Smudger, did you notice the respect that Dolours gives to Cardinals by using their titles before their names, even the Cardinals that she believes are in error? If you are going to refer to Cardinal Ratzinger, please don't demean him by throwing out his surname without the respect his office deserves. You also seem to think that only Pope Francis is entitled to the honor of his papal office but remember that Cardinal Ratzinger was also our Holy Father.
A local talk radio host has an apt saying: "Everything before 'but" is BS." It's apt because he uses in reference to liberals and their sophistry.
This gives me personally, much hope for my children! This I believe is a truth! but I believe by allowing this to occur within the Church it would (not could), open up flood gates to many errornous decisions! Therefore the risk of extreme abuse (of this mercy) means it should not be allowed within the Church; I believe the church must be protected a this moment in time as a muddy tsunami of decadent secular values are just looking for a chance to flood in, decimating the life giving waters that the church embraces and accepts. Yet again this gives me hope for my children! Thank you Smudger! So many catholics have been using contraceptives for decades if not centuries. And they recieve Jesus in Holy Communion, without a second thought it seems. I have two married daughters, one daughter is 34 years old and has five children, the other is 26 years old and has 3 children; I suspect they are using contraceptives even though they know this is wrong and they also know of Natural family planning! Why are they doing this? I assume it is because it is easier than natural family planning and I also suspect that they are scared of having more children than what they believe they can handle, feed, cloth, etc. This is a very sad situation for me! I wish they could trust the Lord with the size of their families. In their defence I know they are good girls and they Love the Lord but they are living in such a secular society with husbands that don't understand and they must feel torn. When they go to mass they do not recieve Holy Communion. I can only hope and pray they are not in mortal sin and that God will forgive them! I console mself with the fact that God loves them more than I do! and everything is in His time! what I must do is pray and sacrifice, with Gods help for them and all my children. Divine Mercy of Jesus I trust in Thee.
Smudger And to add further weight on p. 203 he is asked about contracepting couples who might have the idea they are "living in some sort of sin" even though they have children and dont want any more. Cardinal Ratzinger says" I would say that those are questions that ought to be discussed with one's spiritual director, with one's priest, because they cant be projected into the abstract" So he is saying no they may not be in mortal sin. All the facts need to be discerned. This is real life theology inspired by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Church. Yet again this gives me hope for my children! Thank you Smudger! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry to butt in here but I think Smudger is muddying the waters on contraception. The Catechism of the Catholic Church: "every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil" (CCC 2370). The ordinary and universal Magisterium infallibly teaches that intrinsically evil acts are never justified by intention or circumstances. 2399: Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception). Pope John Paul II: "In teaching the existence of intrinsically evil acts, the Church accepts the teaching of Sacred Scripture…. If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain 'irremediably' evil acts; per se and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person. 'As for acts which are themselves sins (cum iam opera ipsa peccata sunt), Saint Augustine writes, like theft, fornication, blasphemy, who would dare affirm that, by doing them for good motives (causis bonis), they would no longer be sins, or, what is even more absurd, that they would be sins that are justified?'." (Veritatis Splendor, n. 81)
I can't speak for smudger but as he suggested he might have finished discussing the topic let me respond here. This is all about mortal sin. Without mortal sin being present, reception of Holy Communion is allowed. Your quote from Pope John Paul II illustrates perfectly that good intention can reduce culpability and thus affect the nature of the sin so that it is not mortal sin: "If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil," Sadly, we all sin to varying degrees. We need to receive Holy Communion to strengthen us to reduce our sinful behaviour.
What I believe and wrote is in agreement with you Garabandal! Obviously two of my daughters are not trusting in the Lord hence the use of contraceptives. I stand by my thankfulness to Smudger, because he has given me hope for their salvation! Hopefully they are not in mortal sin even though the taking or using of contraceptives is an intrinsically evil act. I hope and pray my children will see the light, realise their sin, ask for forgiveness and that Our Lord will forgive them. I will just add that at the catholic school my grandchildren attend in Newcastle Australia (a very large school), my daughter and son in law, with the five children, have the largest family in the entire school! now that has to say something about the contraceptive mentality of Catholics today.
The fact that most Catholic couples contracept is a disturbing reality and speaks volumes for the crisis we are in. In addition most oral contraceptives are abortifacient therefore leading to the destruction of millions of prenatal lives.
You are a great mother having brought the light of truth into their presence. Jesus Christ needs to be Lord over every aspect of our lives including our fertility. Below is a link to a PDF book that is most illuminating on the contraceptive mentality. Who’s At The Centre Of Your Marriage… The Pill or Jesus Christ? by Patrick McCrystal http://www.positivepharmacy.org/images/articles/book in pdf.pdf
I am hopeful that Our Lord has prevented any abortifacient qualities to the methods of their contraception. Praise Be God! Please Lord Let it be so! I believe both are using barrier methods, however I think there was a time that one of my daughters used oral contraceptives, until it became apparent that it was causing many unwanted side effects. What is so very sad for me at the moment is that my beautiful son in law, is considering a vasectomy; he was not raised in any religion but was baptised a catholic and recieved the sacrament of extreme unction in 2006 after he was left in a coma for 2 weeks after a very serious car accident in which his best friend died but he and my daughter survived the accident! His conversion is a miraculous story of Gods Love and Mercy. What the above (Brendans conversion) has taught me is that we are all in constant need of all the graces our Lady holds for us, at every step in our life! and we are never to become complacient! Divine Mercy of Jesus I trust in Thee!
