissent from ordinary Magisterium should be disclosed privately to church authority—see “Donum Veritatis” (No. 30). In a world and even an ecclesial environment of sound bites and facile partisanship, that becomes even wiser advice.
Fraternally yours in Christ,
Msgr. John Strynkowski
Thank you, Msgr. Strynkowski, for your succinct, objective and beautifully crafted comments.
Msgr. John Strynkowski has eloquently expressed what so many of us have been unable to convey after the bewildering public letter of Father Weinandy. As a student and devotee of Msgr. Strynkowski from many decades ago, I know that his charitable response witnesses to the loving fidelity he has given to the Church over many decades as an outstanding theologian and pastor.
A focused and enormously helpful post. Cuttting through the contemporary rhetoric of character assassination, overly simplic judgments and "non sequitur" conclusions is not easy. But that and much much more is admirably and irenically accomplished here. Thank you.
Will the Editors of America give Father Weinandy the time and space to respond , if he is granted "Papal Immunity" , so that he can make his letter
as clear as possible ?
You can read Fr. Weinandy's letter in its entirety at the National Catholic Register. It is clear, well-written, and respectful.
Father Weinandy expressed thoughts and feelings felt by many in the Church, including myself. We are often dereogatively referred to as "Pharisees" by Francis ie the Pope who instructs people to refrain from name calling. I could cite many sources refuting much of what is written above, but what's the point? Only God and time will resolve these issues and the fate of the Church. As Tolkien wrote, "The board is set, the pieces are moving."
Father Weinandy speaks the truth. I did read his letter; he expresses much better than I can the feelings of confusion that abound.
Here's the irony: Fr. Weinandy mentions that many people, including bishops, are AFRAID to speak out about their concerns, fearing that they will be marginalized--or worse. What happened-- IMMEDIATELY? While stressing the "need for dialogue", the USCCB demanded Fr. Weinandy's resignation as a consultant. I guess the "dialogue" is desired only if it contains enough ambiguity.
Now really, why should anybody be afraid to speak up?
Let's all pray for our Holy Father and for our Church!
Msg. Strynkowski points out basic elements of critique and analysis I teach my middle and high school lit class students: support your points with evidence! You can assert anything you want, but it won't stand up unless you provide evidence that backs it up. How disappointing that a theologian and academician such as Father Weinandy hasn't done this. Also sad that, once again, the pope is being attacked for following God in promoting mercy over judgement.
Did you actually READ Fr. Weinandy's letter? It isn't an attack; it's much-needed, respectful advice given in a spirit of love. Remember that St. Catherine of Siena respectfully corrected the Pope. So did St. Paul.
Even "advice" in such hotly disputed matters MUST be accompanied by EVIDENCE of the alleged failings. Weinandy does NOT provide his evidence or his sources for most of his allegations.
The evidence you seek, Mr. Lewis, has been public knowledge for at least four years. Pretending it doesn't exist is disingenuous.
Thank you to Msgr. Strynkowski for a thoughtful and respectful expression of what so many think and feel about Amoris Laetitia and its rootedness in the tradition. It has helped so many who are struggling and want to be part of the Church to feel there is a place for them and to be reminded of the mercy of God which is at the heart of the gospel. As Pope John XXXlll reminded us in Ad Petri Cathedram: "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas"
"Penance, Penance, Penance."
To not repent of our sins, is to deny Salvational Love, God's Gift of Grace and Mercy.
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2012/09/cardinal-martini-and-the-timeless-church
BRAVO!
Msgr. Strynkowski stated:
"... I need to note that 'Amoris Laetitia', toward which you express great concern, was the fruit of two synods and broad consultation throughout the church, is widely recognized as an act of ordinary Magisterium, and thus enjoys presumption as having been guided by the Spirit of the Lord."
Can an act of Ordinary Magisterium contradict, in a mutually-exclusive manner, previous Magisterium? In such an instance, "the presumption as having been guided by the Spirit of the Lord" cannot be enjoyed; this is the crux of the alluded to confusion which objectively exists, please.
Pax Christi
Dear Msgr. Strynkowski,
You say,
"Your first concern is centered on Chapter 8 of “Amoris Laetitia.” You maintain that the Holy Father’s “guidance at times seems intentionally ambiguous.” I believe that the vast majority of bishops and theologians do not agree. The pope does indeed open the door to the possibility that some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can be admitted to the sacraments after careful discernment."
