Bp. Schneider Amoris Laetitia comment

Yes, how can we delve deeper into what marriage and the family is, when there is confusion? We will simply delve in a deeper confusion still. How can we continue to promote marriage as God established it – teaching the indissolubility of marriage and the family which is the domestic church in reality – in an environment of obvious confusion regarding the indissolubility of marriage, because Amoris Laetitia opened the door for communion for divorced people.

Pope Francis approved the norms drawn up by the bishops of the Buenos Aires region. They explicitly stated in the norms that if it is not feasible for a divorced couple to live in continence as the Church demands, then they can, nevertheless, receive Holy Communion. But for whom is it not feasible to live chastely? We all have the obligation from God to live chastely with the help of the grace of God of course. And with the grace of God it is feasible. This norm says basically if it’s not feasible to live chastely then you are enabled to receive Communion.

And so, these norms say that if they cannot live in continence, then the door for all sacraments is open.

In his approval Pope Francis says this is the only correct interpretation of Amoris Laetitia. He said this is the best interpretation, and his statement is still valid, since it was so far not revoked.

Then the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, declared a short time afterwards that these norms and the approval of Pope Francis are the expression of the authentic Magisterium of the Church. This is still valid – this cannot be accepted and continue, this must be explicitly corrected, because this is against divine law.

It is in practice a denial of the divine truth of the indissolubility of marriage and at the same time it’s a direct attack on the ineffable sanctity of the Holy Eucharist, when people living in an objective state of sin against the commandment of God are allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist which is the Holy of Holies. By this action they are committing at least an objective material desecration, a sacrilege of what is most holy and eating for themselves their judgment as St. Paul warned.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider via The Catholic Herald