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| Pope Pius VIII |
The Holy Father has spoken out forcefully defending the sacrament of marriage. He underscored that the close union of husband and wife is a sacrament, that is, a sacred sign of the immortal love of Christ for His Spouse. One notices how the Holy Father addresses the grave error and horrendous heresies of both the libertine and the Manichean puritan.
The Holy Father wrote:
We also want you to imbue your flock with reverence for the sanctity of marriage so that they may never do anything to detract from the dignity of this sacrament. They should do nothing that might be unbecoming to this spotless union nor anything that might cause doubt about the perpetuity of the bond of matrimony. This goal will be accomplished if the Christian people are accurately taught that the sacrament of matrimony ought to be governed not so much by human law as by divine law and that it ought to be counted among sacred, not earthly, concerns. Thus, it is wholly subject to the Church. Formerly marriage had no other purpose than that of bringing children into the world. But now it has been raised to the dignity of a sacrament by Christ the Lord and enriched with heavenly gifts. Now its purpose is not so much to generate offspring as to educate children for God and for religion. This increases the number of worshippers of the true divinity. It is agreed that the union of marriage signifies the perpetual and sublime union of Christ with His Church; as a result, the close union of husband and wife is a sacrament, that is, a sacred sign of the immortal love of Christ for His spouse. Therefore, teach the people what is sanctioned and what is condemned by the rules of the Church and the decrees of the Councils.[16] Also explain those things which pertain to the essence of the sacrament. Then they will be able to accomplish those things and will not dare to attempt what the Church detests. We ask this earnestly of you because of your love of religion.
The full Papal statement may be read here.
6 comments:
Thank you for your post. I noticed that you highlighted the following:
"But now it has been raised to the dignity of a sacrament by Christ the Lord and enriched with heavenly gifts. It is agreed that the union of marriage signifies the perpetual and sublime union of Christ with His Church; as a result, the close union of husband and wife is a sacrament, that is, a sacred sign of the immortal love of Christ for His spouse."
It is beautiful to consider that His Holiness Pope Francis has also taught in continuity with the above.
For example: Pope Francis, General Audience, April 2, 2014 A.D.
https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2014/documents/papa-francesco_20140402_udienza-generale.html
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning. Today we conclude the series of catecheses on the Sacraments by speaking about Matrimony. This Sacrament leads us to the heart of God’s design, which is a plan for a Covenant with his people, with us all, a plan for communion.
"The image of God is the married couple: the man and the woman; not only the man, not only the woman, but both of them together. This is the image of God: love, God’s covenant with us is represented in that covenant between man and woman. And this is very beautiful!
"When a man and woman celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony God as it were “is mirrored” in them; he impresses in them his own features and the indelible character of his love. Marriage is the icon of God’s love for us.
"Indeed, God is communion, too: the three Persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit live eternally in perfect unity. And this is precisely the mystery of Matrimony: God makes of the two spouses one single life. The Bible uses a powerful expression and says “one flesh”, so intimate is the union between man and woman in marriage. And this is precisely the mystery of marriage: the love of God which is reflected in the couple that decides to live together.
"St Paul, in the Letter to the Ephesians, emphasizes that a great mystery is reflected in Christian spouses: the relationship established by Christ with the Church, a nuptial relationship (cf. Eph 5:21-33). The Church is the bride of Christ. This is their relationship.
"This means that Matrimony responds to a specific vocation and must be considered as a consecration (cf. Gaudium et Spes, n. 48: Familiaris Consortio, n. 56). It is a consecration: the man and woman are consecrated in their love. The spouses, in fact, in virtue of the Sacrament, are invested with a true and proper mission, so that starting with the simple ordinary things of life they may make visible the love with which Christ loves His Church, by continuing to give his life for her in fidelity and service."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Too little;too late. It is noticeable that when Bergoglio goes too far, he attempts to recoup by asserting orthodoxy. He is not a trustworthy guardian of the Faith, but rather the destroyer St. Francis predicted.
Every once in a great while something that resembles Catholic teaching comes out of his mouth.
Thank you, Barona, for linking to the beautiful Encyclical of the Pope Pius VIII "TRADITI HUMILITATI," specifically to its 10th paragraph. If the current Pontiff would believe the same and express himself with the same precision...
Very Blessed Christmas and New Year.
Kathleen, it's Encyclical of Pius VIII. Follow the link at the end of Barona's article.
Mark Thomas said..."It is beautiful to consider that His Holiness Pope Francis has also taught in continuity with the above."
His Holiness Pope Francis also taught the following (June 16, 2016):
“It’s provisional, and because of this the great majority of our sacramental marriages are null."
“I’ve seen a lot of fidelity in these cohabitations, and I am sure that this is a real marriage, they have the grace of a real marriage because of their fidelity, but there are local superstitions, etc.”
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