Then if so, why is it in a footnote? Why wasn’t it boldly and unambiguously proclaimed in the body of the Exhortation and the Eucharist mentioned specifically? Why didn’t our Holy Father just say that, under certain circumstances and with proper discernment, complete continence is no longer a hindrance to the Eucharist? Why was it veiled in a footnote? Why do the bishops of Buenos Aires need the Holy Father's interpretation on its implementation if it is so clear? Surely, these are educated men. Why does Poland say one thing and Germany and Malta something else? Philadelphia one thing and San Diego something else? Can a whole country just happen to get it wrong?
No doubt there is confusion. Was this confusion intentional? If so, then only the Holy Father can tell us why. Regardless the intention, judging from its opposing implementations, where is the pastoral succor to dispel it?
I think Fr. Weinandy speaks for many faithful laity who have little means of sharing their concerns with the Holy Father, and who are genuinely confused with what they perceive is a “break” with his immediate predecessors in the magisterial teaching regarding the indissolubility of marriage. Shouldn’t their concerns and those of Fr. Weinandy be received with the very same pastoral accompaniment which was counseled so prominently in AE?
Amen!
" Unless you are willing to name these bishops". " What is your source for this?" "it would have been more responsible to specify what these various options have been".
Apparently, Msgr. Strynkowski wants specifics. Let me try.
Point 1. The Cardinals who signed the unanswered dubia.
Point 2. The Pope wondering why young people prefer the Latin Mass. "Why so much ridigity?"
Point 3. Bishop Patrick McGrath tells those in unrepentant homosexual relationships to come forward for Eucharist and Catholic funeral. July 4, 2017
Point 4. Malta Bishops. German bishops.
Point 5. Fr. Weinandy's dismissal.
Took me ten minutes.
Young people do not prefer the "Latin mass." They prefer to skip church altogether. You need better data and you need to pay attention to it.
Jay Kay. I believe a qualifier was missing. I'm paraphrasing this revision, "Of the young people who go to Mass, they prefer the Latin Mass."
Msgr. Strynkowski
Where’s the substance to your rebuttal? Something has clearly been said, and you say nothing. You put dumb-di-dumb words together, that make no sense, nor do they address any argument, and presto, that’s good enough for people who mindlessly follow along here to think, “Well , that’s good. So-and-so has been addressed and put down.” Used to be Jesuits were to be commended. Now they just come across as really stupid. Really.
Pope Francis is serving humanity with dedication and distinction. God bless the Holy Father with strength and stamina.
Contrary to the assertions of Msgr. Strynkowski, 'Amoris Laetitia, Ch. 8, is not the fruit of two synods, it is the fruit of the Pope and his plans for Communion for the divorced and remarried. The Pope deliberately discarded the conclusions of the synod fathers and substituted his own.
Msgr. Strynkowski, through Rocco Buttiglione, sees no contradiction between 'Amoris Laetitia and 'Familiaris Consortio' but the contradiction is quite obvious. Part Four IV: 84 of 'Familiaris Consortio' says, in part, "However, the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried." Msgr. Strynkowski is simply wrong in his assertion.
He further asserts that "the vast majority of bishops and theologians do not agree" with Fr. Weinandy's statement that the Holy Father’s “guidance at times seems intentionally ambiguous.” Certainly Msgr. Strynkowski is well aware of the dozens of theologians and educators who have signed their names to widely publicized formal corrections of the Pope asserting, inter alia, exactly such ambiguity. Some of those same people are even now lauding Fr. Weinandy for "Fr Thomas Petri, OP, academic dean of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, told Catholic News Agency (CNA) that Fr Weinandy “is a theologian of the highest calibre,” and that the “letter to His Holiness is quite obviously written with a deep filial piety and loyalty to both our Holy Father Pope Francis and to the Church.”
That pretty much puts the subject to rest.
Ferde Rombola, Beverly, MA
Typical Jesuit response. I do believe you must all be blinded to the discourse of holy men and quite possibly, incapable of even recognizing them. I am pretty sure you do not find them in your ranks. May the Lord have mercy upon your non stop attempts to spread discord and dissension within the Church. You never fail to work hard to attack anyone who truly represents the laity, the Church and the work of Jesus Christ. Who you worship is ever evident and it is mostly yourself.
