Friday, February 06, 2004

Pope instructs CDF on doctrinal, sex-abuse roles

Vatican, Feb. 06 (CWNews.com)
At a February 6 meeting with the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope John Paul II called the prelates' attention to three key topics: respect for Church teachings, the defense of natural law, and the discipline of clerics who are guilty of sexual misconduct.

The Pope met with the full membership of the Vatican's top doctrinal body as the Congregation concluded its biennial plenary assembly. He encouraged them to be forthright in proclaiming and defending the teachings of the Church, at a time marked by "both a widespread relativism and a tendency toward facile pragmatism." In today's culture, the Holy Father remarked, it is particularly important to convey the message that "full adherence to the Catholic faith does not diminish, but actually exalts human freedom."

In his remarks to the Congregation, the Pontiff spoke of the need to ensure that the teachings of the magisterium are properly received throughout the Catholic world, and the importance of defending the traditional understanding of natural law. Then he turned to the "very delicate and current" question of sexual abuse.

Recent years have seen a "notable increase" in the number of cases in which a Catholic cleric is accused of gravely immoral conduct. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is charged with the responsibility of canonical discipline in these cases, and the Pope said that-- having provided for a just hearing, and respect the rights of the accused-- the Congregation must be guided by 'the predominant need to protect the People of God."

Once an offense has been proven, the Pontiff said, discipline should be meted out in proportion to the severity of the offense. At the same time, he continued, the Congregation should look beyond the current disciplinary cases, and help dioceses to provide "just and balanced formation" for future priests. He called for collaboration with other dicasteries "to adopt the measures that are necessary to ensure that priests live in accordance with their call and commitment to perfect and perpetual chastity for the sake of the kingdom of God."

Earlier in his talk, the Pope had placed heavy emphasis on the natural-law tradition, explaining that a "crisis in metaphysics" in today's world has created an unhappy situation in which many people "no longer recognize the truth that is inscribed on the heart of every human person." He reminded the group that natural law is a "great patrimony of human wisdom," rather than a specifically Christian or Catholic body of thought. The natural law, he said, sets out "the first and most essential norms that regulate moral life."

To help revive a general understanding of basic human morality, the Pontiff asked the Congregation to "promote opportune initiatives" that could spread a better acceptance of the natural law. He remarked that such initiatives should have the support of "different denominations, religions, and cultures."

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also has the responsibility of monitoring the reception of Church teachings, including the popular understanding of new documents issued by the Vatican. Pope John Paul expressed his concern that the Catholic faithful are sometimes "disoriented rather than instructed" when a new document appears-- in large part because the teachings are distorted or misinterpreted by the mass media.

The issuance of a teaching document from the Holy See, the Pope said, should be understood not as a "media event," but as a means of promoting communion within the Church. The teachings of the magisterium, he explained, are intended to "shine light on a truth of the faith, or on some aspects of Catholic doctrine that are contested or distorted by particular trends of current thought and behavior."


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