Rumours are being spread that Pope Francis is going to "change" doctrine on marriage and divorce. Others are spreading rumours that it will be contraception. Some of this noise is even coming from those who have masqueraded for years as "Catholics"; usually strident self-promoting laypersons (as they no doubt would wish to be termed).
Ed Peters has a sober article on the foolishness of trying to speculate over things that have no pastoral component. Doctrine cannot change. The Pope can no more change doctrine on these issues, then declare that a square is a circle. People who muse on such things do not understand the concept of the universal Ordinary Magisterium.
Yes, as a pastoral approach, it's terrible. To make up new doctrine and rules, and talk about it as if it's coming. And then others get all excited and the true evangelists have to tell the truth. And then they suffer great disappointment. Actually, I knew a woman who came back to the Church, went to confession, and was told she could receive communion even though she was still married outside the Church. She was truly innocent as she left the Church right after her first communion. I couldn't contradict the priest as he was my pastor so I sent her to a Coming Home program in another parish, and the pastor of that parish told her the truth that she couldn't receive communion. She was heart broken. She kept saying to me, "Why didn't he (the priest in confession) tell me the truth?' I couldn't answer that either because I would be criticizing my pastor, but the answer is "false charity." God bless you. Susan Fox www.christsfaithfulwitness.com
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