Fr. Weinandy’s open letter and Msgr. Strynkowski’s open response reflect the new reality of social media. The Church has for centuries enjoyed the ability to maintain secrecy. Those days are gone. Pope Francis is the most followed Twitter user in the world.
Some adjustment is therefore required in this new media. The burdens must be accepted with the benefits. This open world platform may account for Pope Francis’ consistent favorable rating by 8 of 10 U.S. Catholics [Gecewicz (2017) U.S. Catholics, non-Catholics continue to view Pope Francis favorably. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 5 November 2017 from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/] But the burden is that opposing views also gain a world-wide public audience. These opponents use proxies multiple steps removed from Pope’s inner circle to broadcast their views. The challenge is to select which opponents to address when the audience is the World Wide Web.
A fundamental new question for Pope Francis is whether the Pope is to openly engage in debate with his detractors. The traditional authoritarian answer is no. The Pontificate is an autocractic model in an age that no longer allows autocracies to control the flow of information. Even a little truth can disrupt a massive propoganda operation. As a result, polical regimes like No. Korea or Putinesk Russia specialize in controlling the internet, but will ultimately fail.
Rome cannot engage in these same authoritarian tactics. The strategy of remaining silent to criticism in order not to fuel the controversy is only a short term solution. Are the critics simply baiting the Pope, hoping to gain a broader audience? Maybe. But to write off the critics as as publicity seeking discontents is a mistake too. Were not Peter, James and John often off the mark, requiring Jesus gently to rebuke their error? [See Mark 3:17 and Luke 9:54; John 13:8]. When necessary, Jesus carried the debate public, and held nothing back. [Matt. 23:33].
Secrecy is not healthy and doesn’t work in the long run. Pope Francis will gain more power for the Gospel by selecting which of his opponents to debate, then daring to debate them directly. In doing so He can evidence the person of Christ in the world confronting the darkness.
"You maintain that the Holy Father’s “guidance at times seems intentionally ambiguous.” I believe that the vast majority of bishops and theologians do not agree. The pope does indeed open the door to the possibility that some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can be admitted to the sacraments after careful discernment."
It's possible that Msgr. Strynkowski is here referring to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics who have repented of the sin of adultery, received absolution, and are now living as brother and sister. However, since he did not as much as hint at this possibility, he either (a) intentionally made his comment ambiguous, and/or (b) is referring to cases in which the couple continues to live in sin.
This ambiguity is precisely the ambiguity about which Fr. Weinandy has expressed concern.
P.S. There's more to be learned from this story, including the right disposition to address and discuss the Holy Father:
"Your Holiness,
I write this letter with love for the Church and sincere respect for your office. You are the Vicar of Christ on earth, the shepherd of his flock, the successor to St. Peter and so the rock upon which Christ will build his Church. All Catholics, clergy and laity alike, are to look to you with filial loyalty and obedience grounded in truth. The Church turns to you in a spirit of faith, with the hope that you will guide her in love. "
P.P.S. Whether God did or didn't "give Fr. Weinandy a sign" is a red herring.
I am simply fascinated and stunned at how suddenly the so-called progressive folks have become the most ultra-montanist crowd in the history of the Catholic Church. Ultramontanism in any period of history is most emphatically NOT Catholic.
And squelching one’s enemies, both in Rome (by the pope) and the US, as in this case, is certainly NOT the collaborative, consultative, synodal attitude the pope has been preaching. The sheer hypocracy of both Strynkowski and the pope is stunning, just stunning not to mention their lack of Christian charity, and the lack of social justice, the other progressive banner, which apparently applies to all areas of life, except of course, the ecclesiastical.
If it weren’t so sad, I’d be laughing.
Did it ever dawn on some of these dissenters (yes, that's what people balking at what the Pope is teaching are) that maybe it's they that don't understand what the Church really teaches? Maybe they're just plain wrong and they don't know it. It's a pretty far out stance--consistently claiming to be "more Catholic than the pope." That used to be the stuff of jokes, but these people are doing it with a straight face. Scary stuff.
Fr. Weinandy's opening paragraph:
"Your Holiness,
I write this letter with love for the Church and sincere respect for your office. You are the Vicar of Christ on earth, the shepherd of his flock, the successor to St. Peter and so the rock upon which Christ will build his Church. All Catholics, clergy and laity alike, are to look to you with filial loyalty and obedience grounded in truth. The Church turns to you in a spirit of faith, with the hope that you will guide her in love. "
Is that a disposition of a "dissenter" or from someone "balking at what the Pope is teaching"?
When the Cardinals selected the new Pope Francis my first concern was that he was a Jesuit. The Jesuits in general were the leaders of the Communist inspired armed "liberation" theology and I met several when working in South America 30+ years ago.Today Francis and the Jesuits substitute government intervention/anti-business theology for guns.
Pope Francis is a very nuanced thinker and the actual meaning of his writings and/or "sound bites" of what he has to say are often not helpful and confusion reigns.
Nuanced thinking (Nuanced definition, a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning,
response,) is the realm of politicians and those who seek to sow
confusion not for the head of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church.
The more often Pope Francis speaks "off the cuff" before crowds or especially
reporters, the more he reminds me of Peter Sellers's Chance the gardener, better known
as Chauncey Gardiner, from the movie 'Being There' who spoke simple
words, spoken often due to confusion or to a stating of the obvious,
which are repeatedly misunderstood as profound and often, in the Pope's
case when he speaks or writes on economic systems, capitalism, climate change, immigration and other worldly matters, several factually in error, or even matters of a possible/potential change in long held Catholic doctrine which are walked back or explained later by a Vatican spokesperson.
One example when Pope Francis replied "Who am I to judge?" which is essentially a direct repudiation of Jesus's instructions to his Apostles "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20-23
Just as the apostles were to carry Christ’s message to the whole world, so they were to carry his forgiveness or not, In other words to be judges.
Is it any wonder that different people hear different signals when the Pope writes or speaks?
It is difficult to understand why Pope Francis and his advisers refuse to dialogue with those who have sincere and vital questions concerning the direction of the Church. The pope's focus on the quality of pastoral care would seem to require that dialogue if he is truly concerned about being an effective pastor. He and his advisers either ignore or attempt to discredit anyone who has sincere questions and who are truly confused. The pope's lack of even trying to engage on a respectful basis leads me to the conclusion that he is not a sincere person with regard to his statements on pastors. His attempts to "re-interpret" church teaching with footnotes and supposedly "private" letters of approval to those bishops who have supported that "re-interpretation" (i.e., Argentina) appear to be sneaky and underhanded and almost smack of dishonesty. I am having a real hard time with all this because of how the Church has been so steadfast with her teachings over the centuries. It seems to me this pope and his advisers might be described as narcissistic and think themselves more insightful and faithful than almost all of this pope's predecessors. There is confusion among the faithful and thank you to Fa. Wienandy for a respectful attempt at dialogue.
No confusion? Sad to see these comments coming in. A comment from a non-Catholic regarding an article from the National Catholic Register titled, "Messori: Pope Francis is Creating a ‘Liquid Society’ Church"
Posted by Truth Seeker on Tuesday, Nov, 7, 2017 10:17 PM (EST):
Very interesting article and perceptive author. As a Protestant watching the Catholic from the outside, I get frustrated for the Catholic. I used to think (and I’m sure millions of Catholic also) that the Catholic church was the one church/institution on earth that could withstand the culture and not let the “dogmas” of the culture enter into its doors, but the current pope has changed all that. I was considering becoming Catholic, but now I’m not sure I can anymore. I’ve heard a few reasons why I should consider joining the Catholic church, such as Apostolic succession. However, there now is Cardinal against Cardinal, Pope against of his Cardinals, etc… What a mess PF has made! Why should I join a church that is not really one anymore. Any thought on this would be appreciated.
We are in the unfortunate situation where the Holy father's failure to address the Dubia directly (which could have been so easily done and would have confirmed his call for dialogue and openness) has only exacerbated the tensions between faithful Catholics. Once again, Archbishop Chaput appears to me to be the wisest commentator. In his Nov. 8 address to the National Assembly of Filipino Priests USA in Houston concerning Amoris Laetitia. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/amoris-laetitia-and-the-nature-of-mercy. Some quotes:
"As a Church, we need to meet people where they are. We need to listen to their sufferings and hopes. We need to accompany them along the path of their lives. That demands from us as priests a spirit of patience and mercy. We need to have a bias toward welcoming and a resistance to seeing individual persons merely as parts of alien or alienated groups. The divorced-and-civilly remarried are not exiles from Church life. They need to be invited back. The same applies to persons with same-sex attraction. Jesus Christ died for all of us, and we need to behave in a manner that embodies his love. At the same time, 'accompanying' people also means that we need to guide them in the right direction — gently but also honestly, speaking the truth with love. It does no one any good if we “accompany” someone over a cliff, or, even worse, to a fatal separation from God. We can’t simply confirm people in their mistakes. Scripture is very clear about right and wrong sexual relationships and behavior. We’re very poor disciples if we lack the courage to speak the truth as the Church has always understood it."
"Ground zero is this: For Christians, sexual intimacy outside a valid sacramental marriage can never be morally legitimate. And it’s the Church that determines what a valid sacramental marriage is. Scripture’s clearest words about the indissolubility of marriage come from Jesus himself in Matthew 19. They can’t be softened, or reinterpreted or contextualized. Christian marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. When valid, it endures until the death of one or the other spouse. And our task as priests is to uphold and advance that truth as a message of liberation, even when it’s difficult."
"The most widespread concerns voiced about the content of Amoris Laetitia — in public, but even more urgently and commonly in private — focus on Chapter 8, including Footnote 351. Critics see in the text a preference for ambiguity over clear teaching and a resentment toward defenders of traditional Church teaching that seem out of sync with the rest of the document. Since at least some of the people raising these issues are persons of fidelity and substance, their concerns can’t — in justice — be dismissed. And the resulting confusion is regrettable, because the whole purpose of Chapter 8 is to provide a merciful outreach to decent persons entangled in irregular marital situations."
"First, as with all papal documents regarding faith and morals, if any confusion exists in a text, it must be interpreted consistent with the magisterium of previous popes."
"Poorly formed, immature consciences are among the biggest pastoral challenges facing the Church. This is what makes delegating decisions about the nullity or validity of a first marriage to the internal forum a matter of real concern."
"real mercy is always more than mere sentiment. It can never exclude careful moral reasoning about right and wrong. It can never be set against, or elevated above, the other virtues that are key to life-giving human behavior. Otherwise it becomes just another source of confusion. Permanent truths exist about human nature, sexuality, behavior and relationships. Those truths apply to all of us, in all circumstances, and justice involves living according to those truths."
Dear Msgr. John Strynkowski,
One can know through both Faith and reason, that those persons are those who, through an act of spiritual adultery, deny that God, The Most Holy And Undivided Blessed Trinity, Is The Author of Love, of Life, and of Marriage. We can thank God, that Father Weinandy has refused to remain silent in the face of apostasy.
Our Call to Holiness, has always been a Call to be Chaste in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds.To deny the sanctity of the marital act, which is Life-affirming, and Life-sustaining, and can only be consummated between a man and woman, united in marriage as husband and wife, is to deny that God, The Most Holy And Undivided Blessed Trinity, Is The Author of Love, of Life, and of Marriage, and thus deny Salvational Love, God’s Gift of Grace and Mercy.
It is Through, With, and In Christ, in the Unity of The Holy Ghost, that Holy Mother Church exists.
The denial of The Unity Of The Holy Ghost (Filioque), is the source of all heresy; There Is only One Word of God, One Truth of Love Made Flesh, One Lamb of God Who Taketh Away The Sins of The World, Our Savior, Jesus The Christ, thus there can only be One Spirit of Perfect Love Between The Father and The Son, Who Proceeds from both The Father and The Son, in The Ordered Communion of Perfect Complementary Love, The Most Holy And Undivided Blessed Trinity.
“Our Lady was the one who prevailed on her Son to work His first miracle at Cana in Galilee. She is still the one, through whose intercession He wants to perform miracles now, on earth, in our day. But there is one condition: We who have the faith, must believe. And we who have the grace, must use it to live lives of heroic virtue.” Father John Hardon
Our Lady of Fatima, Destroyer Of All Heresies, Pray for us!
“And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are true.”
May Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Triumph, sooner, rather than later:
https://lifepetitions.com/p…
The Pope speaks for the Popel However, I was very impressed by Msgr. Strynkowski's erudite response to Fr. Weinandy's crude, thinly veiled attack on Pope Francis' tenure as rife with confusion. I have never lived through a Papacy that was more loving, more transparent, more merciful and more considerate of the flock. Perhaps the "confusion" resides in Fr. Weinandy's soul and not in this Papacy.